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IU’s Pervasive Technology Institute names new chief operating officer

Winona Snapp-Childs brings extensive research and management experience to the role

Research and discovery Aug 19, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—The Pervasive Technology Institute (PTI) at Indiana University has appointed Winona Snapp-Childs, Ph.D., as chief operating officer. She will oversee PTI’s multimillion dollar budget and manage its day-to-day administrative and operational functions.

Snapp-Childs comes to the role after five years in IU’s Research Technologies division, where she served as manager of the collaboration and engagement support group. There, her duties included heading up proposal development and project management for large, multi-institutional research projects; developing various research and education programs and projects; and organizing international workshops on supercomputing topics.   

Snapp-Childs earned her B.S, M.S, and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University. Prior to joining Research Technologies, she was a research associate and postdoctoral fellow in the IU Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

“I have worked closely with Dr. Snapp-Childs over the years at IU, and she brings considerable experience in collaboration, operations, project management, and strategic direction setting,” said Beth Plale, PTI executive director. “I’m delighted that she will now put her many talents to good use guiding PTI.” 

Snapp-Childs earned her B.S, M.S, and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University. Prior to joining Research Technologies, she was a research associate and postdoctoral fellow in the IU Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. She is currently a research scientist in the IU Department of Biology as well.  

I have worked closely with Dr. Snapp-Childs over the years at IU, and she brings considerable experience in collaboration, operations, project management, and strategic direction setting.

Beth Plale

The Pervasive Technology Institute was founded in 1999 by then IU Vice President for Information Technology Michael A. McRobbie, now IU chancellor, to help IU become a leader in the use and application of information technology. It was seeded through a $30 million grant from Lilly Endowment. 

In the years since, the Pervasive Technology Institute has garnered $123.6 million in public grant awards and $12.7 million in private funding for research and innovation at IU.   

The institute comprises 10 affiliated research centers, focused on using technology to tackle issues such as human health, cybersecurity and the impact of global climate change. Staff create software, deliver information and services, and support and provision a world-class cyberinfrastructure.  

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