Q: Can you describe the work you do here at LSA Technology Services?
A: In a nutshell, we pull data from many sources and visualize it into usable information to hopefully influence better business outcomes and decisions for units and teams across LSA.
Q: What is your background and how does it influence the work you do here?
A: I joined LSA in 2016, but have been with the university for 30 years now. My first day was in the summer of 1992 when I was hired as a mainframe programmer. I was fresh out of college and I thought I would get a few years of experience and leave. Then the client server and PC world came alive here and I stuck around. I implemented and administered the Mcard system back in the 1990s, and I’m sure there’s still some of my code running today. My work on Mcard allowed me to work with so many people within the university: Dearborn, Flint, Registrar's Office, HR, Student Life, Rec Sports, and Michigan Medicine—Imagine bringing all these organizations together in one system. After that, in the 2000s, I managed the technical team that transitioned the University’s administrative systems to PeopleSoft. That led me to working very closely with the reporting group in ITS. And working with them is kind of what brought me to LSA in the business intelligence area where I was able to create a small team that supports the college with reporting and analytics. Working with so many different groups on campus is really what influenced how I work today.
Q: What does a typical day look like in your position?
A: Our goal is to enable data-driven decisions. That means getting the right data in front of the right person at the right time and in the right process to allow someone to make a decision or take action. We get requests from the Dean’s Office, Academic Departments, and even internal to Technology Services. So, we have a variety of tasks that we might be working on at a given time. We might be running monthly reports that provide faculty their project/grant balances, doing a dashboard for the Dean’s office to aid in the faculty hiring process, or writing a report to aid in unlocking classroom doors after hours.
Q: Is there a new project or new innovation happening in your area that you’re excited about?
A: We are starting some conversations to understand how we might measure sustainability to help college efforts in meeting carbon neutrality goals. I think it would be a cool project—trying to figure out how we’re going to measure and capture data around energy, waste, and business travel. The result would be to hopefully have some goals to reduce the college’s carbon emissions. That seems like a rewarding effort.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: Being able to influence changes in business processes to utilize data or information that our users may not have even known was possible. Anytime we can help to make a process more efficient, or enable someone to get to a better decision is a great feeling.
Q: What would be something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
A: I do a lot of DIY items at home. I’ve built sheds and decks, and remodeled almost all of the rooms in our house. About six months ago I started two bathroom renovations at the same time, which I’m glad to say are both now complete. I like the challenge involved, especially as these projects have become more advanced and complicated. So, I’ve set a goal to build our own house one day. I probably won’t build the whole thing myself, but just being part of the construction process will be fun. Who knows, maybe it will lead to a second career someday.
Q: What do you like to do for fun outside of work?
A: My wife and I own a cabin in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We love to go there to hike and just be in nature. What I love about the area is that Gatlinburg is a tourist town. If you are in the mood for thousands of people and chaos, you can do that. But, when you are ready to experience nature, you can go two miles into the park, find a trailhead and only a few minutes later you are in a different world. It’s that world where I find my peace and solitude. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature seem enhanced when you are there—away from people and technology. We are always rewarded with a good adventure when we visit.
