Well-deserved recognition was recently bestowed upon Teaching and Learning Innovations’ very own, Michael McGarry, who received the “Rising Star” Award from one of the major professional organizations for higher education IT and Academic Technology Leaders. EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit higher education leadership organization, has a membership of over 2,000 higher ed institutions and 100,000 people. The Rising Star Award recognizes an early-career professional whose track record shows tremendous potential as an emerging leader in higher education technology and learning innovation spaces. The pool is competitive, and Michael is the first person in the CSU to be recognized with this award. He shared the spotlight in front of 7,500 people at the 2025 conference in Nashville, TN, with Awardees recognized for leadership, community leadership, and organizational culture. We are all very proud!

Here is an excerpt from the EDUCAUSE Award, but you can read the full profile on the EDUCAUSE Rising Star website:

Michael’s career is defined by his ability to build sustainable systems that serve both immediate needs and long-term institutional goals. He established CSUCI’s systematic academic technology pilot process and led a comprehensive campus-wide LMS transition, demonstrating remarkable change management skills and collaborative leadership. His approach consistently focuses on creating scalable solutions that can be institutionalized and replicated, ensuring continuity beyond individual projects. His commitment to collaborative leadership is further evidenced by his work on ethical AI integration in higher education.

Pictures Tell The Story

On the first full day of the conference, Michael was invited to the main stage to accept his award and be recognized in front of thousands of people in attendance. He acknowledged his family, colleagues and mentors across CSU Channel Islands, as well as others in the wider CSU community. 

Backstage, Michael and the other award recipients gathered for a selfie. Other award recipients included:

• Leadership Award: Elias G. Eldayrie, Sr. Vice President and Chief Information Officer, University of Florida
• Leadership Award: Helen Norris, CIO and Vice President for Information Technology (retired), Chapman University
• Community Leadership Award: David Sherry, Former Chief Information Security Officer, Princeton University
• Organizational Culture Award: Liv Gjestvang, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Denison University

Michael was also invited to deliver a session presentation on the first day of the conference, and his presentation was packed with inspirational stories from CSUCI. He told a story of change in the past 10 years at CSU Channel Islands, both those that happened to us (e.g., COVID-19 emergency remote instruction; AI diffusion) and those that we ushered in through strategic partnership (e.g., LMS transition). He acknowledged the scope, scale, and frequency of change and the resulting fatigue, engaging the room in conversations about related experiences. Finally, he showcased examples of innovation incubations and campus projects that signaled an openness to experimentation and learning during periods of change related to emerging technologies. 

You can click through his slide presentation below to see more:

Team Support

Although the entire Teaching and Learning Innovations team was unable to be physically present for Michael’s recognition, they shared best wishes and vibes each step of the way. As session convener for Michael’s presentation, here is what I had an opportunity to share with the room:

Good afternoon! My name is Lorna Gonzalez, and I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming you to this session, “Legends, Bots, & Community: Stories of Change in Digital Learning,” presented by this year’s EDUCAUSE Rising Star Award Recipient, Michael McGarry. As session convener, my job is to introduce Michael and to help make sure that we stay on schedule. But, rather than read you Michael’s bio, which you can find in the conference app, I’m going to share a few words from Michael’s teammates back home at California State University Channel Islands, and you’ll get a small glimpse into Michael as a rising star through the eyes of his colleagues (notice how many times the word “wizard” is used to describe him):

Jennifer says: Working with Michael McGarry makes you feel like one of the cool kids. Watching his creative and innovative mind at work is truly inspiring.

Ana: Michael is an amazing colleague, full of enthusiasm and joy for what he does. He truly cares about the team and is always eager to share his knowledge with everyone. His positive energy and sense of humor never fail to make us smile.

Isaac: Watching Michael work his wizard magic on the team is like watching Adam Sandler perform the Happy Gilmore Swing. You know it’s going to be great, but somehow he still pulls off the impossible every time. It’s part chaos, part genius, and 100% entertaining.

Stacey: Michael makes incorporating new instructional technologies feel easy. He’s calm, knowledgeable, and encouraging, and his spirit of curiosity and innovation is contagious.

Georgia: Michael is a reliable and generous colleague. He stays calm in stressful situations, which helps the rest of us keep our calm, too. Thank you, Michael, for making our team better and bringing a sense of humor to all that you do!

And finally, Kristi says: Michael is dependable and a true wizard at so many things. I’ve been fortunate to work with him for over 10 years now, and he’s easily one of my favorite people at CI. 

Please join me in congratulating Michael McGarry!