TU selects inaugural executive director of Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute

TULSA, Okla., Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Chad Raduege, who most recently served as chief information officer at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, has been named the inaugural executive director of the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute (OCII) at The University of Tulsa.

The university announced that Raduege is bringing his vast experience with technology, operations and communications as well as his academic credentials in business administration and organizational management to lead the new OCII. The institute was created earlier this year through an initial $24 million investment, composed of Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act funds and George Kaiser Family Foundation matching funds for workforce development, small business outreach and lab-to-market technology innovation.

"The University of Tulsa conducted a national search for the right person to set the bar for OCII, and we were fortunate to attract candidates of Gen. Raduege's caliber," said TU President Brad R. Carson. "Chad's background and skills are uniquely aligned to advance the university's history as a world leader in cyber education and research for nearly 25 years."

Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute focuses on developing, testing and deploying cyber research outcomes and technology developments. The university is leveraging nationally recognized cyber scholars in academia and research, in addition to Tulsa's dynamic business and innovation community, to meet the global demand for cyber talent and technology.

Before taking the role of CIO and director of command, control, communications and computers/cyber with the U.S. Air Force in Europe, Raduege served as CIO for Air Combat Command in Hampton, Virginia.

Prior to that position, Raduege served as the commander of the White House Communications Agency in Washington, D.C., and the commander of the 690^th Cyberspace Operations Group in San Antonio, Texas. He has also served in deployed missions to Bosnia, Iraq and Kyrgyzstan and was a recovery team leader in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

"After a fulfilling military career in service to our nation, I am honored and excited to join another distinguished team – The University of Tulsa – where I look forward to tackling another meaningful mission: the intersection of Oklahoma's technical workforce development and Tulsa's emerging technology ecosystem," Raduege said. "Our Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute looks forward to helping shape our nation's technological development, evolution and future."

SOURCE The University of Tulsa