Rob Groome

Rob Groome is a transformational technology executive with more than 25 years of experience leading information technology, cybersecurity, and research computing at the intersection of academia, defense, and innovation. Known for building and developing high-performing teams and for a collaborative leadership style that unites technical and academic stakeholders around a shared vision, Rob pairs deep research understanding and enterprise security expertise with the people-first leadership that turns strategy into results, advancing institutional capability, organizational alignment, and long-term growth.

Rob's more than two decades at USC reflect a steady progression of increasing scope and impact. He joined the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) as IT Manager in 2001, where he architected the institute's technology infrastructure and pioneered the implementation of NIST 800-171 controls for defense research contracts establishing ICT as a national model for secure academic research environments. Promoted to Director of IT, he spent 17 years building world-class research computing capabilities and mentoring the technical teams behind them. From 2018 to 2021, he was selected to lead USC's university-wide Security Operations Team within Information Technology Services, where he assembled and led an enterprise security organization that protected data assets across every USC campus and research center while preserving the academic freedom and velocity essential to world-class research.

In 2021, Rob brought his expertise to the private sector as Head of IT and Information Security Officer at BlueOcean, a San Francisco–based brand tech AI company, where he gained firsthand insight into rapid scaling, agile security, and AI-driven operations. He returned to USC ICT as Chief Information Officer in 2023, leading integrated IT and facilities operations in support of cutting-edge research spanning academia, defense, and innovation. Under his leadership, ICT became one of the first 366 organizations nationwide, and first University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), to earn early-adopter CMMC Level 2 certification through C3PAO assessment in October 2025, positioning the institute at the forefront of defense research compliance.

As Chief Technology Officer for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Rob will lead technology strategy and operations across the Viterbi and Stevens portfolio, spanning campus, the Information Sciences Institute (ISI), and ICT. He will oversee research computing, enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity and compliance, academic and desktop support, the Distance Education Network (DEN), and the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, while building and empowering the teams that deliver them. With a rare blend of academic insight, startup agility, and enterprise-grade security expertise, paired with a proven ability to lead people through change, Rob is uniquely positioned to guide both Schools through a rapidly evolving technology landscape while empowering their communities to continue the groundbreaking work for which they are known.