Oral Roberts University’s Associate VP Michael Mathews Receives Education Technology Leader Award

 Annual Recognition Sponsored by The Tambellini Group

Irvington, Virginia – February 28, 2017- The Tambellini Group, the world’s leading independent research and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to higher education, today announced that the recipient of the 2017 Dr. Wayne Brown Education Technology Leader Award is Michael Mathews, Vice President of Innovation and Technology at Oral Roberts University.

The Dr. Wayne Brown Education Technology Leader Award is unique because industry education professionals nominate and vote to recognize their peers and colleagues. The award honors those who demonstrate effective leadership, innovation, and true creativity when it comes to planning and deploying modern technology. It also recognizes technology leaders who go above and beyond to help their peers and offer positive and compelling contributions to the higher education community.

The award is named for Dr. Wayne Brown, a long-time Vice President of Information Technology and CIO at Excelsior College, who has devoted his professional and academic studies to CIO attributes and effectiveness in higher education institutions. He formed the Center for Technology Leadership (CTL), an Excelsior-based, not-for-profit, professional development and training center for chief information officers. Since 2003, Dr. Brown has led the CHECS CIO study, which provides valuable information about higher education CIOs’ attributes, education, experience, and effectiveness.

Mike Mathews has served Oral Roberts University as CIO and AVP for Technology and Innovation. Mr. Mathews has successfully led a two-year initiative to transform “Information Technology” toward “Innovation and Technology.” This transformation has allowed ORU to enjoy global attention through digitizing the entire campus experience. ORU has become the leader in wearable technology for students, robotic teleportation technology for global connections, and a campus-wide deployment of augmented and virtually reality. The capstone of the initiative was the design and deployment of a Global Learning Center to reach students around the world from their main campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mr. Mathews has been invited to the White House on two occasions for recognition of innovations in education. He is the recipient of the 2012 White House Department of Education Innovation Award, the 2013 Campus Technology Innovation Award for Student Systems, the 2015 Texas Star Award, and the 2016 EDUVENTURES Innovation Award. Mr. Mathews has been featured in numerous education periodicals, journals, and magazines for his innovation and commitment to students.

The Tambellini Group congratulates this year’s winner Mike Mathews, along with finalists Keith Fowlkes, Chief Information Officer at Centre College, and Werner Gade, Assistant Vice Chancellor for IT and Chief Information Officer at the University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin – Extension.

About The Tambellini Group:
The Tambellini Group (TTG) is the only independent research and analyst firm dedicated exclusively to higher education. With a database of the technology selections of more than 18,900 global institutions, and with a team of analysts and researchers who have decades of higher education expertise, TTG offers unbiased analysis and objective insight on education technology and market trends with verifiable data. TTG helps higher education executives, business leaders, and the investment community make fact-based technology decisions to achieve their key strategic goals. Founded in 2001, TTG is a woman-owned business headquartered in Irvington, Virginia.

Media Contact:
Mary McDaniel, Chief Marketing Officer
The Tambellini Group
(p) 803.917.2668
(e) mary.mcdaniel@thetambellinigroup