J. Brice Bible, interim CIO and assistant vice president for IT at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, begins his new job at the Athens, Ohio-based university on April 16, according to an Wednesday. Bible replaces interim CIO Shawn Ostermann, for former CIO William Sams.

Sams resigned last July after the breaches were uncovered but stayed on until Ostermann was hired as interim CIO. Ostermann is an associate professor and chairman of the university's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. He also served as a member of the national search committee that hired Bible, according to the school.

"Brice stood out for his ability to think analytically, work with all stakeholders and understand organizational issues," Roderick J. McDavis, president of the university, said in a statement. "We wanted someone with a record of success who could create a strategic direction for IT that fits in with our mission..."

Bible, 45, will oversee an US$18 million budget and approximately 150 employees while leading the university's central IT group. That operation comprises computer, infrastructure and security policies, central e-mail, telephone, computer networking and administrative data services, according to the university.

"Obviously, some unfortunate events occurred in the spring" at Ohio University, Bible said Thursday in a telephone interview. "I look at it this way: We can turn that negative into a positive for the university. Steps taken after the events were right on target to strengthen security and confidence" of the school's students and faculty. "This was one of the best opportunities from an IT perspective in the whole country today. There are CIOs who would give anything to have their universities collectively talk about, openly discuss and debate what everyone wants from IT."