Rick Smith, MBA, joined PCOM in February 2019 and serves as the Chief Information Officer, providing leadership and management of all information technology services and functions for PCOM's Pennsylvania and Georgia locations.
What are some of the challenges you see in your role? How do you plan to face those
challenges?One of the biggest challenges in my role—and this is true of CIOs at any college or university—is determining the most efficient way to unlock the treasure trove of data that exists and is tied up in operational systems. We do this in order to turn data into actionable information for decision-making. Data is one of our most precious assets and, when adequately curated, mined and analyzed, it provides tremendous insights on how to best support our students, faculty and staff in order to recognize our vision and mission as one of the top osteopathic medical schools. We are turning this challenge into an opportunity at PCOM by implementing a state-of-the-art “data warehouse” that will leverage best-in-market analytical tools, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning models while organically implementing a university-wide data governance program.
I love everything about PCOM, but I would have to say, by far, my favorite thing about PCOM is the people! I have worked with some great people in many different positions across many industries, but it just feels different here—from the students to the faculty to the staff. Everyone I work with or encounter is passionate, driven and dedicated to the mission and vision. Equally important, they bring their “real selves“ to the College to join their “work selves“, this builds a more open, exciting, fun, creative and productive workplace!
Not surprising to those who know me—I am a huge sports fan (watching, not playing anymore) and try to catch as many Eagles, Phillies and Sixers games as I can. My closest friends and I were early adopters of fantasy football before it became mainstream, and we have been playing for more than 25 years! It took me all 25 years to win my first fantasy Super Bowl, to the delight of my fellow competitors. The curse has been broken!
Learn more about Rick on this episode of The Higher Edge podcast, where he discusses the importance of information technology in higher education.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
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