From his work in the US Navy installing computer systems on combat ships, to overseeing information technology (IT) efforts at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center and teaching cybersecurity boot camps at the University of Michigan, Ken Bradberry brings 28 years of extensive expertise to Cleary as its new Associate Professor of Information Technology.
He joined the Cleary faculty in November 2024, and has been immersed in developing the curriculum and individual courses for the new Bachelor of Science degree programs in Information Technology and Healthcare Management that Cleary will begin offering this fall.
“We are pleased to have such a seasoned subject matter expert join Cleary and bring his diverse IT, healthcare management and cybersecurity skills to our students,” announces Douglas Stein, executive vice president and provost. “Our students truly will have an opportunity to learn from one of the best professionals in the industry.”
Bradberry’s professional and academic career began in the US Navy where he gained invaluable experience installing and supporting shipboard tactical systems. “While in the service, I was forward deployed to the Middle East, working in high-stress environments that honed my ability to perform under pressure,” he explains. “These skills later prepared me for my career in health care and cybersecurity.” Bradberry also completed extensive training in legal contracts and electronics, further broadening his expertise and laying the groundwork for his future endeavors.
After eight years in the Navy, he began a civilian career as an IT director and system engineer for Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn (now Corewell Health). He advanced rapidly in the industry to a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for a variety of organizations, including Xerox for 16 years where he developed technical and business strategies for the organization and led its healthcare shared services division for 13 years. His superiors at Xerox describe Bradberry as a “high energy, dynamic, results oriented professional with proven ability to ensure clients’ business requirements are met successfully. His expert knowledge in analytics and automation service environments drive transformation. He designs and leads best practices.”
Bradberry’s career continues with many “bests” and “firsts” in the IT industry. As Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for The HCI Group, he developed innovative strategies for clients’ IT roadmaps using emerging technologies such as BlockChain and AI, which automated workflow. As CTO at Healthcare IT Leaders in Georgia, he led cybersecurity efforts across the entire organization. He also was responsible for platform design, implementation and operations of a Contract Tracing case management call center design. As Chief Information Security Officer for INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma, Bradberry identified architectural and operational security vulnerabilities and developed immediate risk mitigation as well as future strategies to prevent information security breaches.
He also worked as Chief Information Security Officer for Secure BOT, where he was responsible for performing ransomware testing services to help prevent and detect cybersecurity events.
Prior to joining Cleary, Bradberry was Chief Technology Officer for vCISO Fortified Health Security where he was considered a “visionary, results driven leader” with a goal of bringing an organization closer to a fully defensible cybersecurity posture.
Bradberry continues to work part-time as a cybersecurity lead instructor for the University of Michigan Nexus Digital Skills Bootcamp. His classes are designed to prepare students for a career in cybersecurity.
He admits that most of his education initially was through certifications – a total of 38 in various areas of IT, cybersecurity, project management and healthcare management.
“I realized I needed a degree if I wanted to advance my career,” so Bradberry earned a BS with a focus on internetworking technology from Strayer University, an MS in Network Defense and Digital Forensics from Capella University, and is completing a doctorate in Information Technology with a concentration in information assurance and cybersecurity from Capella University.
“I am starting a new chapter in my life at Cleary,” Bradberry says when talking about accepting the full-time professor position at the university. “I’ve lived in Howell for many years and have driven by Cleary countless times, always thinking that someday I would work there.
“When I saw the job posting, I applied, and for the past few months, I had many conversations with Doug Stein about building the new BS degree programs at Cleary,” he explains. “I knew Cleary was the right move for me. The university believes in hiring professionals in their field of expertise. They want students to learn from subject matter experts in the industry who can share real world experiences. This is what drew me to Cleary.
“The programs we are developing here are not the traditional diploma mill certification classes,” he points out. “We are building programs from the ground up, based on what industries need.” He describes the work at Cleary as “very compelling.”
Bradberry already has written several classes, is heavily involved in designing the entire BS degree concentrations in IT as well as Healthcare Management, and is teaching an introduction to cybersecurity course this semester.
Through his 28 years of work in IT, he conducted a lot of hiring and staffing and knows what employers need in this field. “Cleary’s courses will match that demand,” he says. “Students will be prepared to jump into an organization and be successful because of the tools we are providing them. They will be ready to roll up their sleeves and do the work with competence and confidence. The Cleary Mind ™ approach along with the degree programs we are designing will be powerful tools for graduates,” he finds.
Bradberry points out how impressed he is with Cleary’s “non-robotic” instruction philosophy, he describes.
“I took many classes online,” he explains. “From my experience, students do not get a lot of support from instructors. They receive presentations and instructions but are left to figure it out on their own. At Cleary, no student is left behind. I value that philosophy. I am a firm believer that students should expect and deserve personalized instruction. Watching a 100-slide power point presentation is not going to make you marketable,” he asserts. “At Cleary, we maximize student time and build a foundation for them to be successful professionals.”
When asked what he brings to Cleary University, Bradberry quickly responds with one word: empathy.
“I understand a student’s journey because I lived it. I’ve been there, done that. I know the challenges students will face, and I know how to overcome them. I remember the beginnings of the internet, and I have been in the technology industry as it has evolved. I never was the smartest student, but I was determined to be successful. Never quit, never stop learning. Every failure is a learning opportunity,” he believes.
He finds cybersecurity a complex and extremely challenging field that requires expertly trained, educated and experienced pros. “Cleary is building the foundation for these leaders,” he finds. “Cybersecurity is an incredibly satisfying pursuit; you are protecting an organization, a company, an individual. It requires an incredible amount of training to get there, and Cleary is paving the way for these graduates to find meaningful work because they will have the skills employers need.
“I am excited to work with such a great team at Cleary.”
Bradberry reports to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Kelly Genei.
Cleary recently announced it expanded its BS degree offerings. Ken Bradberry has been instrumental in developing course curriculum.
The new degree programs are:
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a major concentration in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a major concentration in Cybersecurity
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a major concentration in Data Analytics
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a major concentration in Information Technology Management
- Master of Science in Management
Cleary chose information technology and healthcare management degree programs to reflect the growing demand in these industries.
“Our team continually monitors the job market so that we can offer programs that match what employers need,” says Dr. Stein. “In addition, a projected 30 percent increase in demand for higher education means universities not only must expand to meet this growing demand but also think differently about the degree programs we are offering and the future student population and what they are looking for,” he explains.
“The schools that will flourish are those that are responding to emerging expectations of their students,” adds Alan Drimmer, PhD, CEO of Cleary.
Cleary began offering its new degree programs this school year.
In addition to these new programs, the university launched a Bachelor of Business Administration program in Media Production Management a few months ago, also to meet the growing demand of the job market. This program, in partnership with Wayne Media Group of Brighton, focuses on the creative and managerial aspects of media production. Students will gain hands-on experience creating and managing audio and video content, with an emphasis on storytelling, project management, and the use of industry-standard tools and technologies. Cleary built a full-scale media production lab on the university’s campus where most classes will take place.
“When other colleges and universities are cutting back on programs, Cleary plans to continue growing our offerings,” Dr. Drimmer reports. “Our goal is to provide employers with future leaders who are fully prepared to enter the job market with in demand skills.”
