Suggestions
Jeffrey Lancaster
Curious thinker and doer, technologist, and educator
Jeffrey Lancaster is a Senior Account Manager for Higher Education and Research at NVIDIA, based in New York, NY, USA.4 He began this role in November 2023.3 Prior to his current position, Lancaster has held various roles in the education and technology sectors, including serving as a Chief Innovation and Technology Strategist for Higher Education and a Senior Higher Education Strategist.2
He has a strong background in technology and education, having previously worked as an Education Strategist at Dell Technologies. In this role, he focused on leveraging technology to enhance educational experiences and outcomes.15 Lancaster's career also includes experience as the Emerging Technologies Coordinator at Columbia University Libraries, where he supported research and learning needs in science and engineering.1
Jeffrey Lancaster holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Art History, and Sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis. He also earned a Master of Science in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University.1
Highlights
3 months ago, I reached out to my network for help. I didn't know where I'd land, but I hoped the right thing would be out there and that you'd help me find it.
I'm thrilled to share that I started today as a Senior Account Manager for Higher Education and Research at NVIDIA! In this role, I get to continue working with the research community to accelerate the science that will impact human life.
Many of you have provided guidance, advocated for me, and have introduced me to your network, and I'm so, so grateful. I'd like to call out a few people who really pushed me in the direction that ended up being right for me.
- Howard Gray: your brain is a mirror that clarifies what it reflects; thank you for being willing to be a sounding board and for distilling my early-stage braindump into something actionable
- Adam Garry: thank you for always looking out for your team; even if we aren't co-employed, the culture you fostered and the team you built will persevere
- Jennie Taylor Tucker: from one pivoter to another, thank you for sharing your journey and enthusiasm with me
- Sharon Sputz and Emily Hostage: you both challenged me to think beyond the industry-academic binary, and you went out of your ways to look out for my next step; thank you both, and I look forward to continuing to work with each of you
- Dan Jenkins and Holly Foskett: thank you each for sharing the view from your side of the table and for letting me pick your brains about what you're seeing at the line between industry and academia
- Josh Greenberg: you validated that I was on the right path, and I always appreciate the depth and breadth of your mental landscape
- Ross Neumann and Brian Dell: thank you both for giving me a window into your world of innovation
- Ashley Goodrich-Mahoney: thank you for introducing me to Jake! and Jake Hirsch-Allen: it's great to connect with a like-minded polymath and I can't wait to see what you do next.
- Ronak Shah, Eliot Eshelman, Steve Niemi, and the whole team at Nvidia: I'm so excited to be an Nvidian, and I can't wait to see what comes next!
And if I can ever be of help to you - to bounce ideas around, to reframe your journey, or to make connections - please don't hesitate to reach out?
As my 3.5 years at Dell come to a close, I recognize how fortunate I've been to weather the pandemic with a team of curious learners whose passion for education has been truly inspirational. I've built friendships with colleagues and customers, and in leaving, I can look back and recognize the impact we've made within Dell, at our customer institutions, and in Higher Education as a whole.
A few thank yous... Thank you Adrienne Garber for entertaining my initial interest in the role - we finally got to work on the same team! I'm so grateful to Adam Garry for creating such an incomparable team culture - you've set the bar impossibly high for what comes next. I'm thankful for my work-twin Danielle Rourke, my work-buddy Jeremiah Okal-Frink, and my data-buddy Matthew Dascoli - you've all taught me so much and I still expect us to bounce ideas off each other. I'm indebted to each of them and the fantastic braintrust of our other team members, past and present: Hernan Londono, Ph.D., Katina Papulkas, Chris Wessells, Tara N., Kendall Latham, Suzanne Newell, Ed.D., Nekia Becerra, JD Stumpf, Kelsy Quinn, Thomas Osmun, Cari Warnock, M.Ed, and Dr. Audrey Hovannesian, CCTO. Thank you also to Leslie Harlien for your unwavering support and professionalism.
Though I'm not sure where I'll land just yet, I ask to lean on you, my network. I don't make sense on paper and I rely on people who know me and the work I've done to be my advocates: if you see a role that you think might be a good fit for me, or if you have a sticky problem that's just off-beat enough, please do reach out to let me know? Even if it isn't the right fit or the right timing, you know I love a good problem to solve, a process to streamline, and dots to connect.
More soon...
