UMGC CIO Joins Statewide Summit on AI

On June 17, 2026, information technology (IT) executives from academic institutions across Maryland convened to discuss critical priorities in a rapidly changing field. The Maryland Higher Education IT Leadership Summit fostered an exchange of ideas while exploring innovative approaches to student and organizational success.

Ashish Patel, senior vice president and chief information officer at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), participated in the daylong event in Adelphi, Maryland, with more than 100 attendees.

"It was valuable to connect with peers across Maryland to both learn from their AI journeys and share how we're approaching this work at UMGC," Patel said.

Patel spoke during the first session as part of a panel that examined the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. Panelists focused on how they are using AI in ways that align with institutional strategy.

"AI is not a technology initiative-it's a campus-wide transformation," Patel said.

He pointed out that UMGC sees meaningful opportunities in AI, particularly personalizing and unifying the student experience, streamlining administrative tasks, and furthering strategic goals. He noted that AI adoption was already paying off through the Student 360 initiative, cybersecurity AI tools, and other capabilities the university is piloting. Built in collaboration with and used by UMGC success coaches, Student 360 helps guide students along their academic journey.

"AI helps surface the right information to prioritize student outreach and enable more precise student interventions," said Patel, of UMGC's human-centered approach to artificial intelligence. In other words, AI tools can help success coaches offer one-on-one support to learners when they need it most.