Title: Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer
Company: Rowan University
Location: Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
Mira Lalovic-Hand, PhD, senior vice chancellor and chief information officer at Rowan University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in information technology and higher education leadership.
Dr. Lalovic-Hand is a forward-looking technology executive and a transformational leader who has served as senior vice president and chief information officer (CIO) at Rowan University since 2013, managing the information technology services and policies for one of the nation’s top 10 fastest-growing universities and one of only two universities in the nation to offer MD , DO and DVM medical degrees. Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s commitment to operational excellence and innovation has enabled Rowan University to rapidly grow its student population, research activity, and statewide economic impact. By designing and building state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and modernizing business processes across the institution, she played a central role in Rowan’s transformation from a regionally ranked state college into a top 100 public research university in less than a decade.
As Rowan grew, the institution needed technology systems capable of scaling quickly and securely. Under Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s leadership, the Division of Information Resources & Technology (IRT) improved Rowan University’s network speed, reliability, and access, fortified the university’s cyber infrastructure, developed business intelligence and analytics programs to help attract and retain students, and established an information security risk management program that continues to drive process improvement. While other colleges have faced declining enrollment, the student population at Rowan University increased by 65 percent during Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s tenure, jumping from 13,349 in 2013 to 22,058 this year.
Her leadership acumen has also extended far beyond periods of expansion. Dr. Lalovic-Hand is recognized for anticipating disruptive forces and preparing students, faculty, and staff, and the university’s technological infrastructure to meet them. She led Rowan’s digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the rapid pivot to remote and hybrid instruction while also standing up one of New Jersey’s first COVID-19 vaccination centers. This experience underscored her ability to respond decisively in moments of crisis while keeping institutional mission and student needs at the forefront.
Today, Dr. Lalovic-Hand is steering the university into the age of artificial intelligence. She is launching AI literacy initiatives, developing secure AI models, and ensuring Rowan’s workforce and academic programs evolve alongside emerging technologies. Her national thought leadership on AI, cybersecurity, and modern IT governance has appeared in Education Technology Insights, CIO.com, and other publications, positioning her as a key voice in shaping the future of higher education technology.
Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s dedication and determination to provide effective solutions without wasting resources or time is driven by her belief that a university CIO must be capable of solving complex problems and routinely reaching beyond barriers to support students, faculty, senior management, and others. Recently recognized as an Innovate100 Leader, 2024 PhillyCIO of the Year ORBIE Award winner, a technology influencer by ROI-NJ, and as a “Fierce Technologist” by Fierce Education, she has continually demonstrated that CIOs have the power and responsibility to enact change once they have secured a seat at the decision-making table and built a collaborative and effective leadership team.
As a member of the university cabinet, Dr. Lalovic-Hand plays a pivotal role in strategic planning, advising the president and other top university leaders on technology investments and upgrades. Leveraging her business skills, technical expertise, and passion, she has built a centralized IT organization that reimagines what digital infrastructure can enable in higher education and strengthens the university’s ability to adapt with agility.
Central to Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s success is her commitment to people. She is particularly proud of maintaining an effective in-house IT team at a time when many universities have outsourced similar functions. Growing from 34 staff members to more than 200 professionals, the division now reflects both the rising importance of technology in academic environments and her commitment to building a diverse, high-performing workforce. She has transformed the department from a homogeneous group of technicians into a strategic organization that also champions women and underrepresented professionals in the technology field.
Dr. Lalovic-Hand continues to lead amid an evolving cybersecurity landscape that poses unique challenges for a dynamic institution like Rowan. Her team protects critical research and federally regulated data while also meeting the entertainment and connectivity demands of a residential campus. By leveraging emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance operational efficiency and security, she has reduced threats without limiting collaboration, discovery, or innovation.
In addition to her executive role, Dr. Lalovic-Hand is a committed educator, serving as a full professor in Rowan University’s Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. She also mentors future leaders in her industry as an executive sponsor for the Women Leaders in Technology (WLiT) Professional Network founded by Edge, as well as through Rowan University’s Women’s Alliance Network and the Inspire Leadership Network.
Prior to her current role at Rowan University, Dr. Lalovic-Hand worked as the associate vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Planning at the institution from 2010 to 2013, providing vision and leadership for evidence-based decision making, and, from 2008 to 2010, she served as assistant provost and director of the Graduate School, where she managed graduate programs and supported academic excellence across disciplines. Before joining Rowan University, she served as associate vice president of operations at Post University from 2006 to 2008, and as program manager and director in Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies.
Before entering technology leadership, Dr. Lalovic-Hand began her career as a railway engineer and later as a professor of industrial engineering. She holds a bachelor’s degree in railway transportation engineering from the University of Belgrade and earned her master’s degree and doctorate in industrial engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s adaptability stems from embracing change even when it is uncomfortable, a quality essential for navigating rapidly evolving technological landscapes.
Dr. Lalovic-Hand’s engineering background continues to inform her analytical approach to institutional leadership and her commitment to empowering future STEM scholars, and her personal mission centers on technological literacy, student success, and resilience, values she reinforces in every aspect of her work. Her guiding belief is simple yet profound: investing in students today builds a stronger, more inclusive society tomorrow. Her leadership reflects that vision, and her impact continues to shape Rowan University’s future and the future of higher education technology.
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