Cal Lutheran names Zareh Marselian first CIO

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Oct. 21, 2015) An administrator who helped guide California Lutheran University through two decades of technological changes has been appointed to serve as its first chief information officer.

After a national search, Zareh Marselian was chosen to lead the information systems and services team and report directly to President Chris Kimball. The structural change at Cal Lutheran reflects the growing importance of technology divisions at universities. Once seen primarily as support departments responsible for keeping computers running, the divisions are increasingly key players in strategic decisions affecting all areas of campus.

Marselian joined Cal Lutheran’s staff in 1994 and served as the director of technical services for three years. During that time, he managed the installation of a campuswide network, rolled out Web services and a system for managing student data, and expanded email access from a handful of users to all staff, faculty and students.

After Marselian became the senior director of information technology at Cal Lutheran in 1998, he spearheaded several advances for the growing university including the establishment of the first online portal and the campuswide wireless network.

He has served as interim associate provost for information technology since July 2014, reporting to the vice president for academic affairs. Recently, he was involved in the expansion of infrastructure and services to the satellite center in Westlake Village and to Ullman Commons, the university’s new technology-rich dining and meeting facility. He also oversaw the launch of the new technology-intensive active learning classroom on the Thousand Oaks campus.

Marselian earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information science from Coleman University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of California, San Diego. He also has an MBA in information technology management from Cal Lutheran. Marselian has more than 25 years of experience in information technology. In addition to working at Cal Lutheran, he has worked in the defense and telemedicine industries.

Cal Lutheran is a selective university based in Thousand Oaks, California, with additional locations in Woodland Hills, Westlake Village, Oxnard, Santa Maria and Berkeley. With an enrollment of 4,100 students, Cal Lutheran offers undergraduate and graduate programs through its College of Arts and Sciences, School of Management, Graduate School of Education, Graduate School of Psychology and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Members of the Cal Lutheran student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, visit CalLutheran.edu.