This article is part of a series shining a spotlight on the personalities and priorities of Dal's senior leadership team. Revisit previous profiles at the Leadership and Vision website.
Josh Leon remembers sitting in the Killam basement in 1975, looking in awe at a computer that took up a large portion of the room. He was an undergraduate math student, and it was the height of high technology. He would go on to spend many days working there in the computer lab 鈥� a lab consisting of one giant computer.
鈥淭hat thing was amazing to everyone,鈥� he says.
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Forty-three years later, he鈥檚 still in the Killam basement, but with far more advanced technology and a far more complex role. But as Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice-President of Information Technology Services, he is still completely focused, and completely dependent, on high-performance technology.
鈥淭he systems were always important,鈥� he says. 鈥淔rom second year undergrad, when I took a programming course, my whole career has been dependent on computers working.鈥�
Now he鈥檚 the guy who makes sure they do. 鈥淏ack then there were only a few of us using them; now the need for good information technology is ubiquitous.鈥�
Dalhousie runs in the family
Even before his undergrad, Leon felt like part of the Dal family. Many of his relatives, his mother in particular, had gone to Dal.听 He did all three of his degrees here, including an MSc in Mathematics (1982) and his PhD in Biophysics (1988). 听
After his PhD, Leon spent 15 years teaching in the biomedical and electrical engineering departments at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, and five years at University of Calgary where he was a professor and head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He was thrilled to return to Dal in 2005 as Dean of Engineering.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very friendly place,鈥� he says. 鈥淩eally it felt just like coming home. And Dal puts such value on academic excellence. It was a thrill to see it was still as important as when I was a student.鈥�
Perhaps unsurprisingly, with those high academic standards came, 鈥済reat colleagues in the engineering department, fantastic professors I enjoyed working with, outstanding staff, and excellent students.鈥�
The biggest change he noticed was the growth. 鈥淭he university had probably doubled in size. You do notice that.鈥� But other than the size, it felt like the same institution as it approached its 200th year.
During that year, there was an opening for his current position. He spoke with Ian Nason, VP of Finance and Administration, who he鈥檇 always enjoyed working with, about the role.听 Nason encouraged him to apply. The fresh challenge was appealing, yet the role seemed up his alley.
鈥淚鈥檝e spent my career involved with information technology, as an engineering professor I know the value of strong IT support throughout the university.鈥�
Considering technology鈥檚 future
Unlike his days with the 1975 mega-computer, these days no university can operate without its technology systems. Every university function, from registering students to recording grades to getting staff and faculty paid, is digitized. 听
Leon is the man behind the monitors, making sure his team are helping keep teaching labs are up to date, facilitating the creation of world-class facilities for students, and designing systems to ensure complete wireless coverage.
鈥淭hey are great professionals,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pleasure getting to know them.鈥�
If your team is that strong, leadership is relatively easy. But, 鈥渁 good leader knows where you need to go.鈥� In technology, that means being prepared for constant, rapid change. It also means saying yes more often than saying no: 鈥渆ncourage staff to have good ideas, then get behind those ideas.鈥�
Leon鈥檚 goal for Dal is that it remains at the leading edge of technology. In this task he leans on his background in engineering 鈥斕� not just from a technical perspective but in systematically foreseeing, understanding and solving problems.
鈥淓ngineers are very data driven in how we look at things,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e methodical problem solvers.鈥�
As such, he easily lists a set of big-picture priorities. The first is security, protecting sensitive data like human resources and student records. 鈥淯niversities are a challenge because they need to be open to community and students, but at the same time we have a duty to keep things secure.鈥�
Another big project is one he expects no one will notice, but that is incredibly important: a complete refresh of networks across campus.
鈥淲e鈥檙e updating to the latest generation of network gear, which allows us to deal with new online security threats,鈥� as well as physical security issues like automated door-lock systems and the use of security cameras and monitors.
On success鈥�
鈥淚n IT, you know you鈥檙e doing a good job when no one notices you鈥檙e there.鈥澨� 听
On managing change鈥�
鈥淭echnological change happens so quickly, and industry has a vested interest in phasing out old things. We鈥檙e constantly fighting built in obsolescence in technology. You always have to be looking ahead and measuring costs of new tech versus the benefits, compared to other priorities like labs and staffing.鈥�
On meeting students鈥� technology needs鈥�
鈥淚 know how frustrating it was as a student when things didn鈥檛 work and I needed to finish an assignment. Fortunately, I鈥檓 confident our team can keep the lights on.鈥�
Five questions
When you were a student, what was your favourite course?
Math 100 and Math 101; first year calculus.
What鈥檚 your favourite hobby or pastime?
Sailing, skiing and woodworking.
If you could only bring one artist鈥檚 music with you to a desert island, who would it be?
Max Stalling (country singer-songwriter).
What鈥檚 the best advice you鈥檝e ever received?
Never play cards with a man named Doc. And don鈥檛 eat at a place called Mom鈥檚.
If you could have dinner with one person 鈥� living, deceased or fictional 鈥� who would it be and why?
My wife, Jill.