About This Episode
In this episode of Edu Unlocked, host Ashish Fernando sits down with Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for IT and Chief Digital Officer at UC Irvine, former UC System CIO, board leader, and host of the Digital Squared podcast. Together, they explore the evolving role of technology and leadership in shaping higher education’s future.
Key topics you’ll hear about:
1. Why the AI era is about different, not just faster
2. Human-in-the-loop: balancing efficiency with empathy in education
3. Lessons from Philips, PwC, and global industries on leadership & transformation
4. Building teams for the post-AI era: curiosity, dissatisfaction, and respect for diverse perspectives
5. How UC Irvine leverages AI chatbots, predictive analytics, and student-centric design
6. The “what, how, why” framework for meaningful tech adoption in universities
Whether you’re a higher ed leader, technologist, or simply curious about how AI will redefine education, this conversation is packed with insights, strategies, and human stories.
Host & Guest
Tom Andriola (UC Irvine)
GuestVice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data; Chief Digital Officer, University of California, Irvine
Tom Andriola serves as UC Irvine’s Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data (ODIT) and Chief Digital Officer, where he leads the university’s digital transformation initiatives. His mission is to strategically leverage data and technology to advance UC Irvine’s standing as a premier research university, healthcare innovator, and community partner.
A seasoned global leader, Andriola has built a career at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and organizational change. At UC Irvine, he has spearheaded initiatives such as The Collaboratories @ UCI, designed to harness the power of data ecosystems for continuous improvement and collaboration, and The Experiential Learning Program (ELP) and The HUB, which immerse students and employees in emerging technologies like Web3 and AI. He also hosts Digital Squared, a podcast that explores how technology continues to shape human interaction in a digital-first world.
Prior to joining UCI, Andriola served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the University of California System, where he unified 8,500 IT professionals, launched a nationally recognized IT Leadership Academy, and co-developed UC Health’s big data strategy—culminating in a 16-million-patient clinical data warehouse. His earlier experience includes executive leadership roles at Philips, Marconi PLC, Sapient, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he led global technology innovations across Europe, Asia, and North America.
Andriola continues to drive innovation as a board member, advisor, and advocate for digital equity across higher education and healthcare.
Key Achievements:
1. Leads UC Irvine’s data and digital transformation strategy.
2. Founder of The Collaboratories @ UCI, fostering data-driven innovation.
3. Host of Digital Squared, exploring the future of digital society.
4. Created UC Health’s 16M-patient clinical data warehouse.
5. Launched the UC IT Leadership Academy for 8,500 professionals.
6. Guided global healthcare technology initiatives across Europe, India, and China.
7. Serves on boards including OCHIN and Unizin, advocating digital progress.
Ashish Fernando Founder & CEO, EDMO
HostAshish Fernando is the visionary founder and CEO of EDMO, a revolutionary educational technology platform that's transforming how people learn and grow. With over 15 years of experience in education and technology, Ashish has dedicated his career to making quality education accessible to learners worldwide. Before founding EDMO, Ashish held leadership positions at several prominent EdTech companies and worked as an educational consultant for Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master's in Computer Science from MIT. Ashish is a frequent speaker at educational conferences and has been featured in publications such as EdTech Magazine, Learning & Development Today, and TechCrunch. He's passionate about the intersection of technology and human potential, believing that the right tools can unlock extraordinary learning outcomes for everyone. Under his leadership, EDMO has grown to serve over 100,000 learners globally and has partnerships with leading educational institutions and corporations. Ashish continues to drive innovation in personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and educational analytics.
Key Achievements
1. Founded EDMO in 2019, now serving 100,000+ learners globally
2. Named 'EdTech Innovator of the Year' by Learning Technology Awards 2023
3. Featured speaker at Global Education Summit 2024
4. Published researcher in educational technology and learning analytics
5. Advisor to multiple EdTech startups and educational initiatives
Show Notes
- 1 0:38 Introduction of guest Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for IT & Chief Digital Officer at UC Irvine
- 2 4:06 Tom discusses AI, student curiosity, and redefining the future
- 3 7:13 Career philosophy “Rock climbing” vs “Career ladder” analogy
- 4 10:00 Philips’ leadership model and global perspective
- 5 12:24 Tom’s leadership philosophy on talent development
- 6 16:19 Balancing AI efficiency with human relevance
- 7 25:00 AI alone isn’t enough—importance of process redesign
Key Quotes
"This is not about faster. It’s about different. And I think it’s going to be a really exciting set of years in front of us."
"AI is not taking your job — but the person who knows how to use AI is getting the next job."
Resources
Supercharge Your University CRM