Lawson given leadership award from computing consortium

John Lawson, vice provost for information technology and chief information officer at Western Washington University, has been given the NWACC Leadership Award by the Board of Directors of the NorthWest Academic Computing Consortium.

The award is in recognition of Lawson's contributions to NWACC and his exceptional leadership in advancing the use of technology in higher education. The NWACC Award Program was established in 2005 honor of Joanne R. Hugi.

Lawson holds a doctorate (computers in education, 1985), two master's degrees (geography and computer science, 1983) a bachelor's degree (geography, 1982), all from the University of Oregon. Although he hails from the Pacific Northwest, during his career Lawson has taught or led information technology organizations at Towson University, Pepperdine University and Tulane University. During his tenure at Tulane, he successfully coordinated IT recovery operations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Since joining the NWACC Council in 2006, Lawson has offered valuable counsel and support to his fellow CIOs. As a two-term member of the NWACC Board of Directors, John has helped shape NWACC’s programs, policies, and culture.  The Hugi Leadership Award recognizes John’s gift for collaborating with others and for his deep understanding of the benefits that technology can have in a university setting.

The NorthWest Academic Computing Consortium, founded in 1987, comprises 33 colleges, universities, and other not-for-profit educational organizations located in the Pacific NorthWest and nearby areas.  Its mission is to foster communication and collaboration among its member institutions on the development and use of advanced technology for instruction, research, and administrative operations.