Lowden named Ohio State’s new VP, chief information officer
Brings more than 25 years of experience leading complex institutions through modernization and change
The Ohio State University has named Rob Lowden as its new vice president and chief information officer (CIO). Lowden will join the university on Aug. 1, following more than 20 years at Indiana University, most recently serving as its VP and CIO.
Lowden brings more than 25 years of experience leading complex institutions through modernization and change. He is a nationally recognized leader for his work that spans high-impact roles in higher education IT and board-level governance for technology partnerships and academic consortiums. Throughout his career, he has been a catalyst for aligning digital strategy with organizational mission – improving outcomes for students, researchers, faculty and staff.
“I’m thrilled that we have attracted one of the nation’s top technology leaders to Ohio State,” said Chris Kabourek, senior vice president for Administration and Planning. “Rob Lowden brings the deep expertise, innovative thinking and collaborative approach necessary to help our university lead in a higher education landscape being reshaped by AI and other technologies. He has a proven record of leading change at complex institutions, and he has a keen sense of where our digital infrastructure will need to go to support world-class education, research and health care well into the future. I can’t wait to have him join the talented team at OTDI.”
As vice president and CIO for Ohio State, Lowden will report to Kabourek and oversee the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) during a pivotal period of digital transformation and strategic growth. His portfolio will include oversight of enterprise IT, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and digital learning platforms – while shaping the university’s broader vision for artificial intelligence (AI) fluency, digital equity and intelligent infrastructure. In addition to driving enterprise IT strategy, he will help expand access to intelligent tools, agentic AI systems and ethical technology practices, ensuring that innovation at Ohio State is student-centered and mission aligned.
“I’m honored to join The Ohio State University at this pivotal moment,” Lowden said. “As a land-grant institution with global impact, Ohio State has both the scale and the responsibility to lead in AI, digital transformation and inclusive innovation. I look forward to partnering across the university to help shape the future of higher education – one where every learner is digitally empowered.”
Lowden has served as vice president and CIO for Indiana University since 2020, leading IT strategy and services during a global pandemic and the seamless transition of 200,000 faculty, staff and students across nine campuses and medical education centers to online learning. During his tenure as CIO, Lowden orchestrated the alignment of more than 400 additional professional IT staff across a large multicampus public R1 university, reducing costs and overall cybersecurity events across the organization.
Lowden previously served as executive associate dean and CIO of the Indiana University School of Medicine, the largest medical school in the United States. His leadership helped advance the school’s research infrastructure, clinical education tools and data integration capabilities – fostering collaboration and innovation across a distributed academic health system.
Lowden served in the United States Navy from 1992-1997, and was selected for the U.S. Navy Divefarer program, eventually becoming a search and rescue swimmer. He holds his Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology and a Master of Science in Technology from Purdue University.
