Biography
Brian Morgan is a senior academic leader, Chief Data Officer, and higher education analytics expert with more than two decades of experience driving data-informed decision-making at Marshall University. He currently serves as Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning, where he leads the university’s enterprise data strategy, analytics modernization, and institutional reporting ecosystem.
Over the past several years, Brian has led a comprehensive transformation of Marshall’s data and analytics infrastructure. Under his leadership, the university has implemented a fully home-grown data lake and modern semantic layer, supporting more than 200 Power BI dashboards used by executive leadership, deans, cabinet members, and operational units. These dashboards span enrollment, retention, student success, finance, human resources, facilities utilization, IPEDS reporting, and strategic initiatives such as Marshall for All. This environment has replaced fragmented legacy reporting with a scalable, governed, and decision-ready analytics platform.
Brian is also the architect of MU BERT, Marshall’s original enterprise business intelligence system, which served as the university’s primary real-time reporting platform for nearly two decades. His work on MU BERT laid the foundation for today’s modern analytics stack and reflects a long-standing commitment to building practical, sustainable solutions tailored to higher education.
In addition to technology leadership, Brian plays a central role in institutional governance and strategy. He leads data governance initiatives focused on data quality, lineage, privacy, and responsible use of analytics, and regularly supports board-level, cabinet-level, and accreditation reporting. His work frequently informs budgeting, staffing models, program viability, enrollment forecasting, and student success interventions.
Brian’s administrative experience spans multiple roles, including Interim Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair, faculty member, Director, and institutional research leader. As Interim Dean of the College of Science, he led a successful administrative reorganization, optimized budget allocation, helped secure more than $8 million in external funding, and established durable governance structures and policies. As Associate Dean, he launched Marshall’s electronic promotion and tenure system—now used university-wide—and advanced efforts toward a paperless, process-driven administrative environment.
Brian holds a Master of Science in Technology Management from Marshall University with a focus on software engineering. His master’s thesis, “Is Distance Learning Worth It? Helping to Determine the Costs of Online Courses,” examined the financial and operational implications of online education. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics, also from Marshall University.
Known for blending technical depth with institutional pragmatism, Brian is widely regarded as a leader who translates complex data into actionable insight. His work continues to strengthen Marshall University’s capacity to use data responsibly, efficiently, and strategically in support of students, faculty, and long-term institutional success.