UC chief digital officer named Info-Tech 2024 CIO award winner
Info-Tech Research Group recently named University of Cincinnati Vice President & Chief Digital Officer Bharath Prabhakaran a 2024 CIO Award winner in the Large and Enterprise Organization Division.
The annual Info-Tech CIO Awards recognize outstanding IT leaders for delivering exceptional value to their organizations. They honor leaders who have seamlessly aligned IT services with their organization’s goals to deliver strategic value and measurable results.
“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Digital Technology Solutions team. These nominations and awards celebrate the exceptional work we accomplish at DTS and at UC. I am glad that our innovative, mission-driven work in higher education is being recognized alongside corporations.”
Bharath Prabhakaran
Bharath Prabhakaran was named a finalist in the Large Corporate category for the 2024 Ohio ORBIE Awards and a finalist in the Enterprise category for the 2025 Ohio ORBIE Awards.
The ORBIE Awards is the premier technology executive recognition program in the United States. For over 25 years, the ORBIE Awards have recognized technology executives for leadership, innovation, and excellence. Since 1998, over 500 technology leaders have received the prestigious ORBIE Award. Finalists and winners are selected by an independent peer review process, led by prior ORBIE recipients.
Bharath Prabhakaran
Prabhakaran and his UC Digital Technology Solutions team work to accelerate digital transformation across the university. Under Prabhakaran’s leadership, DTS has focused on key initiatives that support excellence in IT operations, cybersecurity and resiliency, and modernization—pillars of UC’s ongoing digital transformation.
“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Digital Technology Solutions team. These nominations and awards celebrate the exceptional work we accomplish at DTS and at UC. I am glad that our innovative, mission-driven work in higher education is being recognized alongside corporations.”
DTS recently launched a university-wide BearcatGPT pilot program, leveraging Microsoft Azure's OpenAI technology. This limited-use pilot enables the university to gain hands-on experience with a private OpenAI environment, supporting a strategic and phased approach to adopting AI across UC.
Reflecting on Bharath Prabhakaran's appointment as Chief Digital Officer and Vice President in May 2022, UC President Neville Pinto remarked, "I’m confident that Bharath is the innovative and agile leader UC needs to guide us through our digital transformation initiative."
Latest UC News
- Small device, big impact on saving livesA team of University of Cincinnati researchers invented a lightweight, portable and cost-effective alternative to traditional ventilators with support from the 1819 Innovation Hub.
- UC names new engineering and computing education department headJohn Weidner, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, has announced the appointment of Joel Alejandro (Alex) Mejia, Ph.D., as the head of the Department of Engineering and Computing Education, effective January 1, 2025.
- Transatlantic student exchange fosters global learningThe Kao Corporation’s innovative partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub has expanded globally, thanks to a unique student exchange program involving top academic institutions in the U.S. and Germany.
- CCM hosts Moveable Feast gala fundraiser on Jan. 24, 2025UC College-Conservatory of Music hosts its Moveable Feast fundraising gala live and in-person on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. Presented by CCMpower, a dedicated volunteer group of friends, advocates and alumni, Moveable Feast 2025: A Tempo generates essential support for the next generation of performing and media artists at CCM.
- Kinetic Vision boot camp takes over UC’s 1819 MakerspaceIn a groundbreaking collaboration, the University of Cincinnati's Ground Floor Makerspace and the visionary minds at Kinetic Vision combined their creative forces to pioneer an immersive makerspace bootcamp — tailor-made for UC co-ops destined to shape the future.
- Alumni to be honored at gala recognizing UC Black excellenceOutstanding achievements within the University of Cincinnati family are the focus of the 11th annual Onyx & Ruby Gala, to be hosted by the UC Alumni Association’s African American Alumni Affiliate on Feb. 22 at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati.
