December 19, 2023

Dear URI Community,

We are writing to share that the University is making a leadership change in our information technology services division. Gabriele Fariello, an experienced IT leader who has held previous chief information officer (CIO) roles in education, will serve as interim CIO beginning Jan. 8, 2024.

Gabriele currently serves as a strategic consultant with several organizations across a range of sectors, including biotech, higher education, and health care. He brings a familiarity with URI that will accelerate his transition to this role, having served the University as interim CIO in 2018.

Gabriele has broad experience managing complex IT systems and aligning technology strategies with academic and administrative goals. In previous roles, he successfully led large-scale IT projects, including cloud migrations, cybersecurity enhancements, and the development of high-performance computing infrastructures. His experience with cybersecurity is particularly relevant as the University aggressively works to strengthen online security at URI.

Previously, Gabriele served as chief information technology officer with SmartPoints Medical, a company that provides security and data integrity solutions. He also served as CIO and assistant dean for computing at the Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; head of neuroinformatics with the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences; and as an instructor in machine learning and artificial intelligence at Harvard.

Gabriele earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in management information systems from Harvard.

We want to thank Karlis Kaugars for his contributions to URI and for the progress we have made in enhancing IT infrastructure and security at the University. Karlis will assume the role of strategic advisor to ensure a smooth transition of leadership as we launch a national search for a permanent CIO.

Barb Wolfe
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Abby Benson
Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance