Executive Leadership

Richard Czarnecki

Chief Information Officer

Rich Czarnecki leads strategic direction and execution of enterprise-wide IT services. A member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance and board member for Merit Network, Rich brings over 14 years of progressive leadership in higher education. He began his career developing award-winning K–12 edtech solutions. Rich is a lifelong Spartan and holds a B.S. in Computer Science from MSU as well as executive credentials from EDUCAUSE and MOR Associates. He is a finalist for the 2025 Michigan CIO ORBIE Awards in the Large Enterprise category.

Before his current role, Rich served as Associate Vice President for IT and Associate CIO. Before that, he was the director of the Application Services enterprise organization, providing the university’s HR, finance, facilities, CRM, CMS, messaging, mobile, identity management, and student information platforms to support the university’s mission of education, research, and global outreach.  

 Rich is a strategic leader and seasoned technologist, bringing more than 30 years of experience leading the research design, development, and operation of educational and business systems. Rich’s research focused on incorporating real-time statistical analysis of learner performance into adaptive learning systems, earning a Smithsonian award for Innovative Use of Technology in Education. He was also an early adopter of and participated in pilots of interoperability frameworks, including SIF, SCORM, and IMS. Before joining MSU in 2011, Rich held corporate strategy, technology architecture, and systems engineering roles in award-winning companies, including Jostens, Computer Curriculum Corporation, Pearson, Siboney Learning Group, and Educational Options.  Rich’s leadership emphasizes delivery of sustainable, world-class IT solutions that enable excellence in education, research, and outreach by empowering Spartan success with technology. 

Jason Beaudin

Executive Director for Educational Technology

Jason is a strategic executive leader known for building service-centered teams and driving cross-functional collaboration to solve complex institutional challenges. With a career rooted in education and a passion for operational excellence, he leads initiatives that enhance student outcomes, advance research activities, streamline systems, and foster inclusive, future-ready learning environments.

Jason brings a systems-thinking approach to executive management, championing technology and training solutions that prioritize usability, mastery of learning outcomes, and the evolving needs of students and faculty. His leadership is marked by a commitment to shared success, as well as addressing complex challenges through sustainable, user-centered strategies built through partnership and stakeholder engagement. 

Before joining Michigan State University, Jason served as faculty and the inaugural Assistant Vice President of Learning Experience at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, where he led transformative efforts to elevate teaching and learning through innovation, equity, and collaboration. 

Shyam Gedela

Interim Executive Director for Enterprise Services

Shyam was recently tapped to be Interim Director for Enterprise Services in MSU IT. His department supports platforms, data and reporting systems, administrative information systems, and other vended systems that form the core of the Enterprise Systems landscape at MSU. Shyam joined MSU 14 years ago. 

His career includes two decades of experience in the software development field, 10 years of which are in Kuali and related enterprise system development. A highlight of Shyam’s work at MSU includes the launch of the Student Information System (SIS), a multi-year, multi-million-dollar software enterprise project to modernize the university’s 30-year-old mainframe landscape.  

Prior to joining MSU, Shyam was Associate Director of the Kuali practice in the consulting firm HTC Global Services, Inc. His early background as a software architect in the automotive industry, and a product manager and software programmer in the supply chain industry, gives him important insight into the roles his colleagues play in Enterprise Systems. 

Shyam has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Master of Science from Purdue University in Civil Engineering. Active in the field, Shyam published peer reviewed research papers in the Transportation Research Board and regularly presents at technical conferences such as Research Software Developer Forum, the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), and at Kuali conferences. 

Carrie Murphy

Director for Administrative Business Services

Carrie’s career spans 28 years in higher education, with experience in information technology and athletics. As a member of the MSU IT Executive Leadership Team, Carrie provides leadership for employee-centric services that advance the unit’s mission of delivering innovative and reliable technology solutions.

In her role, Carrie leads IT Talent Management and Workforce Strategy, the Office of the CIO Administrative Support, and IT Facilities Operations, ensuring that MSU IT attracts, develops, and sustains a high-performing, engaged, and future-ready workforce. She leads efforts to align talent development, employee engagement, and operational support with MSU IT’s mission and strategic priorities. 

Carrie is a graduate of MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business and holds certifications from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), MSU’s School of Human Resources & Labor Relations, and in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundations. 

Judith Odett

Executive Director for Infrastructure and Technology

Before joining Michigan State University, Judy served as Senior Executive Director of Agency Services at the State of Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management & Budget. She led technology service delivery and business relationship management for the Department of Health and Human Services.

With over 35 years of leadership experience in consulting and IT across the public and private sectors, Judy has directed major technology transformation initiatives, including statewide IT centralization efforts focused on infrastructure reliability and operational efficiency. She also oversaw strategic application development projects that applied human-centered design to enhance citizen engagement and stakeholder outcomes. 

Judy has received multiple leadership honors, including the NASCIO Technology Innovation Award and the CTO Award for Leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science from Oakland University and is certified in Business Relationship Management (BRMP) and ITIL Foundations and Service Operations. 

Sam Peterson

MAU Financial Officer

Prior to joining MSU, Sam served as a finance, strategy, and operations partner across the Retail and CPG industries. Most recently, he developed a long-term financial model to quantify risks and opportunities to stated goals over the next several years.

Passionate about breaking down and simplifying problems, he uses his curiosity and persistent attitude to drive change and impact for leadership teams. Sam brings experience in budgeting, forecasting, modeling, and scenario analysis from Fortune-500 companies to small, privately held entities. Seeking to drive comfort and confidence in Financial Planning & Analysis, he is constantly striving to do more than deliver the numbers and believes that the context and commentary are the true unlocks for an organization’s growth and improvement. A native Oregonian, Sam graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance & economics from the University of Oregon as well as an MBA from Willamette University. 

Teal Amthor-Shaffer

Executive Director for Campus IT Experience

Teal is passionate about creating intentional frameworks that align operations and strategy with mission, vision, and values. Her approach to organizational change blends inclusive collaboration, human-centered design, and systems thinking to foster sustainable transformation.

Teal is currently focused on high-impact initiatives, developing strategies for communications and metrics that drive transparency, engagement, and performance across our organization. Communications strategies will address both internal and external communications, relevant workflows for emergency and incident response, and how teams are coordinating and sharing information. She will develop strategies for collecting and reporting both operational and strategic metrics.

A natural communicator, Teal uses the power of relationships and storytelling to engage people through change. Driven by curiosity, she thrives in environments of growth and evolution—building new teams, tackling complex challenges, and driving iterative improvement.
Before joining MSU IT, Teal led initiatives across higher education in organizational change management, enterprise software adoption, institutional policy implementation, and strategic portfolio management. She also brings deep expertise in marketing, communications, and public relations strategy.

Teal earned her MBA in Executive Management and her BA in English (Creative Writing and Studio Art) from Michigan State University. At MSU’s Broad College of Business, she teaches an Executive MBA course that merges consulting and design thinking to prototype innovative business solutions.

Scott TerMeer

Associate Director for Portfolio Management

Scott TerMeer is an accomplished information technology professional with 27 years of industry experience, including 24 years dedicated to higher education at MSU. Throughout his career, Scott has developed expertise in application development, product implementation, project management, and has held various leadership positions. As Associate Director for Portfolio Management, he leads a team of portfolio managers, business analysts, and project managers, supporting IT executives and department leadership in the strategic management and execution of priority initiatives for services, products, and projects.

Scott’s professional focus centers on strategy, planning, and the successful delivery of key organizational objectives. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Western Michigan University.

Mike Walters

Interim Director for Campus IT Experience

Mike is a seasoned information technology leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategic planning, operational excellence, and collaborative team building across higher education and financial services. As Interim Director for Campus IT Experience at Michigan State University, Mike leads a diverse team of more than 100 staff and senior leaders, overseeing service desks, field services, executive support, classroom technology, the MSU Tech Store, service management, and training. He is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, transparency, and continuous improvement, ensuring that technology services deliver measurable value to the Spartan community.

Prior to his current role, Mike served as Data Stewardship Manager for Enterprise Services, supporting enterprise data management, integration, and analytics. He previously held leadership positions as Interim Associate Director for Application Services, where he oversaw critical business applications, platforms, and technologies. Mike also served as CIO for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Manager of University Relationship Management, where he initiated and led university-wide business relations management functions, aligning technology strategy with the needs of more than 40 business units. As CIO, he centralized IT services, improved security compliance, and led strategic planning for technology initiatives supporting academics, research and outreach.

Mike’s approach blends technical expertise with a deep commitment to service, communication, and the advancement of MSU’s mission. His leadership emphasizes collaboration, relationship-building, and a strong understanding of business functions, while fostering cohesive teams.

Andrew Weisskopf

Chief Information Security Officer

Andy is the Chief Information Security Officer at Michigan State University where he leads the university’s cybersecurity posture to safeguard valuable data and resources. Andy and his team assist MSU in managing risks to information assets, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and systems. They provide services in access management, incident response, protection technologies, policy and risk identification, governance and compliance, and resilience. Prior to joining MSU, Andy served as the CISO at the University of Delaware, where he developed and implemented a comprehensive program to protect the institution’s systems and data. During his tenure, he administered the first-ever campus-wide information security strategic plan, expanding the security program and rolling out common tools to the entire university.

Andy brings over 30 years of experience in the information security field, including a CISO position at Binghamton University, various information security roles at Iowa State University, and time with IBM and Intel. He has served on various cybersecurity committees with EDUCAUSE, the Higher Education Information Security Council (HEISC), NYSERNet, and SUNY.  Andy holds a Master of Business Administration from Temple University and a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University.