Arizona State University: ASU Chief Operating And Digital Transformation Officer Recognized By Technology Magazine

Press release from Arizona State University:

Tristan Ettleman

March 30, 2021

During this year's Women's History Month, departments across Arizona State University rallied in celebration and recognition of women's accomplishments, both on and off campus. From explorations of women’s movements that may save the world to discussions of women’s health issues, women across ASU are making a difference.

For fields like IT, research shows "women make up 47% of all employed adults in the United States but hold only 25% of computing roles," making the need for celebrating and recognizing women's accomplishments in the field of technology and beyond all the more important.

UTO Chief Operating and Digital Transformation Officer Jess Evans.
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To that end, ASU congratulates Jess Evans, the chief operating and digital transformation officer for the University Technology Office, who has been named as one of the Top 100 Women in Technology by Technology magazine.

Prior to joining ASU, Evans had a proven track record as a senior information technology executive with strong global and regional experiences within multiple sectors like finance, insurance, consulting, education and health care. She now joins 99 other women as one of the forces for changemaking in various technology fields across the world.

Here she talks about what means to be a woman in higher education and IT.

Question: To begin, what does it mean to you to be named one of the Top 100 Women in Technology by Technology magazine this year?

Answer: This recognition points to a monumental shift within my career. In fact, I can clearly recall feeling ecstatic upon learning that I was even nominated for the Top 100 Women in Technology in the world! I was informed that the final results would come out on March 8, in honor of International Women's Day, and it’s still sinking in that I made the list — it's such an honor and I am humbled by the list and who is on it; to be among such giants is incredible.

Q: How have you seen women’s roles in technology industries change over the course of your career?

A: The trajectory of women engagement and involvement in the technology field has grown at a snail's pace compared to the trajectory of growth within the field itself. However, in the last few years, with technology spreading into many facets of every industry, it affords an opportunity for everybody to work with technology in various disciplines. Opposed to traditional technology jobs that were previously only the purview of the “IT department,” it has really become more blended across all of the functions, providing more opportunities for many in the technology field. 

However, for women in technology who seek to be leaders in this field, there are still barriers that must be overcome. I believe if we continue to break down barriers of entry for everyone — not just women — that's how we will find more opportunity. We really need to start looking at holistic hiring practices, not just the traditional way we've approached staffing. Diversity of thought in the room is key. In order for the tech industry to keep up with that technology growth curve, diversity of thought is an enabler to innovation and growth, elements needed to keep up with that technology trajectory.

Q: How can allyship bring women into leadership roles they have historically been kept away from?

A: Allies are key to success. Does that mean you need to have a mentor? Maybe. Does that mean you should have a coach? Probably. Does that mean that you should have peers and colleagues that you respect and can have a difficult conversation with? Absolutely.

You need to align yourself with people who are going to help you, challenge you and grow with you because that is what leads you to success. You can't be adaptable without the help of allies, and so I say they are a critical component to any individual success, but absolutely necessary for leadership success.

Q: What advice would you give to other women in IT — be they students, in their early career or later in their career — who see your accomplishment as one of their goals as well?

A: Work-life balance is crucial for any up-and-coming technology professional because ingenuity and innovation happen when the doors for it are open. However, those doors will not be open very long. You need to have a solid understanding of how much time and personal investment you can make to advance your professional goals.

Additionally, you must be willing to take calculated risks and make decisions quickly. The pace of new technology in the market is overwhelming, and working in the field is no different. Technology leaders must not only understand the nuances of the services, they must understand how those services impact customers, other systems and many other factors. 

Having the right technical knowledge and the emotional and social skills to drive results is key to helping drive technology teams.

Q: Through the lens of one of the Top 100 Women in Tech, can you reflect on Maya Angelou’s quote, “Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better”? What might that mean for women in the technology fields?

A: In order to do your best, you must put your best self forward at all times. I believe Maya Angelou’s quote speaks to this approach. With the ever changing solutions available in the technology sector, it is imperative to remain flexible and open-minded in your work. When Angelou says, “do the best you can until you know better,” she's absolutely right. 

As a woman, you keep doing what you're doing, arm yourself with current knowledge and if you become aware that a pivot is needed, do it swiftly and decisively. Stand strong in your goals and if you need to pivot because you become aware of a better way, make the change without hesitation and keep moving forward. 

Erika Araiza has a passion for helping others, especially those within her community.

For a little over a year, Araiza has been helping out with the American Dream Academy, an Arizona State University program that aims to provide support to the families of students who would be first-generation college students.

Erika Araiza (left) is recognized for her service to ASU alongside Iduvina Palafox.
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These families attend an eight-week educational program where they learn about how to prepare, pay for and support their students in a college career. The program is offered in Spanish in addition to English, helping to eliminate language barriers that may limit access to college readiness information for students and their families. 

Araiza helps to organize these events, welcoming students and their families while connecting them to resources in Spanish. Recently, Araiza volunteered her time at the Spanish session of the virtual Future Sun Devil Family Day, which was in part hosted by the American Dream Academy in the fall. 

This event was to help familiarize parents of young students with the college application process and options and resources for paying for college. Araiza first got involved with this program after a friend invited her to join her as a volunteer at one of the American Dream Academy events last year. 

“She encouraged me to be a part of this because I had the personality, and I work very hard in the Hispanic community,” Araiza said. “We know that once we have our people educated, they can make the right decisions and they can help build this world.” 

One thing Araiza prides herself on is involving her friends and family in nearly all the work she does. Araiza’s 7-year-old son, for example, helps his mom out wherever he can. He was even one of the participants in November’s Future Sun Devil Family Day.  

Araiza said that after the event, her son came out excited about ASU and even asked her to buy him an ASU T-shirt. 

“This program is wonderful for all the families who are looking to support their kids and give their students access to ASU,” Araiza said. “It provides a lot of information on how to go through that process and learn about resources like scholarships. It’s a lot of fun. It is very organized; I really enjoy it a lot.”

In addition to having her son in attendance at the event, prior to the pandemic Araiza would invite many of her friends to volunteer as well. 

“When I fall in love with a project, I want to share it. That’s my spirit, to help,” Araiza said. “All my friends were happy that they went because they also had students who were getting ready to start at ASU.”

In addition to volunteering with ASU, Araiza is very involved in her church community and nonprofits connected to her faith. When she is not volunteering, she works as an accountant.

Access ASU Assistant Director Christian Rosario said that support from community members such as Araiza is critical to bringing higher education access and resources to families.

“Erika Araiza has played an important role to increase the number of participants for the Future Sun Devil Family Day in the Mesa area,” he said. “As a respected member of her community and a representative of the Diocese of Phoenix, she was able to help families learn about the importance of higher education and about belonging to the ASU community.”  

If you’re interested in volunteering for Access ASU, call 602-496-1487. The next Future Sun Devil Family Day is on April 10; visit the website for the most up-to-date events. 

Stay in the know on Access ASU programs such as American Dream Academy, Future Sun Devil Family Day, Barrett Summer Scholars, Cesar Chavez Leadership Institute and other programs on the Access ASU website and social media in English and Spanish. 

Written by Marisol Ortega, ASU Student Life. Spanish-language reporting and translation done by Marisol Ortega. 

This press release was produced by Arizona State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.