Matthew Gunkel is the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). He leads institution-wide IT operations, spanning academic and health functions. Charged with overseeing a period of significant change and growth at UCR, he is guiding the large-scale modernization of UCR’s IT infrastructure to support the university’s mission and strategic priorities. Matthew’s vision for digital transformation through innovation at scale serves as the blueprint for UCR’s current overhaul of its legacy IT and adoption of new and emerging technologies. He championed the institution-wide deployment of generative AI tools with appropriate safety protections, enabling faculty, staff, and students to access secure AI capabilities at scale. He also serves on the UC AI Council, where his expertise supports initiatives for responsible AI adoption across the University of California system.