Dear Colleagues,
I’m delighted to announce that Michael Tran Duff has agreed to serve as Chief Information Security and Data Privacy Officer for Harvard, effective May 16, 2022.
Michael brings extensive experience in the areas of cybersecurity and data privacy in which he has held leadership roles in both higher education and in research and development over the past several years. Michael joins us from Stanford University, where he has served as Assistant Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer since 2013. At Stanford, he led the information security program, growing the team and services fourfold and fostering principles of security, usability, and personal privacy. He also reimagined Stanford’s privacy program, which he led as the Chief Privacy Officer.
The safety and security of our data and systems are more important than ever amid a global rise in cybercriminal activity. I’m thrilled that Michael is joining us at this pivotal moment for technology and education as his experience positions him well to lead our campus-wide cybersecurity and data privacy programs. Among his first priorities will be engaging stakeholders across Harvard to assess risks and lead the development of strategies, policies, and practices to protect the University and advance its mission.
I want to express my sincere thanks to Nathan Hall for serving as Interim Chief Information Security and Data Privacy Officer for the past year. Nathan and his team helped our community securely transition back to on-campus activity and managed the University’s response to several cybersecurity incidents. Nathan will continue in his role as Director of Security Operations. I’m grateful to him and the entire security team for all they do to keep our community safe.
I’m also appreciative of the many people across the University who assisted in the recruiting of this critical leadership role. In particular, I would like to thank the search advisory committee, which included faculty and leaders from across the University, for the time, expertise, and indispensable advice they provided throughout the search.
Please join me in welcoming Michael to the Harvard community when he joins us in mid-May.
Sincerely,
Klara Jelinkova
Vice President and University Chief Information Officer