Mike Dean Joins I³R as Director of Information Technology

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Mike Dean, director of information technology for the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research.

The Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R) is pleased to announce that Mike Dean, senior director of the Project Management Office of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Logistics LLC, has joined as the director of information technology.

"Information technology is central to driving innovation and achieving research excellence," said Ranu Jung, associate vice chancellor and I³R founding executive director. "Additionally, our research and partnerships require the highest levels of cybersecurity. Mike's extensive experience in managing complex information networks and communications systems as well as deploying rapid response teams will expand our technological capabilities and enable us to operate confidently within the necessary security parameters."

Dean joins I³R with significant experience in information technology across various types of organizations. At Burlington Northern Santa Fe Logistics, he spent the last six years managing various projects, including the implementation of a new project management information system for directing project details, budgets, and performance metrics.

Ian Czarnezki, chief associate information officer for research and academic technologies commented, "Mike's many years of experience in IT are instrumental to the University of Arkansas. I am confident his expertise will drive transformative progress within I³R's new facility and lead the university towards unparalleled advancements in technological infrastructure."

Prior to Burlington Northern, Dean spent more than 23 years at Walmart Stores Inc. In his last role at Fortune 1, Dean was program manager of the treasury and human resource domains where he drove and supervised learning domain programs, impacting 1 million associates in 12 countries. His multi-million-dollar-saving work also included upgrading networks in thousands of stores.

"I am honored to join a team dedicated to life-changing research that makes a societal impact and drives economic development," said Dean. "I am committed to further enabling innovative research initiatives with technology to support our mission."

Dean's immediate priority is ensuring IT systems in the institute's new advanced research hub are ready for the facility's opening in late-2024. This includes developing technology infrastructure for the building's labs and advanced equipment, such as the whole-body calorimeter and the game-changing Siemens 3T MRI, an ultra-strong, exceptional, and one of the strongest-ever MRIs that provides deeper insights into the human body. "I'm confident that the institute's advanced tech capabilities will attract new industry and startup partners," he added.

Mike earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ohio State University. He is a United States Marine and a Gulf War veteran and received several meritorious citations and letters of appreciation for his distinguished service.

About the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R): Established through a transformational gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the University of Arkansas Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research pioneers solutions to wicked problems through convergence research across academic, industry, government and non-profit sectors to make a positive societal impact by creating and deploying innovations at scale. Learn more at i3r.uark.edu.