Robert Lance Blevins is the Executive Director of the Office of Academic Computing Services (OACS) at the University of Maryland’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS). With a Master's degree in Information Technology Project Management and certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Robert brings over 10 years of experience in IT management, project leadership, and systems implementation.

Under Robert's leadership, OACS provides IT support for BSOS faculty, staff and students. The office is responsible for managing and delivering a range of cloud-based and on-premise technology services designed to support academic, research and administrative functions within the College. These services include, but are not limited to:

• High Performance Computing Cluster (BSWIFT II)
• Cloud-based JupyterHub and RStudio Environments
• Virtual Computer Lab and Desktop Access
• Virtual Server Hosting
• Exam Scanning
• Technology Purchase Consultations
• Computer Helpdesk Support
• Website and Web Application Hosting and Development

Robert’s team also manages and oversees a professionally managed data center on campus, as well as off-site rack space in a university-approved commercial data center.  His office is also responsible for a host of physical in-person computer labs used for instructional purposes.

Robert’s leadership ensures that the OACS team stays at the forefront of technology and innovation, offering tools and resources that support the diverse needs of the College's faculty, researchers, and students.

Maryland State Department of Human Services Partnership

Between 2009 and 2024, Robert also served as the Principal Investigator for sponsored research projects with the Maryland State Department of Human Services (DHS). The collaboration between BSOS and DHS had a profound impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the Maryland Child Support Administration's operations.

One of Robert’s major achievements was facilitating the development of a statewide mainframe overlay system, which operated in conjunction with the previous Child Support Enforcement System (CSES). This innovative overlay system streamlined and prioritized child support casework for child support employees, introducing much-needed transparency and accountability into the process. As a result, casework became more focused, with a goal of reducing the time required to distribute financial support to parents.  Robert also managed the creation of both file room management and Interstate case tracking systems.  Together, these systems benefited departmental process flow and helped maintain operational accountability during the collaboration period.

An additional team of Robert’s formerly dedicated & talented staff provided both helpdesk support and server management for Maryland State child support employees for well over a decade.  These partnerships along with major data cleanup initiatives in addition to a comprehensive training program Robert oversaw made decided impacts within the Maryland State child support program which jointly benefited both Maryland taxpayers and the DHS workforce.

More information regarding the Maryland DHS collaboration can be found here.