Interim VPs for Information Technology, Communications Named


Brian Dourty

President Richard C. Benson has appointed two University leaders to Cabinet positions this fall.

Brian Dourty will serve as interim vice president and chief information officer for the Office of Information Technology. He will continue shaping the Office of Information Technology to better execute its core mission of providing technology leadership, expertise and services in support of UT Dallas’ mission of research, learning, teaching and public service.

Dourty has over 20 years of experience in information technology within higher education. He joined UT Dallas in 2015 as chief technology officer, and has been leading the network, infrastructure, system administration, database administration, identity management and vended application teams.

Before joining UT Dallas, Dourty was the associate director of systems and operations at the University of Missouri, where he was responsible for the operation of information technology systems in support of both campus and systemwide initiatives. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Missouri.

John Walls

John Walls will serve as interim vice president for communications. The Office of Communications oversees marketing, news and media relations, periodicals and web services for the University.

The office supports the University's brand identity, disseminates campus news, and works with the media to facilitate interviews and connect reporters with experts.

It also has a primary role in distributing urgent/crisis communications, social media and supports the delivery of accurate, current and relevant information on the main UT Dallas website.

Prior to joining UT Dallas, Walls was assistant vice president for public affairs at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His career includes communications management positions for TXU (now Energy Future Holdings), Tenet Healthcare and the Texas Tech University System. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in mass communications from Texas Tech University.

Walls has served as the University’s associate vice president for communications since 2010.