October 02, 2000
YAZDI NAMED VICE CHANCELLOR FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Khalil Yazdi of Zelienople has been named vice chancellor for information technology in the Office of the Chancellor of the State System of Higher Education.
Dr. Yazdi has served since January 1999 as vice provost for information technology at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, providing both strategic leadership for, and operational management of, the university’s technology efforts. Previously, he was assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of the office of institutional research and assessment for nearly six years at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.
In his new position, Dr. Yazdi will oversee a variety of technology initiatives for the State System, including the Keystone Library Network, which connects electronically all 14 state-owned university libraries and the Pennsylvania State Library; and the Center for Distance Education, which helps coordinate distance learning opportunities available throughout the State System.
Dr. Yazdi replaces David J. Gray, who earlier was named vice president and chief information officer at the University of Massachusetts.
Dr. Yazdi holds three degrees from the University of Houston, all in economics. He earned his doctoral degree in 1987.
He has served as a lecturer in economics and finance at the University of Houston and as an associate professor of economics and finance at the University of St. Thomas.
In addition to his regular duties at Slippery Rock, Dr. Yazdi also served on the President’s Cabinet, Academic Affairs Council and the Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable. He has been a member of the State System’s Data-Interchange Task Force, Campus Advisory Committee and Internet2 Task Force.
Dr. Yazdi is married to Roya K. Yazdi. The couple has two daughters, Aazdeh, 21, and Atefeh, 19.
The State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 350,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and the University Center for Southwest Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.