Rate My Professor Wallace Chase

Wallace Chase serves as Head of IT Infrastructure at the University of Otago, where he also acts as the NeSI Site Manager (Otago). In this capacity, he leads a team responsible for the university's computing systems, storage solutions, telecommunications, networking, data centres, and physical infrastructure including fibre, cabling, and WiFi networks. The team manages over 6,500 wireless access points, over 1,000 switches and routers, advanced high-performance computing (HPC) facilities, over 40PB of storage, and many other large enterprise and research systems supporting the University of Otago. Chase is a member of the University's eResearch Advisory Group (eRAG), providing strategic input on eResearch matters. Under his leadership, notable initiatives include the massive Wi-Fi upgrade announced in March 2023, which supports greater speeds and more concurrent users; the award-winning cutting-edge XGS-PON network rollout in 2024 capable of high-speed downloads; the Digital Workspace Programme (OUDW) in 2025, which achieved high staff satisfaction; the IT internship programme started in 2022, offering full-time work experience to business students and pathways to jobs; and the adoption of Datagrid's Southland data centre in 2022 to enhance storage capabilities.

Bringing over 20 years of extensive experience across five universities—Clemson University, Washington State University, George Washington University, Lake Superior State University, and Black Hawk College—and various non-profit institutions in diverse technology roles, Wallace Chase is a dedicated advocate for technology in education and research. He has made significant contributions to the operation of several HPC and supercomputer centres, particularly Palmetto at Clemson University and Kamik at Washington State University. Furthermore, he has held positions with key technology-focused research entities, including the National Science Foundation (US), Internet2 (US), and REANNZ (Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand), and served as CEO of the Carolina Research and Education Network (CLight).