Office of Project Management & Strategic Consulting
The Office of Project Management and Strategic Consulting supports Tulane’s administrative units by providing consultation and expertise for major initiatives and change efforts.
- Strategic Planning: Assist in bench marking, establishing goals, identifying the actions needed for transformation, and methods for determining success.
- Portfolio Management: Help units to identify and prioritize needs in order to focus on the right set of programs and projects at the right time.
- Project Management: Deliver expertise and support to ensure that projects are executed successfully, within budget and on schedule.
- Change Management: Provide guidance and support in navigating and communicating change.
- Process Improvement: Work with units to identify opportunities to optimize services, eliminate waste, and increase value.
- Support a Community of Practice: Develop skills within the Tulane community through building partnerships, sharing knowledge, and by providing training, tools, and templates.
Who We Are
Assistant Vice President of Project Management & Strategic Consulting
Jai Shankar
Jai Shankar joined Tulane in May 2019 as the Assistant Vice President of Project Management and Strategic Consulting. A newly created department, this office supports and explores many of the initiatives charged by the Office of the COO.
Jai spent much of his career in Higher Education leading strategic, operational and technology transformations, with experience in the fields of Finance, Human Resources, Facilities, Student Accounts, Grants Management, Financial Aid and Enrollment Management. Prior to joining Tulane, Jai was with the Middlebury College for 15 years where he took on various responsibilities. He was a member of the due diligence team that resulted in a merger with the Monterey Institute (now called Middlebury Institute) in CA. After the merger, Jai spent six years at the Middlebury Institute where he oversaw Finance, Budget and Planning, HR, Facilities and Business Services.
Jai is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a degree in Economics, and a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University with a Master’s in Organizational Leadership.
Director of Organizational Change
John Patrick
John Patrick joined Tulane in September 2021 as Director of Organizational Change. John has over 25 years’ experience working with leaders at all levels on strategy, transformational change, internationalization, and leadership development. Prior to joining Tulane, he worked at University of California Berkeley Global/Extension as Director of Strategy and Partnerships. John has also led a wide variety of strategy and change projects for leading organizations such as Disney, The BBC, Deloitte, PwC Consulting, IBM, BP, Bertelsmann, Ericsson, and Verizon. Earlier in his career, John was selected as a Presidential Fellow, serving in the US Treasury Department. His experience includes almost two decades working overseas, and he is fluent in French. John is a graduate of Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and a Master of Arts in International Policy Studies. He earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Current Responsibilities:
- Organizational change across the department’s project portfolio, including initiatives such as the migration of Tulane's core IT systems to the cloud; the implementation of Prosci change management methodology across the university; new processes and system for grants lifecycle management; Anaplan implementation, among others.
Senior Project Manager
Christi Longlois
Christi Longlois joined the Project Management and Strategic Consulting Office in May 2021 as a Senior Project Manager. Christi has over 20 years of experience at Tulane University, including advising, graduate admissions, and information technology application training. Prior to her current role, she was a Project Manager in Tulane’s Information Technology department, where she helped implement the COVID testing program for the Tulane community. Christi has volunteered at many New Orleans area non-profits, including completing a year with Americorps. Christi earned a master’s degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Historical Archeology at University of Arkansas.
Current Responsibilities:
- Grant Lifecycle Management
- PCI/DSS Compliance
Digital Communications Coordinator
DeVaughn Myers
DeVaughn Myers joined the Project Management and Strategic Consulting Office in September 2023 as a Digital Communications Coordinator. Prior to his current role, he was a Digital Communications Coordinator in Campus Services and a Program Coordinator in the Anesthesiology department at Tulane, where he managed their website and medical student clerkship. DeVaughn is a graduate of Dillard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications. He earned his Master of Science in Marketing and Communications degree at Loyola University New Orleans. In his free time, he enjoys fine dining and live music.
Current Responsibilities:
- Managing department website
- WaveWorks! project website
WaveWorks (Oracle Cloud Transformation Initiative) Program Management
Sridhar Ramakrishnan
Sridhar (Sri) Ramakrishnan is experienced in providing strategies and oversight for digital transformation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) programs in compliance with the Oracle Cloud Implementation Methodology and best practices using Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). He has over 25 years of experience in both professional consulting services & end client PMO organizations. Sri believes in a strong program governance model which provides a risk-averse framework for efficient, effective decision-making & delivery management focused on achieving program goals.
In working with senior leadership, Sri has gained proficiency in transforming leadership vision and strategic initiatives into actionable programs, projects, assisting PMOs in evaluating, developing project roadmaps based on the leadership vision, goals and priorities.
Sri lives in Northern California with his wife, enjoys music and exploring the bay area backroads.
Current Responsibilities:
- WaveWorks(Oracle Cloud Transformation Initiative) Program Management
