UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Kevin Morooney, vice provost for Information Technology (IT) at Penn State, has been named the new vice president for trust and identity with Internet2. An interim appointment will be announced in the next few weeks, and a national search for Morooney’s replacement will begin early in the new year.
Since 2006, Morooney has served in his current role, working alongside a diverse team of IT professionals from Information Technology Services (ITS) — the University’s largest IT unit — and the broader Penn State IT community to support students, faculty and staff at 24 campus locations.
Beginning on Jan. 5, Morooney will assume his new role with Internet2, a nonprofit organization that provides high-performance networking services to research and education institutions. In this position, Morooney will continue the work he helped facilitate at Penn State to advance how universities manage and protect digital identities in cyberspace.
“I am sure I’m not alone in expressing my sincere thanks for all that Kevin has contributed to Penn State throughout his 28 years at the University,” said Nick Jones, executive vice president and provost. “I wish him well in this new endeavor.”
“As I begin this new chapter in my career, I am excited to advance the pursuits of Internet2’s broad and vibrant community of higher education members as well as research, industry and government partners,” said Morooney. “Looking back, my nearly three decades at Penn State have been punctuated by so many shared accomplishments and moments of which I am proud and thankful. Even more special to me, however, have been the relationships I’ve formed with so many sincere, passionate and dedicated colleagues and genuine friends.”
Morooney began his Penn State career in 1988 as a research programmer. During his time at the University he has held various leadership positions, including as manager of numerically intensive computing, director of graduate education and research services, senior director of the Center for Academic Computing, and senior director of academic services and emerging technologies.
As vice provost for IT, Morooney enthusiastically participated in and supported the formation of such groups as the IT Leadership Council (ITLC) — a collaborative community of more than 80 IT leaders at Penn State — and ITSCollab, a group working to transform the organizational culture of ITS and IT at Penn State.
“Kevin has helped bring the IT community closer together, and, because of these connections, we are in a position to continue to lead and enact the work that is so integral to the mission and future success of the University,” said John Domico, chair of ITLC and director of computing and technology in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Morooney was part of some of Penn State’s most important and lasting IT efforts, which were conceived and led by dedicated teams of staff from across ITS and the University, including:
- Expanded wireless Internet access in classrooms and buildings across Penn State’s campuses;
- The construction of two new data centers to protect critical research and data;
- The selection of a a new learning management system, Canvas, to advance teaching and learning;
- Establishment of a nonprofit organization, KINBER, to support the creation of the Pennsylvania Research and Education Network;
- The introduction of services, such as Lynda.com, Yammer and Box, that have boosted productivity and saved the university money; and
- Establishment of processes to streamline delivery of IT services across the University.
“For Kevin, people are more important than projects; that’s how he lives and leads,” said Christy Long, chair of ITSCollab and IT director in Services and Solutions. “During the years we’ve worked together, he has always made it a personal mission to elevate and empower the people around him to grow, affect change and lead in their own right. He embraces new opportunities and encourages others to be open to change as well.”
In his new role, Morooney will collaborate with service providers, federal agencies, and research and education communities to develop trust and identity strategies and ensure identity services operate across state and national boundaries. He will also assume leadership of InCommon and TIER, which is Internet2’s program to integrate InCommon and various trust- and identity-related middleware programs into a coherent set of tools, policies and practices to support trans-organizational identity and access management.