Igniting Data Insights initiative: Community of practice

The aim of the Igniting Data Insights (IDI) initiative is to build a robust, secure and scalable data infrastructure that supports decision-making across campus and trains employees to use these tools effectively to advance our common mission.

As part of this initiative, the advisory committee has been formed, with members tasked to build a community of practice within a structured environment where participants can learn, innovate, collaborate and address challenges related to data sharing and use.

Through regularly scheduled meetings, office hours, and training sessions, the community of practice will aim to strengthen cross-team data collaboration, promote data literacy across UAB, and support data-informed decision-making for leadership.

Stakeholders will benefit from faster access to data and insights, enhanced data-driven decision-making for better outcomes, efficiency gains and long-term value and sustainability.

The community of practice will serve the following groups across the institution:

• Data analysts, such as institutional research staff or student success analysts, who study enrollment trends, build predictive models for retention, and generate insights to support decision-making.
• Policy and standards professionals, including staff in legal, compliance, or IT governance, who ensure university data practices follow laws and policies, manage risk, and protect privacy and security.
• Data stewards and trusted designees, like deans, registrar, department chairs/heads, who approve access to student or faculty data, ensure proper use, and maintain data quality and consistency.
• Data custodians, such as IT staff or database administrators, who manage systems that store and process data, support data stewards, and ensure secure data handling.
• Data architects, engineers and implementers, who design and maintain data infrastructure like student information systems or research data platforms.
• Data consumers, such as faculty, advisors, or administrative staff who access institutional data for approved university purposes and must maintain confidentiality and integrity.

These personas may be blended based on department or unit roles and functions, reflecting the diverse ways employees interact with data.

Community of practice next steps: The members of the Advisory Committee will meet for the next couple of weeks and will help shape the foundation of this community, including its structure, content and engagement strategy. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental in guiding our efforts to build a sustainable, inclusive and transformative data culture at UAB.

Look for more information on the community of practice and follow progress updates on the Igniting Data Insights initiative at uab.edu/it/datainsights.

Technology Alignment and Collaboration Committee

Since the last announcement, meaningful progress has been made in finalizing membership of the Technology Alignment and Collaboration Committee (TACC). The committee now reflects a comprehensive and inclusive group of institutional leaders, ensuring that all essential voices are represented. This diverse membership spans academic, research, clinical, administrative, and technical domains, positioning the committee to effectively carry out its charges with broad stakeholder engagement,

The Technology Alignment and Collaboration Committee, or TACC, is intended to identify and unify technology strategies across UAB and UAB Health System, fostering collaboration and leveraging collective buying power to optimize technology investments.

The committee is co-chaired by UAB President Ray Watts and UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella. It will meet quarterly with co-chairs and hold regular committee meetings as needed.

Executive sponsors of TACC are Robert Howard, associate vice president and deputy chief information officer for UAB IT, and Ryan Allen, associate vice president and chief information security officer for the UAB Health System. The executive sponsors support the co-chairs by overseeing execution, facilitating coordination and ensuring accountability.

As Project Director for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the President, Chandni Khadka will oversee the committee’s operational functions by sustaining momentum, monitoring progress, and ensuring consistent alignment and communication between the co-chairs and executive sponsors.

TACC membership: The committee members are responsible for leading and executing the TACC charges and forming working groups as needed.

• UAB IT
  • Curt Carver, Ph.D., Vice President & Chief Information Officer
  • Robert Howard, Associate Vice President & Deputy CIO
• UAB HSIS
  • Joan Hicks, Vice President & Chief Information Officer
  • Ryan Allen, DSc, Associate Vice President & Chief Security Information Officer
• Strategic Initiatives
  • Tom Brannan, Senior Vice President for Advancement & Strategic Initiatives
• Academic, Research and Clinical Units
  • Janet Woodruff-Borden, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost
  • Chris Brown, Ph.D., Vice President for Research
  • Anupam Agarwal, M.D., Vice President & Dean of Heersink School of Medicine
• Procurement and Finance
  • Stephanie Mullins, Vice President for Finance
• Hospital Medicine
  • Kierstin Cates Kennedy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for University Hospital
  • Eric Wallace, M.D., Chief Medical Information and Digital Health Officer for UAB Health System

Look for more details at uab.edu/tacc.