Penn State named Donald Welch its permanent vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer, the university announced Thursday.

Welch was appointed following a nationwide search despite already holding the position on an interim basis. He’ll begin his new permanent positions on October 1.

“It has been a privilege to lead this great group of people through all the challenges of the last year,” Welch said. “Throughout my career, I’ve found that being part of a great team that works together toward a noble goal is one of life’s best experiences. There is much we’ve done and will have to do to support teaching, research and service during COVID-19.”

Welch will oversee the implementation of IT tools for everyone affiliated with the university, as well as developing more modern services. He will continue in his support of new systems, such as the One Penn State 2025 initiative.

Welch had a 25-year career with the US Army. During his time in the service, he held multiple positions, most recently as CIO and professor of computer science at West Point.

Since leaving the service, Welch has gone on to serve as the CEO of Merit Network, CTO at H-E-B, and Chief Information Security Officer for the University of Michigan.

Welch undoubtedly has a lot of leadership experience in high positions, which are reflected in his most impressive accolades. He has claimed the Legion of Merit from the US Army, Champion of Change by the White House, Top CEO for Michigan, and more. Welch came to Penn State in 2016.

“We are pleased to permanently appoint Don to this critical role at Penn State,” Provost Nick Jones said. “His expertise and leadership will drive decision making vital to Penn State’s success and growth.”