Dr. Ryan Knutson serves as the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Montana State University. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for the university’s information technology enterprise, including IT security, telecommunications, local and wide area networking, user services, infrastructure, institutional research, and research computing. His work supports the institution’s mission as a land-grant university and helps enable innovation, security, and collaboration across the Montana University System.
In addition to his role at Montana State, Ryan serves as President of the Northern Tier Network Consortium—a multi-state research and education network consortium that connects institutions across the northern United States to advanced national and international research networks. In this capacity, he works closely with regional and national partners to strengthen research connectivity, cybersecurity collaboration, and shared infrastructure initiatives.
Ryan began his career in higher education technology at South Dakota State University. He later served at Southwest Minnesota State University before returning to South Dakota State in 2010 as Manager of Information Security, followed by an appointment as Assistant Vice President. He went on to serve as Chief Information Officer for Sioux Falls School District, where he led districtwide technology modernization efforts, prior to joining Montana State University.
Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics, a master’s degree in Information Systems, and a doctorate in Adult and Higher Education.