UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Keith Brautigam, deputy chief information officer (CIO) and chief information security officer (CISO), will step into his role as interim vice president for Information Technology and CIO, effective June 17. He replaces Jennifer Stedelin, who announced her departure from the University in May.
As interim vice president and CIO, Brautigam will lead the University’s information technology enterprise. He will oversee Penn State IT, which is the University's central IT unit, and also will provide strategic leadership for the 1,200 IT professionals across all colleges, campuses and administrative units.
"I am humbled by this opportunity to lead IT for Penn State," Brautigam said. "Our collaboration with partner units enables IT to provide a seamless and streamlined technology experience for all our customers. I look forward to continuing the work begun by my predecessors to support Penn State's teaching, research and service mission."
Brautigam was named CISO in May 2022, after serving as interim CISO for four months. He took on the additional role of deputy CIO in October 2022 when the Office of Information Security merged with Penn State IT. In his dual role, he oversaw enterprise services that support all students, faculty and staff, and was responsible for the University's unified information security program. He previously held various positions in OIS, including director of identity and access management.
“Keith has more than 20 years of professional expertise in IT and information security, and I am grateful that he is stepping into this important interim leadership role,” said Justin Schwartz, executive vice president and provost. “Under his direction, Penn State IT will continue important efforts that significantly and positively impact our faculty, staff and students every day.”
As part of his new role, Brautigam will co-lead the IT Optimized Service Team workstream with Andrew Sears, dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology. The IT workstream is one of six concurrent workstreams dedicated to finding efficiencies and enhancing service and support across Penn State.
“For the past nine years, Keith’s efforts have helped to advance and secure IT services and support for Penn State students, faculty and staff,” said Sara Thorndike, senior vice president for Finance and Business/treasurer. "We are fortunate to have his experience in this interim role, and I look forward to his leadership and ongoing crucial contributions, which will impact the ways in which all individuals at the University learn, teach and work, in support of our mission.”
Brautigam came to Penn State in 2014 from the University of Iowa, where he was director of identity and access management. At Iowa, he gained experience providing IT services directly to researchers within a large medical center, partnering with their College of Medicine, and leading delivery of IT services to support research administration. He also has led reorganization efforts at the University of Iowa and Penn State.
Brautigam completed his MBA and master's certificate in strategic leadership through Penn State's World Campus and the Smeal College of Business. He received his bachelor of arts degree in communications and media studies from the University of Iowa.