What do you do? 

As the Information Resources Manager at the iSchool, I oversee the “face” of our IT group: help desk, course support, and instructional technology. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and creating strong relationships with our community members.

What originally attracted you to your role here? 

I’m a townie, but had been living out of state for many years. When I saw the opening at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, it sounded perfect—support of students, staff, and faculty in a number one ranked school. When I came to interview I was blown away by the organization and all the people I met. I’ve been here almost twenty years, so I guess I my initial impressions were accurate.

Have you read/watched/listened to anything interest lately that you’d recommend? 

Recently I’ve been reading some light-hearted mysteries that I picked up from the book cart at the Stephens Family YMCA. They’re perfect for a quick escape from reality. With it being so cold out, who doesn’t want to get cozy and read?!

Is there a particular skill or area of expertise that you’re looking to develop further? 

One thing that I love about my job is that there’s always something new to learn about. Although Asana is not new, it’s new to me and I’m excited to learn more about how to leverage it in my daily work. If anyone has any tips/tricks to share, please let me know!

Have you had any mentors or role models who have influenced your career path? 

I feel incredibly fortunate to have had many fabulous role models along the way. Some provided direct guidance, and some I learned a lot from by simply paying attention to how they handled things: respect for everyone they interacted with, and ways to show appreciation to colleagues quickly come to mind.

What’s your favorite way to relax after a long day or week? 

Board games and regular exercise help me to relax, but for something extra special I love to hike. There are so many great state parks in Illinois and nearby in Indiana.

What’s one thing you think your team/department does really well? 

My team excels at customer service. We do a great job of getting to the core question that’s being asked, and answering that question as well as the probable follow-up questions that will arise. I’ve heard many times over the years that people who have moved to other organizations desperately miss the help desk—they miss the quick, friendly, non-judgmental support that we provide.

What’s your favorite part about working here? 

For the iSchool: the people I work with are hard working, smart, and fun to work with, so that makes coming to work easy. I also love that my work covers a broad spectrum of topics and that I get to regularly learn new skills. For the University: I love the collaborations that happen across campus. Huge shout out to all the IT pros on campus.