STEM-Trek’s Vice President David Stack has more than 30 years of experience with post-secondary education information technology (IT) and administration.
After performing research in fluid dynamics, Stack became a leader in academic computing and client services at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he earned a PhD in Engineering. From there, Stack focused on strategic planning, policy, governance, and research cyberinfrastructure. In collaboration with colleagues from neighboring institutions, he fostered regional sharing of cyberinfrastructure resources and sponsored professional development opportunities such as high performance computing boot camps, virtual summer schools, a Cyberinfrastructure Day, and a Data Symposium. As a Campus Champion for the U.S. National Science Foundation‘s Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), Stack’s experience and influence has taken on a national scope.
Stack is currently the the University of Wisconsin System Chief Information Officer. Prior to that, he was UWisc-Milwaukee’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer where he was responsible for the University Information Technology Services (UITS) infrastructure and oversees the operation of its service-oriented division. He co-leads the biomedical informatics function of the National Institutes of Health-funded Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) of Southeast Wisconsin.
Stack’s participation with student groups in molecular modeling projects and robotics competitions fueled his enthusiasm for STEM mentoring and led to service as STEM-Trek’s Vice President. He has seen, firsthand, how meaningful engagement between students and researchers, beginning with middle and high school levels, leads to students’ enthusiasm for STEM fields and can provide them with opportunities in college and beyond. Stack is committed to fostering the professional development of scholars and technologists in, and outside of, academic and work environments.