The University of Florida’s College of Engineering lost a luminary in October, as Rhonda Holt (BSCS ’86) passed away at the age of 60.
A graduate of UF’s Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Holt spent most of her career with giants in the technology fields (Sun Microsystems, Dell, IBM). She led innovations at Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS), including the online experience now known as NCAA March Madness Live. Most recently, she served as chief technology officer at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Born in 1954 in Columbia, South Carolina, Holt grew up in Georgia and later moved to Gainesville, where she attended middle and high school. After graduating from Buchholz High School in 1983, she was accepted into UF. She earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1986 and immediately joined IBM, thus beginning her storied professional career.
In 1996, Holt left IBM for a position at Sun Microsystems and subsequently took a position with Dell in 2004.
But it was at TBS, where Holt moved in 2006, that her unique skills and experience coalesced to an innovative a new technology. She pioneered the online delivery of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament — commonly known as March Madness — as part of her role overseeing all web-based products and operations.
Commonplace now, the combined streaming of matches from different broadcasters in real time and delivering them through a unified online platform was a breakthrough in technology and user experience. Holt left TBS in 2013, having risen to the rank of senior vice president of digital media and technology operations.
In 2016, after three years at a healthcare technology startup, Holt accepted a position at PBS as vice president of software development and operations, ultimately rising to become the chief technology office.