Our Team
We attract talent from all walks of life.
Parixit Davé currently serves as Senior Director at CUIT for Emerging Technologies. In this role, he is responsible for the operations and projects related to new technologies and works directly with faculty and researchers in support of ETC grants. He provides a much-needed consulting role on emerging technologies to the entire university. He also liaisons with peer institutions and works closely with Educause. In 2018, Parixit co-founded CUIT's Emerging Technology Consortium (ETC), and was appointed as the director.
Nimish joined CUIT in August 2016, and is responsible for the University’s business critical Enterprise Applications Platform, leading a team of 60+ technology professionals.
Medha is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Associate Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management & Identity Access Management. She has served as the University's first CISO since 2006.
Maneesha has worked at CUIT since 2001 and was appointed to AVP of Academic and Research Solutions in June 2016. She added Emerging Technologies to her portfolio in 2018.
Elvira has worked at CUIT since 2005 and previously held the role of AVP, Enterprise Systems.
Jose has worked at Columbia for over 30 years and his current appointment as AVP of Client Support Services underscores CUIT’s commitment to moving toward a more customer service focused organization providing expanded services.
Jim has worked at CUIT since 2014 and was appointed to the role of AVP, Infrastructure Services in April 2015.
Elvira has worked at CUIT since 2005 and previously held the role of AVP, Enterprise Systems.
Chris began his digital and design career immersed in New York’s multimedia and publishing industry from Conde Nast (2007) to News Corp. (2011), while also consulting for IFC and Meredith Corp. In 2012, he joined American International Group, Inc (AIG) in leading a digital strategy and content management overhaul. He would go on to Verizon (2017), where he led omnichannel customer experience projects with a focus on user experience and discovery.
Throughout his career, Chris has been at the forefront of guiding organizations in their digital transformations. From the print-to-digital challenges of content managed publishing, to leading design teams at News Corp. on the early adoptions of adaptive and responsive design in partnership with Apple, for the first generation of iPads, and with the NFL for the Super Bowl app. At AIG, he joined the communications team in leading a full organizational content migration and implementing information architecture, usability, and content governance strategy. At Verizon, his work included highly collaborative efforts across disciplines with a user-centric like obsession, with projects ranging from FCC policy compliance, development of B2B and B2C customer support channels, hardware and software integrations of smart home technology for Apple, Google, and Amazon, to various partnerships with Discovery+, Disney+, Synchrony, and Visa.
In his spare time, he is a martial artist - kung fu instructor and jiu jitsu practitioner - recreational figure skater, competitive gamer, and aspiring polyglot.
Elvira has worked at CUIT since 2005 and previously held the role of AVP, Enterprise Systems.
Basem Aly is the Assistant Director of Instructional Technology at Columbia Law School, where he manages all online learning resources and assists faculty and students in leveraging technology for teaching and learning. A key focus of his role involves researching and consulting on artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
Aly advises students in the Law School clinic and the "Lawyering in the Digital Age" course on effectively utilizing AI to assist clients such as the New York Legal Aid Society. He also conducts workshops for faculty, providing guidance on integrating ChatGPT and similar technologies into their teaching while emphasizing academic integrity and rigorous fact-checking.
Prior to joining Columbia, Aly spent over a decade at Pratt Institute in various roles. As Associate Director of Research and Strategic Projects, he deployed remote learning platforms like Canvas LMS and Zoom in response to COVID-19, serving over 5,000 students and 2,500 faculty. He researched emerging technologies, resulting in white papers, business plans, and grant applications totaling $250,000.
Aly also served as a Professor and Program Coordinator, helping to establish Pratt's accredited Associates Degree program in Game Design & Interactive Media. He taught courses on game design, virtual reality, and rapid prototyping while advising student organizations. Earlier, Aly worked as a Senior Developer, implementing websites, fundraising platforms, and managing Pratt's WordPress multisite.
Through his work, Aly aims to empower students, faculty, and the broader legal community to harness emerging technologies ethically and effectively in education and practice.
Alan Eiland is CUIT's Assistant Vice President of Portfolio Management. In this role, Alan ensures alignment between strategic objectives and implementation and is responsible for Service Management, Program Management and Project Management practices.
Prior to joining the Columbia University in 2012, Alan’s professional experience spanned media, entertainment and educational service industries with a focus on solution delivery, process transformation and technology operations. Alan holds a degree in Economics from Bowdoin College and is certified in multiple IT frameworks.
Executive Assistant: Kristen Schneider ([email protected])