UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Michael Barr joins USask as new head of ICT

"I've been exploring the river valley and really enjoying it," said Barr. 

An avid runner, Barr trains for marathons, cycles and rows, among other activities. When he is not keeping active, Barr gardens, dabbles as a DJ with his vinyl collection, or just enjoys time with his wife Sandy and their dog Theo. 

No stranger to new destinations, Barr's extensive career has taken him to cities across Canada and the United States, including stops in Seattle, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray to name a few. With more than 31 years of experience in IT, Barr began his career by working for a consulting firm in the United States. 

"I kind of just evolved my way through different roles and started to manage projects," said Barr, who continued to take on bigger responsibilities throughout his career and eventually moved into IT leadership in 2006. 

Having worked in higher education for more than 15 years, Barr is no stranger to the needs of a post-secondary institution. 

"Higher ed has been really cool, just in terms of the creativity and ability to help the organization along its path to digital transformation," said Barr, noting that ICT is not only about technology, but also about people. 

"There's a huge human component to the work we do," said Barr. "We work to help people incorporate new software or technologies into their work, allowing them to become more efficient and achieve their goals." 

ICT also collaborates with multiple units on systems like PAWS, and helps determine the need for innovative technology and the deployment of it. 

"Everyone has unique needs, and we have to ensure that things like classrooms are supported for our students," he said. 

"We care about what people are doing with the systems and software they get from us. We do not just give someone a tool and do not care if they use it. We want to understand the needs and say, OK, how do we bridge that gap?'"  

Settling into a new job is not the only thing he has on the go; Barr is currently working on his PhD in Business Administration in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. 

"I'm looking at digital transformation in learning spaces," said Barr in discussing work that relates directly to USask's current needs as the university continues to evolve in a post-COVID environment. 

Getting familiar with the layout of campus and meeting with colleges and units from across the university has been a top priority for Barr over the past few weeks. 

"It's kind of exciting to be part of that, supporting it here at USask."