Yavapai College Executive Director of Technology Engagement and Strategy Ryan Gray, who comes from a family of educators, moved to Prescott in 2013, the same year he started working at the college. 

Prior to relocating, he kept an eye out for employment opportunities in the area, and Gray figured that Yavapai College would likely be an opportunity for him. When a position opened with the institution in late 2012, he applied and was hired as a Senior Specialist.

Gray, who has a master’s in educational technology, leads half of the Information and Technology Services, overseeing four divisions. The first, ITS Service and Support, involves helping people use technology, solve problems, provide training, and serve as the customer service base of ITS.

The second division, ITS Campus Technology Solutions, is the group responsible for the design, procurement and deployment of all user-facing technologies. Next is the ITS Operations group, which is responsible for much of the logistics, purchasing, compliance issues and various projects across Yavapai College.

The fourth and final division overseen by Gray is ITS Client Relations, that comprises its team to work directly with the college’s academic units to develop technology-enhanced learning opportunities.

Client Relations also works with academics on their roadmap for technology-enabled learning in the future, as well as doing academic and science studies on the effectiveness of different technologies to either validate where they need to bring new technology to the fore, or to ensure that the technology being used is effective for student outcomes.

“The importance of the work we do is to ensure that the entire Yavapai College community is supported with technology that advances teaching and learning, cultural enrichment, and economic development,” Gray said. “We are also challenged to find creative ways to innovate how our technology is used.”

Gray shared that the biggest challenge he’s faced was the transformation of the institution during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with so many employees of Yavapai College who were confronted with an environment that resulted in them working outside of their comfort zone.

“The good news relating to that is that most times with every challenge, the flip side presents an advantage,” Gray said. “What I think was amazing about that is we were, both within ITS and the college community overall before, already willing to change when needed.”

“While it was a challenge, it created this opportunity to bring new tools to bear in education. And coming out of COVID, being able to really continue to keep and put those resources to use.”

Gray said that one of the hallmarks of advantage and opportunity was the development of good quality online programming. The technology tools that make both online and supervised courses just as engaging and produce just as good of student outcomes means that those same students who are working adults have more flexibility in being able to take care of their children at the same time.

“Yavapai College is the kind of institution that's big enough to do big things, and big enough to have resources to be cutting edge, but small enough to where bureaucracy doesn't necessarily choke things down,” Gray said.

According to Gray, there are certain ways in which Yavapai College is a national leader in some of the things that it does. He said that there are schools that follow what and how the college does things, from degree programs to technologies employed and processes adopted that follow the college’s lead.

Gray said that Yavapai College has found great value in being part of the community of higher education that shares ideas and brings them to bear. He said that the college wants to provide the roadmap for how an institution can make things that are happening at Johns Hopkins or UCLA work at a rural community college.

“We're able to be innovative and creative, and the college continued to preserve a commitment to maintaining its resources and facilities,” Gray said. “As a priority, we want to maintain our facilities and technology deployments to a modern level. Not letting the technology available to students decline because of age is a key part of being responsible with taxpayer money.”

Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, six baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.