Efm Events : Speakers :

Barbara Vrana

Chief Information Officer
Tulsa Community College

Dr. Barbara Vrana has provided technology leadership to colleges and universities during the past 20 years. In addition, she has performed IT organization analyses, strategic planning initiatives, administrative systems selection and implementation, and Disaster Recovery and Contingency planning for such institutions as the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (California), College of the Mainland (Texas), North Harris Montgomery Community College District (Texas), Bay de Noc Community College (Michigan), Southwestern College (California) and Galveston College (Texas). Barbara has led the information technology assessment and strategic planning efforts for more than a dozen colleges throughout the US.

Dr. Vrana led a $3 million project at East Central University (Oklahoma) to create an enterprise “cyber community” to enhance student transfer and retention. This new e-communications strategy includes establishing e-communications methodologies, policies and identity management.Dr. Vrana is, as well, a recognized authority in developing innovative online learning programs. Dr. Vrana assisted California State University – San Bernardino in launching its $4.5 million online master’s degree programs for the United States Department of Defense. In September 2004, Dr. Vrana authored a grant for which East Central University was awarded approximately $1.2 million to implement an enterprise-wide portal solution. In March 2002, one of Dr. Vrana’s online learning projects was singled out for its innovation and won the California State Community College Chancellor’s Technology Focus Award.

Barbara has held positions such as Associate Vice President for Business, Associate Vice President for Instruction, Professor of Computer Science, and Dean of Business, Computer Science and Industrial Technology. Selected nationally from a pool of more than 300 information technology professionals, she was in the inaugural class of 1998-99 CAUSE (EduCause) Fellows. She was selected as one of thirty educators from across the United States as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, and serves as Oklahoma State Coordinator for the American Council on Education. Barbara holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology from the University of Oklahoma.