Lisa Jansen was recently named the new IT director for the UW–Madison School of Education.
Jansen will start in this role on Monday, Aug. 1, and will provide leadership and vision for the School of Education and its information technology support. She will lead a new IT leadership trio within the School — along with Anna Lewis, academic technology and libraries director, and the soon-to-be hired research IT director (formerly known as the Wisconsin Center for Education Research’s technical services director). The trio is designed to be more responsive to the mission areas of core/functional technology, academic technology, and research technology.
Jansen assumes the director role during a time when the School is eager to support increased enrollment, create and support more data-driven tools, and help implement the campus-wide Administrative Transformation Project. Jansen’s range of experience, dynamic leadership, and participation in large-scale campus projects have prepared her well for this critical role with the School. She will be a member of the School of Education’s senior staff leadership team.
“We are very excited that Lisa will be joining the School of Education as the new IT director,” says Kristen Hendrickson, the School’s chief financial officer. “Lisa will bring three decades of experience and in-depth knowledge of information technology at UW–Madison to her new role. The relationships she has built, and the relationships she will build, will have an enormous impact on improving our strategic and customer-focused IT services. Lisa will be able to hit the ground running.”
Jansen’s extensive experience on campus includes serving since 2018 as interim director of Learning Support Services in the College of Letters & Science, and as that unit’s associate director the previous 10 years. Prior to that, Jansen served from 1997 to 2008 as a senior instructional technology consultant with Learning Support Services, and from 1987 to 1997 was the help desk manager and computer training coordinator with UW–Cooperative Extension, which is now a part of UW–Madison.
Jansen’s varied experiences managing teams and services within the College of Letters and Science have prepared her well to take on the opportunities and challenges within the School of Education. Her long track record includes developing talented staff, creating communities of practice, and stepping up to help with campus projects such as IT titling and compensation.
Her approach to providing high-quality IT services is rooted in delivering excellent customer service, ensuring accessibility, and working with a purpose that puts mission and strategy over technological decisions.
“I’m so looking forward to working with students, faculty, and staff in a part of the university that is positively impacting Wisconsin’s health, art, and education outcomes,” says Jansen. “I am fortunate to be starting with the strong IT foundation that has already been laid by School of Education IT staff and leaders.”
Members of the School community will be able to meet Jansen and other new faculty and staff across the School at its annual Welcome Back Bash event on Sept. 1.