Michael Humphrys
Director, IT Strategy & Innovation,
Harvard University
Herding the Cats: A Five-Year Journey Transforming IT through Strategic Alignment
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 9:45AM–10:30AM CT | EDUCAUSE Commons, Teaching & Learning Central, Poster Area
Session Type:
Poster Session
Delivery Format:
Poster
At Harvard's Kennedy School of Government (HKS), the IT team faced a familiar challenge that magnified during COVID: outdated systems, mounting technical debt, and a growing demand for modern, secure, accessible, and user-centered services. Over five years, HKSIT reimagined its role, shifting from reactive operations to a proactive strategic partner aligned with school priorities and Harvard’s enterprise IT ecosystem. This session shares how we developed a strategic roadmap, gained buy-in across key stakeholders, and partnered with Harvard University IT to move toward shared services, SaaS, and cloud-first models. We'll reflect on what worked (and what didn’t) and offer practical insights for IT leaders navigating complex environments where alignment is critical—and cat herding is part of the job.
