ORG CHART: IT Responsibilities, Associate Dean, More

In this week's Org Chart, we have news of what aspects of technology UC Davis’ chief information and digital strategy executive will oversee, a new associate dean and more. Read on to find out the details.

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of appointments of various kinds for faculty and staff, for publication in Org Chart. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

Chief information and digital strategy executive

Aisha Jackson, chief information and digital strategy executive, will assume overall responsibility for all information technology functions, operations and strategy serving the Davis campus over the course of the next year, Chancellor Gary S. May announced in a letter to employees Monday (Nov. 2). 

Beginning Jan. 1, Jackson “will provide overall strategic direction for campus information technology, with organizational and reporting changes implemented in phases,” May wrote. “To strengthen alignment between the campus and the health system, the UC Davis Health chief information officer and chief information security officer will also have dotted-line reporting relationships to Aisha, while retaining their existing direct reporting relationships and operational responsibilities.”

Associate dean for undergraduate academic programs 

Kristin Kiesel, a professor of teaching in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, is the new associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as of Oct. 1.

Kiesel, who joined UC Davis in 2015, is known as a kind, inclusive and supportive role model who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in several topics, including behavioral economics, cooperative business enterprise and agricultural commodity markets.

“Kristin is a thoughtful, dedicated professor with a student-centered teaching style that incorporates hands on learning and research,” Dean Ashley M. Stokes said when announcing the appointment. “We are incredibly excited to welcome Kristin to the leadership team and look forward to her commitment and vision as we support future generations of students.”

Executive director of Shared Services Organization

Following a competitive search, Nephi “N.D.” Lewis has been selected as the new Executive Director of the Shared Services Organization, or SSO, effective Nov. 2.

For the past five years, Lewis has led the Distributed Shared Services Center, which provides human resources, payroll and leave administration services to departments and units within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“Our entire HR leadership team is excited to welcome N.D. into this role. He brings a wealth of experience and strong leadership skills that will help build on the success of our HR Shared Services Organization and continue improving how we serve our employees," said Tammy Kenber, chief human resources officer.

Interim associate vice chancellor

Following an internal search, Piri Ackerman, professor and associate dean for Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, has been appointed interim associate vice chancellor for Health Equity by Design for Inclusive Excellence, or HEDI.

Health Equity by Design for Inclusive Excellence consists of three units: the central Office for Health Equity by Design for Inclusive Excellence, the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, and the Office of Medical Pathways. HEDI is dedicated to ensuring fair treatment and access to health care for every individual of all genders, races, backgrounds, or identities. HEDI’s work includes promoting policies that are fair to all persons, ensuring no one is left behind, building trustworthy partnerships with the community and our neighbors, and encouraging lifelong learning among all persons.

Ackerman brings clinical experience as a critical care and emergency department charge nurse and hospital nursing administrative supervisor. As a founding faculty member of the School of Nursing, she has helped develop curricula and prepare faculty to educate future health professionals. Her research examines equity and inclusion in health professions education, including how microaggressions affect students’ learning experiences. She has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, with work appearing in journals including Academic Medicine, Journal of Nursing Education and Nursing Outlook.