Allan Chen Named Chief Information Officer

Sarah Lawrence College is pleased to announce the hiring of Allan Chen as its new Chief Information Officer. Chen will begin at the College on November 9, 2026.

As the College’s senior information technology leader, Chen will guide Sarah Lawrence’s IT vision, strategy, and operations in support of its academic mission and strategic priorities. He will oversee the College’s technology infrastructure, enterprise systems, cybersecurity, data privacy, and user support while working across the institution to advance technology solutions that enhance teaching, learning, and administration.

“Allan brings to Sarah Lawrence extensive experience in leading technology strategy and operations within complex higher education environments,” said Andrew Kane, Vice President of Finance and Operations, to whom Chen will report. “His collaborative approach and ability to connect technology decisions to institutional priorities will be tremendous assets as we strengthen our systems, support our community, and plan for the College’s second century.”

Chen comes to Sarah Lawrence from the California Institute of the Arts, where he has served as Vice President for Institute Technology and Chief Technology Officer since 2020. In that role, while overseeing information technology across CalArts’ six schools, he created a cohesive IT strategic plan and led major initiatives involving technology infrastructure, cyber and information security, data analysis, and artificial intelligence.

Chen brings to Sarah Lawrence more than 25 years of experience in higher education technology. Before joining CalArts, he served as Associate Vice President for Academic Technology at California State University, Northridge, and as Chief Information Officer at both Muhlenberg College and Menlo College. An active leader in his profession, Chen served on the EDUCAUSE Board of Directors from 2021 to 2025, including roles as chair, vice chair, and secretary. He has also contributed to numerous EDUCAUSE committees, task forces, and leadership programs and has served as an EDUCAUSE Ambassador since 2019. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business and his Bachelor of Arts in History, with honors, from Stanford University.

“I'm excited to join the Sarah Lawrence College community,” said Chen. “The College has a rich history of leading the way in higher education, both academically and programmatically. Technology is critical to any organization’s success and I look forward to working with colleagues inside and outside of Information Technology to support SLC’s mission.”