Appointment of Elliott Cheu as Chief Information Officer

Richard Cate, senior advisor to the president for operations, sent the following message to university senior leaders and University Information Technology Services employees on Jan. 6, 2026.

I am pleased to announce that Elliott Cheu has been permanently appointed Chief Information Officer, effective January 5, after the completion of an internal search for this position. 

Elliott has served as interim CIO since January of 2025, successfully leading the University Information Technology Services team during a period of transition and significant change.

In recent years, he has served in multiple leadership positions at the University of Arizona, including Associate Dean for the College of Science, Interim Dean of the W.A. Franke Honors College and the College of Science, Associate Vice President for Research Institutes, and Interim Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation. Throughout his tenure, he has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, collaborative leader with a quiet determination to drive steady progress toward our shared mission and the success of students, faculty and staff.

Elliott, who joined the U of A in 1996, is a University Distinguished Professor of Physics and one of the most highly cited researchers at the University of Arizona. He is an accomplished scientist and educator who continues to run a successful research program that studies the fundamental particles and forces in the universe. His most recent research activities involve searching for evidence of dark matter performed at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

His support has been invaluable during my time at the university, and I look forward to our continued partnership in advancing our Strategic Imperatives.

Please join me in congratulating Elliott on his permanent appointment as CIO. He has already served the university exceptionally well in this role.