Liv Gjestvang

As Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Liv leads IT strategy with a focus on digital transformation and fostering positive team culture. She believes in putting people at the center of innovation and has championed inclusive, values-driven change throughout her career. A leader in AI innovation in higher education, Liv has hosted 4 national summits on AI and shaped Denison’s approach to human-centered AI innovation, career readiness, and operational effectiveness through emerging tech.

Before joining Denison, Liv spent fifteen years at The Ohio State University, including eight years as Associate Vice President for Learning Technology. There, she led the nationally recognized Digital Flagship initiative, launched the Affordable Learning Exchange, saving students more than $50 million in course materials, and co-authored the $13.5 million College Ready Ohio grant. Her work earned multiple honors, including Apple’s Distinguished Program designation and the New Media Consortium’s Center for Excellence Award in 2015 and 2019. She later joined Amazon Web Services’ Higher Education Strategy team, supporting institutions nationwide in advancing digital transformation.

Liv is a frequent speaker and writer on digital innovation and transformational leadership, with work cited internationally and a TED talk featured on TED.com. She has served in leadership and faculty roles in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and has received numerous national awards, including the 2017 EDUCAUSE Rising Star Award, 2022 AWS Think Big recognition, 2024 ORBIE Award for Ohio CIO of the Year, 2025 EDUCAUSE Organizational Culture Award, and is a 2026 Future15 honoree for advancing AI adoption in higher education. A certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation, Liv is passionate about supporting leaders at all stages of their journeys. She lives in Ohio with her partner and two children and enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, and great takeout.