Krogull to Lead High Performance Computing Center; Akridge Named Interim for ITS

Steve Krogull is stepping down as the chief information officer for Information Technology Services (ITS) to lead the Arkansas High Performance Computing Center (AHPCC) effective April 13. Jannette Akridge, associate vice chancellor for strategic data and process innovation, will lead ITS on an interim basis.

“Steve brought needed stability to the ITS team, bringing in new talent to meet growing needs while advancing a cloud-first strategy across campus,” said Ann Bordelon, executive vice chancellor for finance and administration. “His skillset, experience and connections also make him an ideal choice to support the high-performance computing needs of our campus and our state.”

The Arkansas High Performance Computing Center enables computationally-intensive and data-intensive research by providing expertise, high performance computing hardware, storage, support services and training.

“These services are vital to researchers on campus and across Arkansas,” said Margaret Sova McCabe, vice chancellor for research and innovation.

The AHPCC’s resources are available to faculty, staff and students at all Arkansas public universities, and to their collaborators inside and outside of the state. Most AHPCC services are provided free of charge to eligible researchers.

“Providing greater access to the Arkansas High-Performance Computing Center and improving its governance are among the future opportunities recently identified by a working group of representatives from campus and around the state,” Krogull said. “I look forward to advancing these priorities and increasing the center’s impact in the future.”

About Steve Krogull

Steve Krogull

Krogull led ITS for six years, being named to the position a few months after starting in an interim role in March 2020. He was at the forefront of transitioning the campus to remote instruction and work for students, faculty and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and maintaining off-campus support for inclement weather, flexible work schedules and other circumstances. He joined the university as the associate chief information officer for research and academic technology in 2019. His leadership and collaboration with multiple groups and units across campus brought cutting-edge information technology for various research and academic programs.

Prior to his arrival in Fayetteville, Krogull served in several leadership roles covering research support, learning solutions and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  

With a master’s in educational media from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Krogull also has previous experience as an adjunct assistant professor and an instructional designer.

About Jannette Akridge

Jannette Akridge

With more than two decades of leadership in data strategy, analytics and organizational transformation across higher education and the private sector, Akridge took on a new role in 2025, helping merge the Office of Strategic Analytics and Insights (OSAI) with the VCFA Data Transformation and Business Process Improvement teams, driving enterprise-wide data governance, business intelligence and process innovation to support institutional strategy. 

“Jannette is a trusted leader with vast experience in overseeing initiatives that enhance data-informed decision making,” said Provost Indrajeet Chaubey. “Throughout her career, she has fostered a culture dedicated to improvement.”

Reporting to the provost, Akridge’s responsibilities include strategic planning, digital transformation and cross-functional collaboration across academic and administrative units.

Before returning to higher education, Akridge spent over two decades at Walmart, where she held multiple senior roles including leading global data governance, designing enterprise dashboards and developing predictive models to support strategic initiatives across information systems, HR, finance, legal and corporate affairs. 

She holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the U of A and a B.S. in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Northwestern State University. Akridge has published in scientific journals and remains active in professional and community organizations, including serving as treasurer of the Arkansas Archeological Society since 2009. 

ITS Search

Details will be released in the future regarding the search for a chief information officer for ITS.