SCSU’s Chief Information Officer named Minnesota ORBIE Award finalist

St. Cloud State University's Phil Thorson has been named a 2024 Minnesota ORBIE Awards finalist, which annually recognizes Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.

Thorson, Vice President for Technology Strategy & CIO at St. Cloud State University (SCSU), was also named an ORBIE finalist in 2022. He is one of six finalists in the Nonprofit/Public Sector category, which covers government, education and nonprofit organizations.

"Phil continues to drive innovation and growth at SCSU through his tremendous leadership," Interim President Larry Dietz said. "His desire to use technology to better equip us for the future provides critical support for the success of our students, faculty and staff."

Thorson's team serves as cross-functional business and knowledge partners to advance technology services across SCSU. This includes everything from providing top-notch support for the entire campus community to overseeing ground-breaking initiatives such as SCSU's unique, comprehensive student-centered eSports program.

Recently, the team transformed SCSU's primary technology hub, HuskyTech, into an innovation center where students, faculty and the greater campus community can explore modern technologies including artificial intelligence and virtual reality, as well as discipline-specific technologies available to benefit students' career paths.

"Serving as a collaborative, integrative CIO is critical to best support SCSU and Minnesota State strategies and communities," Phil Thorson said. "We actively partner with cross-divisional leadership to understand business needs and priorities while working through a technology and sustainability lens."

Thorson's team continuously works to deliver advanced digital experiences, and they are currently engaged in classroom and lab technology enhancements to improve student and faculty support. These improvements include delivery of cloud-based systems and services and digital transformation of administrative processes, offering new capabilities and efficiencies that create competitive advancements for the University.

"I want to thank my team and campus leadership for helping me earn this achievement," Thorson added. "This recognition reflects outstanding efforts and partnerships that continue to build a bold, innovative and focused education environment for students."

The Minnesota ORBIE Awards will be held September 20 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis.