Bio – James Farmer
(Chairman )
Jim Farmer began his career in higher education as CIO for California State University Northridge, became the first CIO for the California State Universities, and subsequently CIO for the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento, California. He was one of the founders of Sigma Systems Inc., a U.S. software supplier for the financial aid community. For eight years he was an associate at the Harvard’s Graduate School of Education teaching information systems and strategic planning.
He also consulted for the U.S. Department of Education during their IT Modernization project.
He was project administrator for JA-SIG’s uPortal project and then Sakai Community Liaison. Now he is a researcher at instructional media + magic inc., Coordinator at Georgetown University and writes for Intellectual Property Magazine. He is Chairman of Sigma Group Inc. and its subsidiary Sigma Systems Inc.
Jim has a B.S. degree in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma, graduate studies at the University of Maryland and Boston University, an S.M. from Harvard University in applied mathematics, MBA from UCLA and Certificate in Mergers and Acquisitions from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
He authored an analysis of the economics of distance learning in the Johns Hopkins University Press book “Public Funding for Higher Education: New Contexts and New Rationales” and eLearning in Indiana University Press book “Privatization of Public Universities.”
A list of Jim’s publications can be found here.