Spencer R. Pruitt, PhD

Spencer R. Pruitt serves as Chief Information Officer at Harvard Medical School (HMS), where he leads the institution’s technology strategy, overseeing critical areas such as IT operations, information security, technology infrastructure, business systems architecture, and education and research technology. His work focuses on advancing high-performance computing, secure research environments, and innovative IT solutions to support administrative efficiency and the school’s mission in biomedical research and medical education.

Before joining HMS, Spencer held several leadership roles in higher education IT. As Associate Vice President of Academic and Research Technologies at Northeastern University, he led efforts to modernize IT infrastructure, enhance academic technology services, and develop a Secure Data Enclave for sensitive research data. He also oversaw the university-wide transition to the Canvas learning management system.

Previously, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Spencer served as Interim Director of Academic and Research Computing, where he upgraded high-performance computing clusters, optimized data storage solutions, and co-developed compliance strategies for data security and management. His work strengthened research capabilities and improved user engagement across disciplines.

Spencer’s career began in computational science, focusing on electronic structure methods and large-scale supercomputing. At Argonne National Laboratory, he co-led projects utilizing millions of core hours to study molecular systems, developing novel algorithms for optimizing supercomputer performance. His deep expertise in high-performance computing and scientific computing continues to inform his leadership in advancing research technology.

Spencer holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Iowa State University, where his research emphasized scalable fragmentation methods and ab initio molecular dynamics. He remains committed to fostering innovation, empowering teams, and leveraging technology to drive scientific and academic excellence.