2023 Penny Crane Award Recipient – Beth Rugg

Beth is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Client Engagement at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Her journey in the field of Information Technology (IT) started in 2001 at Ithaca College in Upstate New York, where she held various positions including Student Employee and Computer Lab Coordinator, Manager of User Support, and Assistant Director for Technology and Instructional Support Services. Before venturing into IT, Beth gained experience in the hospitality industry and Student Affairs. She holds a BS in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Beth stumbled into her IT career through the encouragement of friends. She first attended SIGUCCS in 2004 (Baltimore) and has attended every conference since. She attributes much of her career success directly to SIGUCCS. “SIGUCCS changed my life. It introduced me to a career path I never imagined. I met my dearest friends through SIGUCCS. Because of SIGUCCS, I have professional connections all over the world. I developed my speaking, facilitation, and presentation skills. I learned how to mentor and coach others. Since SIGUCCS relies on volunteers, it’s easy to get involved and make a difference if you are willing to say yes” 

Throughout the years, Beth has contributed to SIGUCCS in various capacities, including writing and reviewing papers, presenting, serving on the program committee, and the awards committee, and leading Newcomers sessions. Notably, she served as the Program Director for the 2009 conference in St. Louis and held the position of Board-appointed Professional Development Coordinator from 2011 to 2016. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in establishing the SIGUCCS mentoring program, which positively impacted more than 150 lives over eight years.

Beth champions service and support. She is also active in Educause and has been a Senior Director Program faculty member since 2018.  She is a capable, compassionate leader who strives to design simple solutions to meet complex needs. She likes to stay busy and adores her children and grandbabies. She loves to travel and read and is always up for a new adventure. Her favorite mantra is “All who wander are not lost”. 

“Receiving this honor is the highlight of my career. I didn’t intend to do anything extraordinary, I genuinely like people and making connections, and I enjoy donating my time and skills to an organization I believe in. I guess over time all those little decisions can make a difference”