Dayna Galganski’s personal goal is to bring together technology and human potential in the modern digital age. Currently, she works as IT project manager at the University of Florida (UF) Lastinger Center for Learning. Throughout her career, she has focused on how media and learning can facilitate academic innovation. With more than a decade of experience, she helps people and institutions embrace the many changes in technology.
Higher Education and Evolving Technology
Galganski holds a Master of Arts in political science and public affairs from the University of Florida in Gainesville and a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. She began her career in the fast-paced world of sports media and local news production, but she shifted toward higher education during graduate school. Her move led her to the University of Florida Information Technology (UFIT), where she helped launch initial offerings from UF Online.
In Galganski’s time at the UF Lastinger Center, enrollment increased significantly in just two years, during which she worked in roles ranging from multimedia and experience designer to overseeing content and day-to-day operations. Acting as a liaison between technical and program teams, she guides technology ecosystems, including learning management and student information systems, so they work together securely.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education
Driven by her desire to help others reach their full potential, Galganski credits her parents for instilling in her a professional mindset, a respect for structure and the courage to challenge rules if they cease to make sense. Her mindset was also shaped by her own history as a competitive athlete and a former member of Team USA, during which she was an amateur bowler.
Galganski sees the AI revolution in higher education as a “Red Sea moment.” She questions how higher education is responding to the many dilemmas caused by artificial intelligence. “What is work, what is the value of a degree and what are we actually providing to people?” Her areas of concern include the lack of clear institutional AI policies in education, the risks that surround ungoverned procurement and the need for compliance and data protection as institutions move into a technically undefined future.
Additionally, Galganski is currently focused on finding a way to redefine education, including through strengthening relationships and teaching a system of lifelong learning. Her goal is to serve as a resource for institutions as they move forward while also focusing on the personal growth of the students and colleagues she works with.
Beyond the Classroom
Outside her work, Galganski is the founder of the Seven Ten Strategy Group, an agency that helps institutions position for AI. She is also an advocate of data interoperability and serves on the Technical Steering Committee for the Institute for Infrastructure and Interoperable Data in Learning. She holds over 30 certifications from both the University of Pennsylvania and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).
Galganski’s background with Team USA still inspires her to pursue excellence, and her technical skills are often put to the test as she works on the mechanical restoration of her father’s 1985 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. As a form of creative expression, she enjoys exploring the world of graffiti and acrylic markers, and she always finds inspiration in the shared energy of live music.
