Category: Member Profiles

What do you do?

I am a User Experience (UX) Liaison at Tech Services. I help units identify website needs, and help them transition to the Illinois Web Theme. This can involve a total website migration, content and information architecture strategies, usability assessments, identifying CMS tools, CMS training, accessibility training, all kinds of fun things!

What originally attracted you to your role here?

I have a pretty wide-ranging skill set, including customer service, web design and development, writing, marketing, research, business intelligence… UX lets me wear all the hats, and I get to work with really awesome campus clients.

What are you currently working on, and what do you enjoy most about it?

Our consulting team is currently working with Vet Med, Tech Services, College of Education, ISEE, and Uni High School. All very super cool peeps!

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

I’m addicted to a few podcasts (Morbid, Smartless, Wiser than Me, IHIP News, all the Last Podcast Network shows). Currently, I’m reading The Body Keeps the Score, Dopamine Nation, and H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories. Pluribus on Apple TV is dope!

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

A long swim, a walk with my tripod dog (Dr. Tre), playing with my cats, chickens, husband, family, and friends!

What do you do?

I lead the Data & Technology Innovation group within the Office of the CIO, Technology Services, which includes a team of data analysts & data engineers and the Service Intelligence team (who run Splunk and Nagios for monitoring and alerting). We consult with groups across campus to automate data flows in the cloud and prototype new technologies. Every project requires different tools and platforms, so we’re constantly learning new skills. Due to the flexibility and broad skills of my team, we support efforts that touch many corners of the university, including IHR and Strategic Marketing & Communications for Operational Excellence, the Alumni Association, Illinois App, GenAI Solutions Hub, cybersecurity initiatives, student success, research support, and more. With so many different engagements, I focus my efforts on clarifying requirements, facilitating discussions around difficult decisions, communication, and prioritization to keep projects moving forward. I am also actively involved in developing the data strategy at unit, campus, and system levels. In 2024 I was a the Technology and Operations subgroup lead for the Systemwide Data Strategy Task Force. 

What led you to this career?

I have had a very interesting career path that is both winding and clear (in hindsight). My undergraduate degree was in education, with a plan to become an elementary school teacher. Facing burn out two years into the profession, I pivoted to outdoor education which led to working in organic farming for 8 seasons. A cross-country move landed me a job at Yale University Library, which evolved into working in library IT. Moving to Illinois in 2015, I took a position leading international programs for a large engineering department, which gave me experience in student recruitment and academic advising, cross-institutional collaboration, and program management. The position enabled me to complete a Masters in Library Information Science degree at the iSchool, where I started down my current data and innovation path during a practicum project. Looking back at my winding path, the constants have always been curiosity, willingness to learn new skills, and data.

What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?

I have been told that I make people feel like I care (because I honestly do!) and I think that helps build trust, which enables us to problem solve at a deeper level. I am also skilled at collecting bits of information that enable me to make connections between people, efforts, and issues, and to synthesize that information into a clearer path forward. 

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

Recently, I’ve been taking a daily walk at sunset, and it really helps me reset and transition away from thinking about work. I’ve also become an avid Illini basketball fan over the last few years, which is a surprise to many who know me and my lack of sports ball knowledge.

Getting to know Amy Hovious

What do you do? 

Hi, I’m Amy Hovious, and I’m passionate about bringing people, technology, and ideas together to make a meaningful difference. As the Associate Director of Research Enablement, I have the privilege of leading a wonderful team that supports faculty, staff, and students by connecting them with tools, expertise, and opportunities to collaborate across campus. We focus on areas like research collaborative services, cloud enablement, regulated research support, and faculty engagement—all with the goal of making innovation easier and research workflows smoother. I’m deeply committed to servant leadership and a strengths-based approach, and I love finding human-centered solutions that help people grow, thrive, and make a lasting impact.

What originally attracted you to your role here?

I was drawn to my current role because it aligns with my passion for enabling collaboration and innovation in research. The opportunity to bridge technology with human-centered solutions really resonates with me, and I see the potential to make a meaningful impact by connecting people, tools, and ideas in ways that empower people at all levels.

What are you currently working on, and what do you enjoy most about it?

I’m currently working on strengthening our Research Technology Support Community to build a more sustainable research support ecosystem while also advancing cloud enablement strategies for all of campus. I’m also leading some outreach efforts to better align our services with faculty needs. What I enjoy most is seeing the direct impact of these projects—whether it’s helping researchers overcome barriers, fostering collaboration, or creating systems that make their work more efficient and innovative.

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

I’m particularly interested in honing my strategic planning skills, especially in the context of building sustainable ecosystems for research technology. I’m also expanding my skills in user experience and human-centered design, as I believe understanding how people interact with technology is key to creating solutions that truly serve their needs.

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

Absolutely. My father, who was a bricklayer, inspired me with his work ethic and ability to build something lasting from the ground up. In my career, I’ve also had mentors who’ve emphasized the importance of servant leadership and collaboration, shaping my approach to creating spaces where teams can thrive and innovate.

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

Our team excels at creating a collaborative environment where every voice is valued. We’re especially good at breaking down silos and ensuring that people have seamless access to the tools, expertise, and support they need to succeed. I’m consistently impressed by how well we work across teams to achieve shared goals.

What do you do? 

I manage the IT Partners at Education’s application development team, which supports the College of Education’s web and data needs. My role involves providing support to my team in various capacities, including project management, business analysis, and occasional coding for college-related projects.

What originally attracted you to your role here? 

I recently transitioned to this role to leverage my mentorship, leadership, and organizational skills to support IT staff in their projects and professional development goals. My aim is to ensure the success of students, staff, and faculty within the College of Education. I have found the College of Education and IT Partners at Education to be very supportive of my career goals, and I get to work with amazing colleagues who genuinely care about meeting the needs of their customers.

What are you currently working on, and what do you enjoy most about it? 

I am Co-Chairing the College of Education Course Accessibility Task Force. This role has given me the opportunity to get to know more faculty and staff in the college and understand the teaching side of things better. I am excited about the support we are receiving from college leadership to create support structures, trainings, and resources for course instructors to ensure course content is inclusive by default for those with disabilities. I enjoy teaching instructors about digital accessibility and showing them how slight adjustments to their content creation workflows can make a significant difference.

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

I recently read Beyond Leaning In: Gender Equity & What Organizations are Up Against by Melanie Ho, which I highly recommend. I found it very thought-provoking, with many “seen that” and “great idea” moments. The book discusses issues faced by those of us who have been leaning in for years, highlighting that some problems are systemic. It shifts the dialogue away from blaming women for not putting themselves out there and focuses on the systems and processes that create barriers instead. Shout out to WIT member Alice Jones for recommending it to me!

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

I don’t have just one favorite way to relax. I enjoy decompressing through reading, traveling, and spending time in nature. Lately, my spouse and I have been exploring different rail trails in Central Illinois. Our favorite so far is the Constitution Trail in Bloomington, which offers great options for a long bike ride with a break at a restaurant or brewery for lunch.

What do you do? 

I’m the Assistant Director for Networking at Technology Services on the Urbana campus. The three teams that make up Networking report to me, and I help them do strategic planning, budgeting, network-wide architecture, and generally try to get any roadblocks out of their way so they can run an awesome network for the campus. Networking builds and run the network that connects all the Urbana campus buildings to each other and the Internet, the campus WiFi, and the regional network that connects all of the campuses of the System together, as well as take care of the other necessary parts that let everyone use the network like DHCP, DNS, NTP, etc.

What led you to this career?

As an undergrad I was working for CSO (an old name for Technology Services) in the computer labs and repair shop. I met some of the network designers and started working in the Network Design Office as a student. When I graduated with my electrical engineering degree I stayed and worked for CSO for about a year until there was a position open in the Network Design Office, and started working there as a designer. I’ve been there every since, working for different parts of networking as a designer, network engineer, team lead of the networking engineering team, before getting my current position as Assistant Director of Networking.

What is something interesting that you enjoy doing outside of work that may surprise your colleagues?

I’m not sure how surprised people will be. I have a lot of hobbies, but the two that might be most surprising – I enjoy drumming (mostly djembe), and I teach Tae Kwon Do in the evenings and sometimes on weekends, I’m a 3rd degree black belt, and I’m starting to learn Haidong Gumdo, the Korean sword martial art.  I have a purple wooden practice sword.

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

Reading fun books or playing games (board, card, or video) are my way to relax.  Some favorites are Pokemon, Pikmin, and Zelda switch games.

What makes someone a good leader?

I think an important part of what makes someone a good leader is the ability to see the big picture of where things need to go and what needs to happen to get there while also being able to understand the people they are leading and see things from their perspective. 

What do you do?

The simplest way to put it is that I support enterprise teaching and learning tools, dominantly the Canvas learning management system. This tool is extremely important to our students and faculty as most of them will use it extensively to facilitate teaching and learning. 

What led you to this career?

I’d graduated with my MSW from UIUC’s School of Social Work, and I was having a lot of trouble finding safe and fulfilling work in that field. The jobs I held post-graduation were high-burnout and low-impact and I was miserable. I had heard through a friend about a part-time job on campus supporting the Moodle learning management system, specifically staffing a live chat system during off-hours. Very shortly thereafter, Illinois started its relationship with Coursera (I still have a newspaper clipping my grandmother sent me asking me if I was involved in “this MOOC business”) and there was suddenly a lot of work to be done. I really enjoyed the work because it was creative, it supported important work others did, and the results and gratitude were really uplifting. 

What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why? 

I am a problem solver and I don’t have a huge attachment to “how we’ve always done it”. This creates an enthusiasm for new ideas, new ways of doing things. I’m also open to trying things that might not work. I’d rather fail and try something else the next time than stagnate. I suppose that’s not a single trait, but it all adds up to being a good partner in innovation. 

What is something interesting that you enjoy doing outside of work that may surprise your colleagues?

I don’t know about interesting or surprising, but I love to roller skate, paint, and read science fiction. Lately my hobbies have mostly been following what my kids are up to but that works out well because they’re really cool people. 

If you had a whole day to do anything you wanted, what would you do?

I’d go to the forest. I grew up in a place where I could hike alone for miles right outside my back door and I miss that. I prefer living in town because of the social aspect and the convenience, but there is something sort of magical about solitude in nature. 

What makes someone a good leader?

Humility and empathy are extremely important to me in a leader. A lot of folks believe that leading is having all the ideas yourself and pushing your perspective onto others. The best leaders support others, both in terms of supporting their ideas and their projects but also supporting them to lead full lives outside of work.

The Women in Technology Group is thrilled to have Priya Ravi joining our leadership team and also becoming one of UIUC’s representatives for the Big Ten Academic Alliance Women in Technology group!

What do you do?

I am a Lead Quality Analyst in Technology Services. Our QA team evaluates the functionality of the software. In addition to it, we validate the software’s accessibility, adhering to guidelines such as WCAG. And we conduct thorough usability evaluations, aiming to optimize the end-user experience and enhance overall software usability.

I am also on the WIT leadership team and the IT Caffeine Break planning committee. I recently joined UIUC Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) WIT Representative.

What led you to this career?

I started my career as a Software tester intern. Despite exploring other fields within the vast landscape of IT, my journey ultimately led me back to Quality Assurance (QA). With a broader perspective and a more well-rounded skill set, I gained a diversified skill set that complemented my QA expertise. Continuous learning and staying updated with the latest advancements in automation have been integral to my growth, allowing me to adapt and implement cutting-edge solutions in diverse project environments.

As I continued on my QA path, I dedicated time to learning about accessibility and usability, further enriching my understanding of creating robust and user-friendly software.

What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?

Continuous learning is an essential key to personal and professional growth. A constant learning mindset enhances expertise and opens doors to new opportunities and broader horizons. It is a dynamic process that empowers individuals to stay relevant, navigate challenges, and reach their full potential.

What makes someone a good leader?

A good leader actively listens attentively, valuing diverse perspectives and fostering a sense of inclusivity within a team. This skill enhances communication and builds trust, creating a positive and cooperative work environment.

What is something interesting that you enjoy doing outside of work that may surprise your colleagues?

I thoroughly enjoy traveling and exploring new places with my family.

What do you do? 

Serving as the Chief Information Security Officer for UIUC is exciting and challenging.  With my fantastic staff, I have the opportunity to make strategic and tactical decisions about reducing risks to the privacy and security of institutional data as well as personally identifiable information for individuals in our community.  We do so through a variety of identity management, privacy and cybersecurity tools that protect technology assets, data, and people.  There are always new risks, so our work and the tools we use change over time.

What led you to this career?

Serendipity.  I was working in technology and finishing law school, looking for a way to combine my interest in both. Information security was just coming to light on the heels of early Internet worms and viruses.  It seemed like an opportunity to leverage my skills and learning and help start a new area of concentration.  I applied for a job, with no idea how big the need and the field would become.

What’s a song or type of music you listen to puts you in the best mood and why?

 Beastie Boys, generally Ill Communications and License to Ill albums

What makes someone a good leader?

A well-roundedness and the ability to leverage skills, experience, discussions, and education for any task

Where do you have the most impact?

Serving as a woman leader and skilling leaders up.  When I joined the CIC (predecessor to the BTAA) in 1998, there were more female leaders in information security than there are now in the BTAA.  That is a sad track record for diversity in this field.   It’s important that I’m there, that I represent and serve as a role model, and that I help to grow the next generation of leaders.

Women in Technology is thrilled to welcome Gen Schmitt to the Leadership Team! She will also be one of the campus representatives for the Big Ten Academic Alliance Women in Technology group.

What do you do?

I am a software developer for the Scholarly Communication and Repository Services team in Library IT. I am responsible for the development and maintenance of microservices supporting the data sharing and digital preservation repositories within the library including the Illinois Data Bank and Medusa. These repositories allow for data reuse and the safeguarding of the Library’s digital collections. Additionally, I oversee the AWS operations for my team, maintaining our current architecture and keeping up to date with new features to benefit our tech stack. As of recently, I am also now a UIUC Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) WIT Representative.