| MHETA HOME | ABOUT US | MISSION | PROJECTS |
About MHETAMHETA is a collaboration to facilitate sharing IT resources among Minnesota schools. It includes private and public institutions, and was created following several successful technology collaborations over the last few years. These projects demonstrated that IT resources are both more productive and cost effective when implemented with well managed collaborations. Additionally, the relationships built through prior collaborations help ensure ongoing success of future collaborations. MHETA is built on these premises:
If your institution is interested in MHETA please contact us at: info@mheta.org
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Leif Anderson is Vice President and CIO at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Over 17 years at Augsburg, Anderson has overseen the development of Augsburg's IT infrastructure and information systems, placing a special emphasis on the faculty's use of technology to improve teaching and learning. Leif holds a Master's in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School, where his academic work focused on emerging models of shared administrative services for non-profit organizations. Alongside his leadership of IT at Augsburg, Leif coordinates the college-wide strategic planning process and convenes Augsburg's Cabinet and Leadership Council.
Phil Asgian has served a variety of organizations as project manager for over 20 years . Since 2005 he has focused exclusively on higher education, including several collaborative projects. He currently serves as coordinator for the Upper Midwest Banners Users’ Group, managing a network of 14 private colleges and universities to share technology solutions, advocate collaboratively with common vendors, share industry best practices and act as clearing house to share resources and solutions. He also provides project management services for several member institutions for a variety of software and business process solutions. Prior experience includes serving as the collaboration project manager for four unrelated private colleges and universities implementing Banner software and several third party software solutions with a common time-line shared training and common vendor contracts. Phil has also worked with leadership from several private and public institutions to help establish MHETA.
Dr. Linda Baer has served over thirty years in numerous executive level positions in higher education including Senior Program Officer in Postsecondary Success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the Minnesota State College and University System, Senior Vice President and Interim President at Bemidji State University. She recently served as the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She established i4Solutions to inspire leaders to improve student success and transform institutions for the future. Baer presents nationally and internationally in academic innovations, educational transformation, alliances and partnerships, the campus of the future, shared leadership and building capacity in analytics. Recent publications have been on smart change, shared leadership, innovations in higher education and analytics as a tool to improve student success. She co-authored From Metrics to Analytics, Reporting to Action: Analytic’s Role in Changing the Learning Environment, Building Organizational Capacity in Analytics, and Transforming Higher Education in an Age of Disruptive Change. She currently serves on the Society for College and University Planning Board of Directors, the Gateway to Completion Advisory Board, the Jandris Center for Innovation in Higher Education and the Shank Institute for Innovative Learning. 
Carole Chabries is in her fourth year as the executive director of the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC). She has worked in higher education for 16 years, having served at a large state university, a small private university, and a mid-sized for-profit university. Before coming to ACTC she taught as a faculty member, developed academic and administrative programs, and served as an assistant dean. Carole holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she was a Teaching Fellow in the Graduate College of Letters and Sciences as well as a Composition & Technology Fellow in the English Department. Carole has taught creative writing and literature to undergraduates, led practica and workshops in writing in the disciplines for both faculty and instructors, and advised dissertators in an interdisciplinary PhD program; she has offered numerous workshops in different aspects of academic writing, writing across the curriculum, writing in the disciplines, and leadership. She has led the planning and development of a number of programs, including the Writing Program, the Online Writing Center, and the Dissertators’ Writing Retreat at Capella University; the Center for Teaching and Learning at Union Institute & University; and the New Chair Leadership Seminar, the Student Film Festival, the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and CityLabs at ACTC. Carole currently serves on the board of the Association for Collaborative Leadership (ACL), and the Advisory Panel for MnSCU’s Campus Service Cooperative. 
Scott has been an advocate for the effective use of technology in higher education for over 20 years. While completing a masters degree in computer science, Scott began a career in information systems working in the university library world. Since that time he has held IT leadership roles at various public and private universities and colleges, always with an eye towards the innovative application of new technologies to teaching, learning and administration. He has also provided technical consulting services to the legal and entertainment industries, is actively involved in national professional organizations, and recently qualified for a Certificate in Information Security Management (CISM). These roles have provided the opportunity to work closely with a broad cross-section of people, technologies and prominent technology vendors. Scott is currently providing strategic planning and direction for St. Mary's University of Minnesota with campuses in Winona and Minneapolis
Bernard Gulachek is the University of Minnesota’s Associate Vice-President for Information Technology (IT), a role positioned in the Office of Information Technology (OIT). Together with the Vice-President / Chief Information Officer and University’s IT leadership team, Bernard is responsible for aligning, leveraging and managing the University’s technology initiatives and operations system-wide.Bernard is leading the consolidation of IT help-desks, recently led the adoption of Google Apps as the University’s core suite of messaging and collaboration tools, the University’s first 6-Year IT Plan and its associated IT governance framework, and the development of the University’s ‘Common-Good’ shared technology services. He is active in IT strategy and policy development for the institution, and in facilitating a system-wide IT leadership community in support of the University’s mission and objectives.
Ann Hill Duin, Ph.D. has taught and conducted research across K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and corporate levels in the U.S. and abroad; she also has served 15 years in higher education administrative roles including Vice Provost, Senior Associate Dean, and Associate Vice President for Information Technology at the University of Minnesota. Her commitment to shared leadership results in collective vision and action; outcomes include a strategic six-year plan and resulting initiatives, investment in academic analytics, an IT governance system, and cost avoidance of millions. As Interim Chief Information Officer she brought multiple offices together and established the IT Executive Oversight Group responsible for project prioritization, arbitration of escalated issues, and assurance of strategic alignment of investments to University goals, including the University of Minnesota’s focus on business intelligence and academic analytics. Dr. Hill Duin is internationally respected for her scholarship on the impact of emerging technologies on the future of communication and higher education. Recent publications (all co-authored) include “Shared Leadership Transforms Higher Education IT” (2011, Educause Quarterly) and “Shared Leadership for a Green, Global, and Google World” (2010, Planning in Higher Education). Her ongoing goal is to serve as a catalyst for creating the future of the academy, and her most recent eBook (July 2012) is titled Cultivating Change in the Academy: 50+Stories from the Digital Frontlines.
Barron Koralesky is the Associate Director of Information Technology Services at Macalester College where he is responsible for academic technology, user services, and telecommunications. He has been at Macalester since 2000 when he became their first academic technologist. Barron is active in local and national higher education technology organizations from CLAC to EDUCAUSE. Currently he on the advisory board for the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative and previously he served on and chaired EDUCAUSE's Advisory Committee for Teaching and Learning. Barron did his undergraduate work in physics at Carleton College and his graduate work in astrophysics at the University of Minnesota. 
Roberta has been employed at St. Olaf College for nearly 30 years. She has a BA from St. Olaf in Economics and an MA from the University of Minnesota. She has served as the Director of Academic Computing, Director of Information Technology, and now as Director of IT and Libraries. In addition to her work on campus, she has participated in regional and national organizations. Some of her work includes being a founding member of CLAC (serving terms as secretary/treasurer and president), serving on the EDUCOM Board of Directors, being one of eleven individuals who organized Minnesota’s first regional network (MRNet), chairing the Current Issues and the Nomination and Election Committee of EDUCAUSE, serving on the ACM/GLCA planning group responsible for the formation of the Midwest Instructional Technology Center (MITC), and most recently serving on the ACM strategic planning committee.
Sam Levy joined the University of St. Thomas community in August 2001 as Vice President for Information Resources and Technologies and Chief Information Officer. He was previously executive director of UNET, the University of Maine System’s statewide network for computing, telecommunications, and distance learning, and was director of The Institute for Learning and Technology at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Levy has served on numerous national and state boards for educational telecommunications and information technologies, published and consulted in the field, and worked in secondary and higher education for more than 30 years.
Since 2006 Bruce has served as executive director of Advance IT Minnesota, a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ center of excellence that was chartered to address the IT talent gap in Minnesota. He previously served as dean of student services and dean of business at Inver Hills Community College from 1995 through 2006. These roles provided broad experience in college administration including leadership for functional departments, academic career programs and the college’s continuing education and customized training division. He also spent eight years in higher education in marketing and program development with the Graduate School of Business at the University of St. Thomas, and served in director positions with the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Public Schools. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas. Recent volunteer work includes serving on the board of directors for Minnesota Computers for School and the Upper Midwest Security Alliance.
Harry is currently the Information Security Officer for Macalester College in St. Paul. This position represents perhaps the last segment in a career that has been devoted entirely to higher education in Minnesota in virtually all of its manifestations. This includes 12 years at the University of Minnesota, 7 years at the Higher Education Coordinating Board (now known as the Office of Higher Education), several years as Associate Vice Chancellor for Instructional Technology at MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities), 8 years as CIO at Hamline University, and 2 years there as Security Officer and Director of Special Projects. In addition to his security duties at Macalester, he is also a member of the Technologies Committee of the 12-state Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC).
Ken Ries has over 30 years of industry and technical experience in multiple sectors. For the past 16 years, he has concentrated on technology and education, with a special focus on transformational change and leadership in higher education. Ken is the Chief Information Officer at Pine College, but has filled a variety of roles in the system, including Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, Central Minnesota Distance Learning Director and Board Chair, and Chancellor's Fellow. He holds a Master's degree in educational leadership from Concordia University. 
Jerry Sanders is currently CIO and Associate Vice President for Information Technology Services at Macalester College in St. Paul. He has worked in information technologies for over thirty years, with the great majority of that time spent at Institutions of Higher Education. Prior to coming to Macalester College, he served as CIO and Associate Provost at Loyola University of Chicago, where he had worked for 24 years. Over his career, he has served as a peer consultant to many colleges and universities, contributed articles to professional publications, and presented to diverse audiences. Jerry has experience in management of all facets of information technology in colleges and universities. His particular interest is in how technology can contribute to teaching and learning. Jerry received a B.A. degree from Miami University in 1977.
Janet Scannell is a recent addition to the MHETA collaborative. She joined Carleton as Chief Technology Officer in April 2013 where she leads a 35 person team. Prior to her arrival at Carleton, Janet served as Director of Computing Services at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia where she was instrumental in building a joint registration and advising system with Haverford College and developing an IT project management methodology. Prior to entering higher education in 1999, Janet worked as a mechanical engineer and software project manager at DuPont, Amdahl and InterMedia Interactive. She also taught for 9 years as an adjunct faculty member in an instructional technology program at Philadelphia University. A Kansas native, Janet got her BA from Grinnell College, her BS from Washington University in St. Louis and her MS in Computer Science from Stanford University. Janet is a strong believer in the value of collaboration in the liberal arts. In 2006 she studied inter-college collaboration for her practicum project with the Frye Institute Leadership Program. She also recently ended 6 years as a Board member of CLAC, a national consortium of liberal arts college IT leaders. She is looking forward to working with MHETA institutions on the effort of expanding Minnesota technology partnerships. 
Nathan serves as the strategic information technology (IT) procurement officer where he is responsible for administrating Midwestern Higher Education Compact's (MHEC) technology contracts and vendor management. Prior to joining MHEC, Nathan held an administrative position at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system office, overseeing enterprise IT contracts and purchasing. He brings over a decade of management experience leading business development efforts, expanding program access, and maximizing limited resources. Nathan holds a master’s in business administration from Augsburg College and a bachelor’s in nutrition from the University of Minnesota.
Kannan Venkataraman is a strategic, result driven senior technology leader that has built and implemented business solutions, led large Enterprise wide implementations and worked on mergers and acquisitions. He has established and operationally managed a Global business center, starting from ground zero.Kannan has worked in 3 verticals – hard core manufacturing, medical and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). His breath of experience across the verticals, ranges from custom software development to enterprise wide software implementations, IT consulting to leading global initiatives, building start-ups in emerging markets to managing global delivery, and leading virtual teams. Kannan is skilled at aligning Business Strategies to IT objectives to drive value through technology. His broad strategic thinking, coupled with his strong technical knowledge has helped created value through enterprise software implementations and systems integrations. He has provided many innovative world class services to US and Global operations.