Dispatches from an Internet Pioneer

Deep Dive: Storm Scars and Bright Skies

In this episode, we explore how four major disruptions, the dot-com collapse, the Great Recession, the pandemic, and the unraveling of federal higher ed policy, have shaped a generation of CIOs in higher education. What begins as resilience can quietly become a mindset of perpetual caution, where innovation is seen as risky and vision gives way to survival. Drawing on lived experience, we unpack the subtle toll this takes on institutional imagination and offer practical ways IT leaders can balance stewardship with strategic boldness. It’s a conversation about weathering storms, without forgetting how to fly.