By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief
Vice President of Information Technology Rod Tosten ’85, who is set to retire at the end of this semester, will be succeeded by Gavin Foster who will take over under the title Chief Information Officer. Additionally, John Whitehouse, who works as the College’s data and software architect, will take on the role Director of Data Systems.
The transition was announced in a campus-wide email sent by President Bob Iuliano on Wednesday afternoon. The structure of the IT department will also change when Tosten retires. The department will be “structured within the finance and administration division, with Gavin Foster reporting directly to Mike Coyne, Vice President of Finance and Administration,” Iuliano wrote.
Foster has worked at the College since 2005, serving as Director of Institutional Technology and Training before taking over as Associate Vice President of Information Technology.
Foster has previously led three departments at the College: educational technology, infrastructure, and computing and data systems. Iuliano wrote that Foster has overseen “major systems implementations; driven policies and procedures around information security, inclusion and belonging within IT systems; and helped to increase the efficiency of numerous departmental and institutional processes.”
Whitehouse has worked at the College since 2010.
“John [Whitehouse] has worked in data systems for more than a decade, and he has brought expertise gained from his years in military service and the corporate sector to strengthen the department. John has long been a respected leader in IT, coordinating the College’s data architecture and managing multiple complex and mission-critical projects,” wrote Iuliano.
Rod Tosten ’85 will retire at the end of 2024 (Photo courtesy Gettysburg College)
Tosten’s retirement was announced this past June. He has worked at the College since 1990, helping to found the computer science department in 1999. Additionally, Tosten was vital to the implementation of the College’s online summer courses and January Term programs, as well as the master’s in American history program. Tosten has also been working on the ongoing Wi-Fi upgrades.
When Iuliano announced Tosten’s retirement back in June, he praised Tosten’s decades of work, writing, “His can-do attitude, his belief in this institution, his willingness to evolve and adapt and his ability to innovate by finding connection points across disparate fields of study are qualities I hope each of us can continue as part of his enduring legacy.”
Concluding the announcement, Iuliano expressed his confidence in Foster and Whitehouse as they prepare to take on their new roles.
“Both Gavin [Foster] and John [Whitehouse] are well-positioned to lead the information technology team into the future. Please join me in thanking Gavin and John for taking on additional responsibilities, and to Rod [Tosten] for his outstanding service to Gettysburg College over the past 35 years. I look forward to sharing more information about a celebration of Rod’s service in the weeks ahead,” concluded Iuliano.
