Leadership

Bharath serves as the Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at the University of Cincinnati, reporting to the President. He is responsible for driving the Digital Transformation at UC and the drive towards Excellence in IT Operations as well as the overall technology vision, strategy, and roadmap.

Prior to UC, Bharath served as Deputy Chief Information Officer and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enterprise Applications for the University of North Texas System where he established the vision, strategic leadership, and direction for all enterprise applications across the UNT System.

Bharath has over 28 years of experience in Information Technology and in driving Transformations. He has worked at start-ups and large companies in the private sector with almost 18+ years at Oracle where he led product teams in Middleware and Cloud Applications and drove several large and successful Digital Transformation initiatives. He also has significant experience working in non-profits and serving on boards and has been nominated for and won industry awards Infotech CIO of the year in 2024 and Ohio ORBIE Awards Enterprise CIO of the Year in 2025.

Bharath has an MS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India.

Chris McCoy is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of information technology leadership. Skilled in IT strategy, portfolio management, team development, business management, and change leadership, Chris has a proven ability to transform organizations into high-functioning, over-achieving teams that deliver services with high satisfaction. An inclusive, communicative, and empowering leader, Chris fosters an atmosphere of responsibility and personal accountability to use technology as a tool to propel an organization to success.

Gary Grafe is a seasoned Information Technology leader with a solid technical foundation and expertise in driving organizational transformation across technology, skillsets, and governance. He has a proven track record of collaborating with diverse stakeholders to implement innovative solutions and align IT strategies with business objectives. With a career spanning over two decades, Gary has held pivotal roles, including Enterprise Architect and Executive Director at the University of Cincinnati, where he has been instrumental in advancing IT systems, security, and enterprise architecture governance.

Gary's technical expertise encompasses ERP implementations, and the development of scalable IT infrastructures. He has successfully led large teams and complex projects, such as the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions implementation and the creation of an Enterprise Application Integration framework. Gary is also a Certified Enterprise Architect and holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

Committed to continuous improvement, Gary integrates a visionary approach with hands-on management to foster innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence. He is an advocate for inclusive leadership and has served as a soccer coach and a board member of Linden Grove School. A lifetime member of the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association, Gary continues to contribute to the IT community and beyond through his expertise and leadership.

Josette Riep is the Assistant Vice President of Integrated Data, Engineering & Application Services (IDEAS) in Digital Technology Solutions (DTS) at the University of Cincinnati. She is currently a PhD candidate in Information Technology with a research focus on Artificial Intelligence. Josette leads initiatives that span education, research, patient care, and administration—overseeing a wide range of areas including Development (with an emphasis on enterprise CRM development using Salesforce), DevOps, Data & Analytics, UI/UX and accessibility, and AI enablement.

Her portfolio includes customer relationship management, budget planning and resource allocation, project execution, the implementation of development best practices, and driving operational excellence through process improvement and team development. She also leads efforts to integrate AI into institutional strategy and operations, supporting both innovation and long-term scalability.

Josette is committed to expanding access and opportunity in technology. She believes in removing systemic barriers and designing pathways that empower individuals and institutions to thrive. Through her AI-focused research and her leadership of forward-thinking digital initiatives, she works to ensure the university continues to foster an environment where perspectives and talents across the university can flourish.

Katrina is an international award-winning information security and technology executive with experience across education, government, and corporate sectors.  Deeply committed to public service, she brings her extensive experience and technical expertise the missions of the university. Through innovation, design of future-forward security solutions and trust, she combines defensive strategy with business enablement. Katrina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Xavier University, a Master’s degree in Digital Forensic Science from Champlain College, and numerous industry certifications.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at UC and a frequent national lecturer on topics of secure high-performance research computing, K-12 cyber safety, proactive critical infrastructure defense, information security risk, and regulatory compliance.

Katrina currently serves as a Xavier University Cybersecurity Advisory Board member, CDO Magazine Global Security Board member, Warren County Career Center Cybersecurity Advisory Board member, Splunk Higher Education Advisory Board member, and advisory president of the Ohio High Technology Crime Investigation Association. In 2023, Katrina was honored as the Information Security Officer of the Year at the international Women in Governance, Risk and Compliance awards by the GRC World Forum.

Kent Kogler is known for his expertise in designing and delivering resilient, mature technology services aligned with organizational vision. As a Chief Technology Officer, he specializes in championing strategic initiatives to deliver effective results, participating in critical decision-making processes while working proactively with cross-functional teams to drive competitive advantage.

With a strategic mindset, Kent is committed to cultivating exceptional stakeholder relationships, meeting their needs and expectations at every step. As an experienced and goal-oriented professional, business owners know they can rely on his ability to provide exceptional service, resources, and methods to meet ever-changing objectives and ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, based on his expertise in the following areas:

• Strategic & Tactical Planning
• Service Management
• Project Delivery
• Personnel Development
• Process Improvement

Engaging and collaborative, Kent is a trusted partner to C-level leadership, relied upon to identify and capitalize on opportunities for major savings and process improvements.

Robin Pittman leads Business Enterprise Systems & Technologies, focusing on supporting and innovating the university’s core enterprise applications, specifically for human resources, university budgeting, and all aspects of financial accounting, the student information system, and campus facilities management.

Under Robin's leadership, the teams ensure system stability and availability while managing maintenance and growth. In collaboration with stakeholders and business partners, they are committed to utilizing leading practices to provide effective, innovative solutions, and creating efficiencies.