New Staff Introductions

Brian Williamson

November 6, 2023 |  Data Center Technician, Service Operation, Cyberinfrastructure

Brian joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 6, as a data center technician on the Service Operation team. He joins the Service Operation Center (SOC) with over 10 years of progressive information technology experience in customer support and hardware service. Most recently, Brian was a server support technician for World Wide Tech Services, a role that brought him to the Northwestern campus many times to assist with extended hardware support services on Dell equipment. He joins the Service Operation group as a member of the 24/7/365 rotating team. He will partake in all SOC activities, including assisting with ticket monitoring, responding to SolarWinds alerts, participating in the incident management process, and providing support in all aspects of the University Data Center, including smart hands and hardware installations. Brian holds a bachelor's in business economics from Wheaton College. Please welcome Brian to Northwestern IT.

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Acacio Rodriguez

October 30, 2023 |  Executive Technical Support Lead, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Acacio joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 30, as an executive technical support lead on the Endpoint Device Management team. He joins us with more than 10 years of experience supporting Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management Executive MBA and Executive Education programs. Acacio has also supported the audio-visual needs for the University's Board of Trustees meetings held at the Allen Center in recent years. He brings strong, proven customer service skills, project management, audio-visual, and other technical competencies to this role. An interesting fact about Acacio is that he is the proud owner of a local five-acre farm he helps run in his spare time, raising horses, sheep, pigs, and chickens. Please welcome Acacio to Northwestern IT.

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Chris Diaz

October 16, 2023 |  Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Chris joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 16, as a senior site reliability engineer on the Research Computing Infrastructure team. In this role, he will support Quest by implementing automated self-service workflows for faculty, creating automated dashboards and metrics reporting for Quest, and serving as an on-call engineer. Before joining the team, Chris gained valuable experience at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, where he worked as a systems analyst responsible for supporting systems for Kellogg's Admissions and Financial Aid teams. Before that, Chris worked as a customer support engineer, assisting with learning management systems like Canvas. Chris also spent seven years as a librarian at Northwestern before transitioning to a career in information technology. Please welcome Chris to Northwestern IT.

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Jessica Thompson

October 16, 2023 |  Associate HPC Engineer, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Jessica joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 16, as an associate HPC engineer on the Research Computing Infrastructure team. Her primary responsibilities revolve around supporting Quest's High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure. She will handle service ticket queues, manage system inventory, perform system maintenance, and provide user assistance and problem resolution. Before joining the team, Jessica completed an internship with Northwestern's Platform Services group, where she collaborated with the Cyberinfrastructure and Technology Support Services units on various projects, including laptop replacements, data cleanups, and audit resolutions. Her journey to this role began with graduation from the YearUp program, which equipped her with a strong background in customer service. Additionally, Jessica has led several presentations addressing the opportunity divide in education. Please welcome Jessica to Northwestern IT.

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Melody Delfosse

October 9, 2023 |  Systems Analyst Senior, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Melody joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 9, as a systems analyst senior on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials Grants Management team. Melody's experience encompasses financial analysis, grant administration, project leadership, and collaboration. In her most recent role at Childcare Network of Evanston, she collaborated with early childhood education centers to develop and implement financial best practices, ensuring responsible use of public funds. She excels at dissecting complex challenges, identifying innovative solutions, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Beyond her professional life, Melody dedicates her time to innovating in the kitchen and listening to podcasts about tech and the economy. Please welcome Melody to Northwestern IT.

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Alex Mojica

October 4, 2023 |  Systems Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Alex joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, October 4, as a systems analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials PeopleSoft team. He most recently led a dynamic sales team at Tommy Bahama, focusing primarily on ensuring customer satisfaction and achieving team business sales goals. Alex's passion for technology has been a driving force throughout his career, and he is enthusiastic about leveraging that passion on his information technology journey at Northwestern. Please welcome Alex to Northwestern IT.

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Esma Sherwani

October 2, 2023 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Esma joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 2, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Before joining Northwestern, Esma worked as a software engineer at Infosys, where she worked on client deliverables using Java web technologies such as Hibernate and Spring. She is also experienced in Ruby on Rails, Java, and JavaScript-based programming and has a healthcare industry background. Please welcome Esma to Northwestern IT.

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Kristin McLean

September 18, 2023 |  Manager of Data Management Services, Research Computing and Data Services, IT Services and Support

Kristin joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 18, as manager of data management services on the Research Computing and Data Services team. Many individuals across our organization have worked with Kristin during her 14 years at Northwestern, and she most recently served as chief information security officer for Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering IT team. She has also worked on several other University-wide projects and system updates. Kristin brings experience working with many research teams, and in her new role, she will lead the team and services that support researchers in storing, transferring, securing, and otherwise managing their data. Please welcome Kristin to Northwestern IT.

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Manisha Dareddy

August 25, 2023 |  Senior Technology Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Manisha joined Northwestern IT on Friday, August 25, as a senior technology support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management team. In this role, she will focus on support for our Crown Center community and special projects. Manisha previously served in a technical support role at Northwestern University in Qatar. She has a bachelor's in information systems and a master's in data science and engineering. Please welcome Manisha to Northwestern IT.

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Yusuf Saleh

August 21, 2023 |  Year Up Intern, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Yusuf joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 21, as an Endpoint Device Management team intern. He comes to us from the Year Up program. Improving information technology technical skills and software development has been Yusuf’s primary catalyst for his career. He is pursuing CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+, and CCNA certifications. Please welcome Yusuf to Northwestern IT.

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Josef Ayupan

August 7, 2023 |  HPC Systems Engineer, Research Computing Infrastructure, Cyberinfrastructure

Josef joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 7, as an HPC systems engineer on the Research Computing Infrastructure team. In this role, Josef will support research on Quest through system administration, operational support, and optimization of high performance computing (HPC) system processes.

Josef comes to us from NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) in Moffett Field, California, where he worked as a junior Linux administrator helping monitor critical HPC systems necessary for mission and research processes and supported engineers and researchers through the help desk. Prior to his time at NASA, Josef earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from DePaul University. Please welcome Josef to Northwestern IT.

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David Murray

August 1, 2023 |  Lead Telecommunications Technician, Telecommunications and Network Services, Cyberinfrastructure

David joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, August 1, as lead telecommunications technician on the Telecommunications and Network Services team. He comes to us from Stream Data Centers and has overseen physical plant systems in critical environments for over 10 years. David understands air conditioning in IT spaces and is well-versed in electrical systems, including generators, transfer switches, distribution, and uninterruptable power supplies. He loves to point out to his family the different data centers he has worked in over the years as he drives down Interstate 294.

We will utilize David’s talents and experience to update the large inventory of edge telecom room UPSes that service our 250-plus buildings, address units that need repair, and refine the regular monitoring, maintenance, and battery-replacement programs necessary to protect our network infrastructure. Please welcome David to Northwestern IT.

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Connor Edling

June 25, 2023 |  Data Center Technician, Service Operation, Cyberinfrastructure

Connor joined Northwestern IT on Sunday, June 25, as a data center technician in the Service Operation Center (SOC). Most recently, Connor has been part of the team as a contractor since June 2022. During that time, Connor has been a tremendous help in the SOC, handling day-to-day operations, incident management, ticket intake, and assisting with the two-way radio program. Moving forward, they will continue supporting these functions while adding assistance in the SOC rotation and smart hands support within the Data Center.

Connor holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Montana State University and has extensive experience working in IT support. This understanding spans from familiarity with systems from the simplest assembly layers through OS and application support. We are incredibly grateful to Connor for everything they have done for Northwestern IT during the past year, and we are excited about the opportunity to have them join the team full-time. Please welcome Connor to Northwestern IT.

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Mac Mao

June 20, 2023 |  HPC Systems Engineer Lead, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Mac joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, June 20, as high-performance computing (HPC) systems engineer lead on the Research Computing Infrastructure team in Platform Services. Mac will support the research community by helping to architect the next generation of HPC at Northwestern, developing continuous service delivery improvements on Quest, and providing ongoing HPC operational support through regular on-call rotations and tickets.

Mac comes to Northwestern from Emory University, where he oversaw information technology (IT) operations and administered multiple HPC clusters as senior IT manager. He also taught computational topics at Emory and Kansas State University, has a master’s degree in computing and information sciences, is an AWS certified solutions architect, and holds multiple certifications from Red Hat, including Red Hat engineer, system administrator, and specialist in Containers and Kubernetes. Please welcome Mac to Northwestern IT.

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L Dahline

June 15, 2023 |  Learning Engineer, Teaching and Learning Technologies, IT Services and Support

L joined Northwestern IT on Thursday, June 15, as a learning engineer on the Teaching and Learning Technologies team. L holds a bachelor's in Spanish and Latin American studies (with a math minor) and a master's in education. She spent many years teaching Spanish in K-12 environments before joining Northwestern's School of Communication in June 2022 as a learning engineer. In the school, L served as a consultant for faculty teaching in face-to-face and online environments, developed and facilitated workshops on educational technologies, and collaborated with University staff across departments through her work on various committees. She participates in the Association of Northwestern University Women (ANUW), Women in Tech, and other cross-unit organizations. L comes to the team with expert-level Canvas-administration skills, proficiency in learning experience design, and a commitment to improving equity and accessibility for Northwestern students. Please welcome L to Northwestern IT.

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Matt Selensky

June 15, 2023 |  Computational Specialist, Research Computing and Data Services, IT Services and Support

Matt joined Northwestern IT on Thursday, June 15, as a computational specialist on the Research Computing and Data Services team. In this role, Matt will provide computing support to Northwestern researchers on Quest, the University's high-performance computing cluster, and assist the team with projects to create or improve services. He will also enhance the team's educational portfolio from documentation to videos and workshops.

Before accepting the role, Matt worked with the Research Computing and Data Services team as a student consultant for two-and-a-half years. He contributed significantly to the team's day-to-day operations by processing allocations, resolving tickets, creating how-to videos, and providing consultations to researchers. Matt also helped with onboarding new students. He holds a PhD in earth and planetary sciences, focusing on the microbial environment in North American cave systems. Please welcome Matt to Northwestern IT.

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David Correa

June 12, 2023 |  IT Inventory Control Specialist, Service Operation, Cyberinfrastructure

David joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 12, as an IT inventory control specialist on the Service Operation team. He brings 15 years of experience managing product supply in multiple storage sites and equipment distribution within the healthcare and hospital industry. His skills include developing and implementing strategies to streamline inventory processes, and we anticipate ongoing improved controls of our IT inventory levels across Cyberinfrastructure.

Specifically, David will provide onsite support at multiple Northwestern locations serving Cyberinfrastructure operations. He will divide his time between managing secure store facilities, inventory control, and logistical tasks to safeguard the chain of custody of IT assets and their movement across an enterprise campus environment. His responsibilities include inventory control and distribution of IT parts, materials, tools, equipment, and supplies; keeping secure storage and supporting spaces organized; completing procedures for IT asset disposal; and shipping and receiving duties for Cyberinfrastructure. Please welcome David to Northwestern IT.

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Matthew Gorby

June 5, 2023 |  Senior Computational Specialist, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Matthew joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 5, as a senior computational specialist on the Research Computing Services team. He will provide, develop, and lead areas of computing support to Northwestern researchers on systems such as our high-performance computing (HPC) cluster, Quest, or national ACCESS infrastructure. He will also expand training opportunities for the research community on vital and advanced computing skills and empower our student consultants with his guidance.

Before joining Northwestern, Matthew worked as a technical consultant and a software developer for many multi-institutional research projects. While at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), he led projects to improve the HPC environments of Oak Ridge and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in collaboration with developers from these labs. Matthew holds a master’s degree in physics. Please welcome Matthew to Northwestern IT.

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Leticia (Letty) Vega

April 27, 2023 |  IT Business Manager, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Letty joined Northwestern IT on Thursday, April 27, as IT business manager on the Research Computing Services team. She is stepping into this new role and will lead and run financial and business operations related to the computing and data services the group offers to University researchers. She will also oversee the group's communication portfolio.

Letty most recently worked in the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine's information technology department, where she supported and led several efforts related to REDcap, Study Tracker, and the Enterprise Data Warehouse. She brings experience working with Northwestern researchers, creating policies and procedures, research community outreach, and working across teams. Please welcome Letty to Northwestern IT.

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Evett Marban

April 26, 2023 |  Systems Analyst Senior, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Evett rejoined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, April 26, as systems analyst senior, a position she previously held on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. She has led many of the team's annual run projects and was most recently the project lead for the online total compensation statement effort. Her positivity, initiative, and experience are assets to our team, and we are excited about her return. Please welcome Evett back to Northwestern IT.

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Heather Chester

April 17, 2023 |  Lead Project Manager, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Heather joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 17, as lead project manager in the Office of Portfolio Management. She was previously at Loyola University Chicago, where she was a program manager and project manager for more than 10 years. At Loyola, she improved project management office processes and led large projects with Ellucian Advance and their customer relationship management system. Heather also brings experience working with large project teams impacting 60K-plus users. Please welcome Heather to Northwestern IT.

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Kathleen Dell

April 17, 2023 |  Senior Systems Analyst, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Kathleen joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 17, as a senior systems analyst on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials team. Though new to Northwestern IT, Kathleen has worked in Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management for more than 20 years. She has a wealth of experience in the Salesforce platform and has coordinated cross-department team projects at Kellogg for CMS upgrades, CRM enhancements, and email marketing improvements. In her Kellogg role, she encouraged the adoption of agile processes resulting in improved team performance that enables more timely and accurate implementations. In her Northwestern IT role, Kathleen will work closely with IT colleagues and our Alumni Relations and Development business partners to deliver key transformational projects. Please welcome Kathleen to Northwestern IT.

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Ritika Giri

April 17, 2023 |  Data Scientist, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Ritika joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 17, as a data scientist on the Research Computing Services team. She will consult on data-science projects with researchers across Northwestern, facilitate the team's consult service, mentor student consultants, and develop and lead trainings in programming and data-science topics. Ritika has a master's in biotechnology and bioinformatics and a PhD in interdisciplinary biological sciences. Before joining the team, she was a postdoctoral scholar with the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), focusing on reproducible data analysis using machine learning. Ritika is passionate about reproducible and interpretable analysis methods and has completed data-science projects across multiple research domains. Please welcome Ritika to Northwestern IT.

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Zohra Popatia

April 10, 2023 |  Senior Storage Systems Engineer, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Zohra joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 10, as senior storage systems engineer on the Platform Services team. She comes to us with a profound technical knowledge of storage and cloud infrastructure management, and we are excited to see how she will apply her skills and experience to further Northwestern's mission. Zohra most recently worked for Throughtworks, where she was an infrastructure consultant. Before that, she applied her technical knowledge at UI Health as a storage and AWS administrator. Please welcome Zohra to Northwestern IT.

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Mark Ordonez

February 13, 2023 |  Year Up Intern, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Mark joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 13, as an intern on the Platform Services team. He comes to us from the Year Up program. Mark will spend the next six months learning about Northwestern's IT infrastructure and helping the team improve how we manage, monitor, automate, and secure environments across Platform Services. He is interested in IT security and has completed coursework in computer applications, advanced Excel, business writing, public speaking, and professional skills with specialized training in the information technology track, including computer hardware, operating systems, and cybersecurity. Please welcome Mark to Northwestern IT.

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Jessica Thompson

February 13, 2023 |  Year Up Intern, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Jessica joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 13, as an intern on the Platform Services team. She comes to us from the Year Up program. Jessica will spend the next six months learning about Northwestern's IT infrastructure and helping the team improve how we manage, monitor, automate, and secure environments across Platform Services. Her area of study is the information technology track. She is working on getting Excel and CompTIA+ certificates, which will help her secure an entry-level IT position and gain valuable experience. She is eager to break into the IT industry because she enjoys customer support and problem-solving. She aims to achieve a leadership position by combining her passion for IT and management. When not at work, Jessica engages in numerous hobbies. Please welcome Jessica to Northwestern IT.

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Roberto Sanchez

February 13, 2023 |  Year Up Intern, Telecommunications and Network Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Roberto joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 13, as an intern on the Telecommunications and Network Services team. He comes to us from the Year Up program. Roberto will work on several of the team's initiatives, including Wi-Fi map updates, refresh planning and inventory, and field operations tasks. His area of study is the information technology track, and he is concentrating his studies on business writing and communication and ComptiA+ to be certified in computer servicing. Roberto is also working to acquire an Excel certification. His goal is to work as an IT manager and be able to help colleagues achieve their fullest potential. When not at work, Roberto enjoys team sports like baseball, volleyball, and soccer. Please welcome Roberto to Northwestern IT.

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Orzu Tursnova

February 6, 2023 |  Developer, Media and Technology Innovation, IT Services and Support

Orzu joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 6, as a full-stack software developer on the Media and Technology Innovation Academic Software Development team. She comes to Northwestern with a rich background, including a Bachelor of Finance from the International Business School, a Bachelor of Social Studies in Management from the Riga Technical University, and a software engineering certificate from the prestigious Full-Stack Academy Web Development Bootcamp. Orzu's work experience exposed her to various international work environments leading to collaborations with individuals from diverse backgrounds. She will immediately impact our software development efforts across the University's web, mobile, cloud, and emerging technologies needs. In her free time, Orzu enjoys spending time with her family, walking with her children, and reading. Please welcome Orzu to Northwestern IT.

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Eli Puckett

February 6, 2023 |  Associate Telecommunications Technician, Telecommunications and Network Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Eli joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 6, as an associate telecommunications technician on the Telecommunications and Network Services team. He joins the team's other field technicians, who frequently interact with the campus community and are responsible for network equipment installation, cabling and jack repair, and onsite telecom troubleshooting and support. Eli came to Northwestern last fall as a Year Up intern and has been performing, with distinction, work on cable audit, telephone inventory, Wi-Fi refresh, and data-entry efforts. Please welcome Eli to Northwestern IT.

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Kate Leech

January 31, 2023 |  Coordinator of Special Events, IT Communications, IT Services and Support

Kate joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, January 31, as coordinator of special events on the IT Communications team. She brings a wealth of sales, marketing, communication, and event-planning experience to the organization. She will partner with leaders and units across Northwestern IT to plan, coordinate, execute, and boost engagement for strategic trainings, workshops, and events. Kate is also tasked with formalizing event-planning processes and sharing best practices across Northwestern IT and developing and maintaining an annual calendar of events for our organization.

The first phase of Kate’s career included positions with Black+Decker, Airborne Express, and Forest Pharmaceuticals. She is rejoining the workforce after raising her children and working part-time in various leadership and board roles with community organizations like the Lake Bluff Park District, Everett School Association of Parents and Teachers, and the Committee Representing Our Young Adults (CROYA), among others. Kate earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business/Marketing from Indiana University and a master’s of gerontology from Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

In her spare time, Kate enjoys playing just about any racket sport (especially paddle and pickleball); taking neighborhood walks with friends and her two lazy pugs; watching her kids dance, play sports, and create art; watching movies and documentaries with her husband; and beating family members at ping pong! Please welcome Kate to Northwestern IT.

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Heriberto (Eddie) Alcaide Morales

January 30, 2023 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Eddie joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 30, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations CAESAR team. He is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree in computer science. His coursework projects included creating web-based applications using AWS, JAVA, REST API, NoSQL, and Firebase. Eddie also worked at Advocate Condell Medical Center as a transporter lead supervising and coordinating requests for the movement of patients and medical equipment. He is enthusiastic about learning new technologies. Please welcome Eddie to Northwestern IT.

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Kevin Kowalski

January 30, 2023 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Kevin joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 30, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations PeopleSoft team. Before Northwestern, Kevin held several IT-related positions, including IT network implementation technician at Procom Enterprises, Ltd, intern research programmer at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and IT administrative assistant at Oakton Community College. He earned his bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Please welcome Kevin to Northwestern IT.

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Lisa Hinkley

January 9, 2023 |  Systems Analyst, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Lisa joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 9, as a systems analyst on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. While new to Northwestern, she has worked in the higher education industry for more than 20 years at both small and large institutions. Lisa has experience with software development, selection, implementation, and change management. She has worked on many projects that required collaboration across departments, including involvement with selecting and implementing a new enterprise resource planning system (Workday). Lisa is a trained speaker and coach and is eager to use her blend of skills as part of the team. Please welcome Lisa to Northwestern IT.

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Jordan Aguirre

January 9, 2023 |  Systems Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Jordan joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 9, as a systems analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student (ESHRS) team. He came to Northwestern IT last year as part of the Year Up internship program, during which he was instrumental in several ESHRS projects. Jordan served as the HR and Student analyst for PeopleSoft Test Automation Framework and as project manager and analyst for the Saba U54 Release project. He provided daily JIRA administration and production support for the Student team and aided the group’s transition to TeamDynamix by developing custom internal documentation and leading training sessions. Please welcome Jordan to Northwestern IT.

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Jennifer Mazanec

January 9, 2023 |  ITSM Developer, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Jennifer joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 9, as an IT Service Management (ITSM) developer on the Technology Support Services team. She will focus on software development and integration projects related to the ITSM platform. Before coming to Northwestern, Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, and she is pursuing a Master's in Information Systems from Northwestern's School of Professional Studies.

She has an impressive background in modern web development technologies and service management platforms. She is also well-versed in higher education IT, having worked as a programmer at the University of Chicago's NORC for the past several years. Jennifer enjoys playing tennis, skiing, and cooking when she is not working. Please welcome Jennifer to Northwestern IT.

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Ian Farrington

January 3, 2023 |  Associate Telecommunications Technician, Telecommunications and Network Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Ian joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, January 3, as an associate telecommunications technician on the Telecommunications and Network Services (TNS) team. He comes to Northwestern from Randstad NV, where he worked as a help desk analyst. Ian has a BS in Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and also worked at Lowe’s and Jockey. He will join the TNS Field Operations team on campus and perform equipment installation, cabling work, and on-site network/telecommunications troubleshooting. Please welcome Ian to Northwestern IT.

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Robert Moore

December 19, 2022 |  Manager of Distributed Application Platform Services, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Robert joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 19, as manager of the Distributed Application Platform Services (DAPS) team. He joins us from the corporate, private sector. He has held leadership positions since 2007 and focused on process improvement and relationship management. Aside from spending time with family, in his spare time, Robert is an active member of Chicago’s Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative, serving children throughout the Chicagoland area. Please welcome Robert to Northwestern IT.

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Andrew Preston

December 14, 2022 |  Technical Lead, Identity and Access Management, Information Security Office

Andrew joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, December 14, as a technical lead of the Microsoft team in Identity and Access Management. He most recently served as a systems engineer for NORC at the University of Chicago, supporting automation efforts, deploying Puppet Enterprise, and working on Active Directory integration with Microsoft Azure and Office 365. Andrew has also held roles in IT infrastructure at the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the private sector. When not at work, you can find Andrew traveling, taking photos, long-distance cycling, or around town with his two dogs. Please welcome Andrew to Northwestern IT.

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Gavin Maloney

December 5, 2022 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Gavin joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 5, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management team. He brings to the team several years of technical teaching and support experience. Gavin earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Saint Xavier University. He enjoys learning about new technologies in his spare time, including robotics and 3D printing. Please welcome Gavin to Northwestern IT.

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Muhammed Shelleh

November 28, 2022 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Muhammed joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 28, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management team. He brings a broad range of technical experience to the team. Muhammed earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida. He is passionate about education and research and was recently accepted into a doctoral program at the University of Illinois Chicago. Muhammed enjoys reading, writing, exercising, playing games, baking, and exploring coffee shops in his spare time. Please welcome Muhammed to Northwestern IT.

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Olawale Kadiri

October 31, 2022 |  Systems Administrator, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Olawale joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 31, as a systems administrator on the Platform Services team. Together with the team, he will support and manage the enterprise systems. Olawale joins us from AT&T, where he most recently served as a telecommunications specialist. Since 1998, he has also held various other roles, including systems administration, project management, and customer service. Please welcome Olawale to Northwestern IT.

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Mason Benson

October 24, 2022 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Mason joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 24, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Mason graduated from the University of Missouri with an undergraduate degree in political science. He also completed Northwestern's coding boot camp and is developing proficiency with JavaScript and Full Stack Web Development. Before joining Northwestern, Mason worked extensively as a corporate information technology account manager and has led sales for information technology since 2016. Please welcome Mason to Northwestern IT.

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Max Kimball

October 24, 2022 |  Associate Developer, Data Management and Analytics, Administrative Systems

Max joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 24, as an associate developer on the Data Management and Analytics team. Max completed his Master of Science in Business Analytics from the University of Illinois earlier this year. He has interned with the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the United States Department of Agriculture. Please welcome Max to Northwestern IT.

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Paul Casperson

October 17, 2022 |  Associate Developer, Identity Access Management, Information Security Office

Paul joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 17, as an associate developer on the Identity Access Management team. Before joining Northwestern, Paul worked at the University of Chicago and Blue Cross Blue Shield. He served in various information technology areas, including IT sales, marketing IT development, and, most recently, as an integration developer. Please welcome Paul to Northwestern IT.

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Arun Machanickal

September 12, 2022 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Arun joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 12, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management (EDM) team. He has a bachelor's degree in social work from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree in network engineering and security. He brings two years of technical support experience to the team and will provide support coverage for the north zone of the Evanston campus, which includes the Department of Economics at the Kellogg Global Hub. In his spare time, Arun enjoys traveling and playing video games. Please welcome Arun to Northwestern IT.

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Max Maloney

September 12, 2022 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Max joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 12, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management (EDM) team. He brings two years of technical training and support experience to the team and will provide support coverage for the north zone of the Evanston campus, which includes the Department of Economics at the Kellogg Global Hub. Max is also a freelance graphic designer pursuing a computer science degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Please welcome Max to Northwestern IT.

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Angela (Angie) Sanecki

September 12, 2022 |  Project Management Associate, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Angie joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 12, as a project management associate in the Office of Portfolio Management. A Northwestern graduate, Angie has spent the past 16 years working for the Kellogg School of Management. She most recently served as a systems analyst, where she gained valuable experience in project management and systems implementation. In her new role, Angie will be a key system administrator of Daptiv, the Administrative Systems project and portfolio system of record. She will also have the opportunity to perform project management for Administrative Systems projects. Please welcome Angie to Northwestern IT.

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Stanis Nwanguma

September 5, 2022 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Stanis joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 5, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management (EDM) team. He has served as an Apex consulting contractor on the EDM team since December 2021. Stanis is pursuing a bachelor's degree in electronic and computer engineering and comes to us with more than seven years of technical support experience. Please welcome Stanis to Northwestern IT.

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Vincent (Vince) LaGrassa

September 5, 2022 |  AT Software Developer, Media and Technology Innovation, IT Services and Support

Vince joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 5, as the AT software developer on the Media and Technology Innovation team. A full-stack software developer, Vince works with the team and the Innovators in Residence on various projects ranging from grant-funded research, web and cloud applications for special projects, and emerging technologies related to augmented and virtual reality and AI that contribute to advancing innovation at Northwestern.

Vince recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a master's in computer science and a bachelor's in linguistics. He brings a fascinating set of work experiences through internships and volunteering, including working with Adobe on cutting-edge research in 3D graphics with applied machine learning and hosting weekly coding workshops for non-computer science students. Please welcome Vince to Northwestern IT.

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James (Jim) Stachowiak

September 1, 2022 |  Accessible Technology Strategy and Operations Lead, Teaching and Learning Technologies, IT Services and Support

Jim joined Northwestern IT on Thursday, September 1, as the accessible technology strategy and operations lead on the Teaching and Learning Technologies team. In his new leadership role, Jim will guide University strategy in teaching for assistive technology, web accessibility, and compliance with disability regulations. He currently leads the third University Practicum on Universal Design for Learning, a significant step forward in making our learning environments inclusive and accessible. Jim will also continue to oversee his current operational functions within AccessibleNU. Please welcome Jim to Northwestern IT.

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Seoyeon (Sam) Park

August 8, 2022 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Sam joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 8, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Sam recently graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Sam interned as a software front-end web developer at Lura LLC and Schlumberger and was primarily involved in designing and developing responsive web applications. Sam is enthusiastic about learning new technologies, and we are excited to have them on the team. Please welcome Sam to Northwestern IT.

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Victoria (Tori) Duguid

August 8, 2022 | Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Tori joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 8, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. She completed her undergraduate studies at Purdue University in May with a degree in computer science. Tori is fond of application development/coding and enjoys solving challenging requirements. She even built a mobile travel application containing cohesive features, including a tracker, maps, TSA wait times, and nearby restaurants. We are thrilled to have Tori join the team. Please welcome Tori to Northwestern IT.

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Jacob Palmer

August 1, 2022 | Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Jacob joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 1, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Jacob recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor's in computer science. Please welcome Jacob to Northwestern IT.

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Jackson Grischeau

July 5, 2022 | Digital Media Specialist, Media and Technology Innovation, IT Services and Support

Jackson joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, July 5, as a digital media specialist on the media production team within Media and Technology Innovation. He is a Carthage College graduate and has worked on productions for various entities, including everyone from NFL Films and Loyola University Chicago to Chance the Rapper and Clif Bar. Jackson will primarily support the team's production work while also taking on post-production responsibilities for everyday projects. Please welcome Jackson to Northwestern IT.

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Ivette Bravo

June 20, 2022 | IT Service Management Analyst, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Ivette joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 20, as an IT service management analyst in Technology Support Services (TSS). In her role, she will oversee the Northwestern IT Service Catalog and knowledge management processes. Ivette previously served in TSS as a user support specialist on Tier II of Northwestern IT's Service Desk. Ivette earned her master's in information systems management from the Keller Graduate School of Management and has more than 20 years of experience, including 11 years at Northwestern. When she is not working, Ivette enjoys coaching her daughters' softball team and taking family bike rides. Please welcome Ivette to Northwestern IT.

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Kristine Kracker

June 13, 2022 | Senior Project Manager, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Kristine joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 13, as a senior project manager in the Office of Portfolio Management. Kristine most recently served as a contractor at Northwestern, demonstrating great project management skills working with stakeholders, aligning team members, negotiating with vendors, managing project scope, building and monitoring the project schedule, and identifying, capturing, and managing project risks and issues for Sponsored Research and the Office for Research on the SRAT Program.

Before joining Northwestern, Kristine was an agile project manager with Hallmark Cards and a project manager/Scrum leader with SP Plus. She has worked as a project manager for Bank of Montreal, JPMorgan Chase, The Northern Trust, Allstate, ABN Amro/Royal Bank of Scotland, National Opinion Research Center, and the W.E. Upjohn Institute. Kristine is a certified Scrum leader and Six Sigma Green Belt, and she is trained in project management and ITIL. Please welcome Kristine to Northwestern IT.

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Jessica Hu

June 1, 2022 | Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Jessica joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, June 1, as a developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Before joining Northwestern, Jessica worked as a systems analyst at Benedictine University, where she supported PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, PeopleSoft HCM, and PeopleSoft Financials. She has 15 years of experience in analyzing, designing, and developing PeopleSoft applications. Jessica has a master's in computer engineering from Wayne State University. Please welcome Jessica to Northwestern IT.

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Ishrat Fatima

June 1, 2022 | Systems Analyst Lead, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Ishrat joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, June 1, as a systems analyst lead on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. Ishrat has worked for the University since 2003 in Kellogg Information Systems, where she was most recently senior project manager of information technology. She was instrumental in Kellogg's successful pivot to remote teaching in spring 2020 and their transition to hybrid instruction in summer 2020. Ishrat has led many key Kellogg IT projects, including partnering with senior faculty leadership and staff for advances in educational technology at Kellogg. She also collaborated with Northwestern IT on several projects, including alumni Gmail, transitioning faculty and staff to Microsoft 365, and other Canvas-related initiatives.

Ishrat is very active in the Northwestern community as a member of several professional groups, including the Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC), Association of Northwestern University Women (ANUW), Northwestern's Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) staff affinity group, and the Performance Excellence Redesign Committee. Please welcome Ishrat to Northwestern IT.

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Tyler Pearson

May 9, 2022 | Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Tyler joined Northwestern IT on Monday, May 9, as a developer associate on the Application Development and Operations team. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in December 2021 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Tyler enjoys working with GPT-3 and AI chatbots, programmable electronics, and national parks. Please welcome Tyler to Northwestern IT.

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Tanya Aspinall

April 25, 2022 | Systems Analyst, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Tanya joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 25, as a systems analyst on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. She graduated from DeVry University with an undergraduate degree in computer information systems and worked as an applications specialist for Marquette University in Milwaukee for more than 10 years. In her time there, she was involved in query writing, timekeeping system implementation, documentation, and issue and vendor management, among other responsibilities. Tanya also has strong experience in reporting and has worked in Northwestern's Office of the Registrar as a research/report analyst. Please welcome Tanya to Northwestern IT.

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Brenden Miller

April 25, 2022 | Systems Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

>Brenden joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 25, as a systems analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. He graduated from Hofstra University with an undergraduate degree in computer science and has worked as an associate developer for BlueCross BlueShield, where he was responsible for developing web pages, APIs, and training others on business applications. Brenden is an avid practitioner of Wing Chun and loves to play and run tabletop role-playing games. Please welcome Brenden to Northwestern IT.

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Tobin Magle

April 19, 2022 | Lead Data Management Specialist, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Tobin joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, April 19, as lead data management specialist in Research Computing Services. Tobin will work with teammates to provide guidance, support, and services for researchers on data storage, data transfer, and other data management services. Tobin trained as a research scientist in molecular parasitology, earning a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011 and completing postdoctoral training at Loyola University Chicago. Tobin has supported research since 2014, specializing in research data management and reproducible research, and joins us from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Please welcome Tobin to Northwestern IT.

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Kyoungsook (Kay) Han

April 11, 2022 | Developer, Data Management and Analytics, Administrative Systems

Kay joined Northwestern IT on Monday, April 11, as a developer in Data Management and Analytics. Before joining Northwestern, Kay served as a project manager and QA engineer at Naver. She has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and is engaged in the data management and analytics professional certificate program at the Illinois Institute of Technology (expected completion in May 2022). Please welcome Kay to Northwestern IT.

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Joseph (Joe) Gazda

February 28, 2022 | Project Manager, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Joe joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 28, as a project manager in the Office of Portfolio Management. He has 20-plus years of information technology experience analyzing business needs to design, develop, and implement solutions. Joe recently worked as a project coordinator with Rangel, Rangel & Associates. Before that, he spent 20 years at BCD Travel as an analyst and programmer.

Joe recently earned the Certified Associate in Project Management from the Project Management Institute. He has experience defining project objectives, scope, and requirements and working with stakeholders to deliver successful solutions. Please welcome Joe to Northwestern IT.

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Dominic Kato

February 21, 2022 | Associate Telecommunications Technician, Telecommunications and Network Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Dominic joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 21, as an associate telecommunications technician on the Telecommunications and Network Services team. Northwestern is Dominic’s first stop in his information technology career, and he is also working toward a degree in computer science. He has a proven track record of exemplary customer service and attention to detail that will serve Northwestern IT well in the very public-facing field-technician role. Please welcome Dominic to Northwestern IT.

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Kathy Carbonell

February 21, 2022 | Senior Project Manager, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Kathy joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 21, as a senior project manager in the Office of Portfolio Management. She brings to Northwestern nearly 20 years of experience in information technology, where she has been a part of every stage of software development across multiple industries. Kathy holds a Project Management Professional certification and has experience in application development, business analysis, and project management. She is rejoining the workforce after raising her children. Most recently, Kathy worked with a private medical practice to select and implement third-party software. She also has worked for General Electric and Accenture. Please welcome Kathy to Northwestern IT.

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Artur Bak

February 14, 2022 | Data Center Technician, Service Operation, Cyberinfrastructure

Artur joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 14, as a data center technician on the Service Operation team. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity from DePaul University and a minor in computer science. He has more than five years of experience in information technology support. He will be involved in the day-to-day delivery and execution of University Data Center services based out of Evanston. Please welcome Artur to Northwestern IT.

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Conrad Ptasznik

January 10, 2022 | Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Conrad joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 10, as an associate developer in Application Development and Operations. He brings significant experience in coding and development to the CAESAR team, having worked as a volunteer coder designing and developing an application for doctors to see the progress of their clients in the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Before joining Northwestern, Conrad worked for Jewel-Osco performing monthly inventory and organization of the meat market department. He holds a bachelor's in computer science from UIC, a bachelor's in accounting from DePaul University, and an Associate Degree in Networking Systems Administration from DeVry University. Please welcome Conrad to Northwestern IT.

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Daren McCarrell

January 3, 2022 | Project Manager, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Daren joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 3, as a project manager in the Office of Portfolio Management. Prior to joining Northwestern IT, he was a project manager at Jewel Distribution Center, where he worked with warehouse, logistics, and payroll/accounting teams. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Daren brings significant experience in software development and data analytics and holds certifications in Agile/Scrum by Udemy and Software Engineering by Thinkful. Please welcome Daren to Northwestern IT.

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Donald Nguyen

January 3, 2022 | Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Don joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 3, as a developer on the Application Development and Operations (PeopleSoft) team. He has 20 years of IT experience in analyzing, designing, and developing information systems in the consulting and corporate sectors. Don has provided technical and functional support in PeopleSoft HR, Payroll, Benefits, and Taleo. In addition to his extensive experience with PeopleSoft Human Capital Management, he also has worked with PeopleSoft Financials/Supply Chain. Before joining Northwestern, he worked at NorthShore University HealthSystem. Please welcome Don to Northwestern IT.

Joseph Heise

December 15, 2021 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Joseph joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, December 15, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations (PeopleSoft) team. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Indiana University and recently completed The Web Developer Bootcamp (Udemy, Colt Steele). Before joining Northwestern, Joseph worked in several IT-related positions at Indiana University and as an undergraduate computer science instructor. Please welcome Joseph to Northwestern IT.

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Amy Siemers

December 15, 2021 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Amy joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, December 15, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management team. Before coming to Northwestern, Amy worked as a contractor for the Judge Group. She brings more than 10 years of end-user and mobile technology support experience to the team. Please welcome Amy to Northwestern IT.

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Bahar Cimic

December 13, 2021 |  Systems Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Bahar joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 13, as a systems analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. While new to Northwestern IT, Bahar has been with the University since 2013. She has worked in Facilities, the Office of Human Resources, and most recently, in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences's (WCAS) Psychology and Cognitive Science program. In WCAS, she coordinated day-to-day operations, maintained the website, and managed the planning and arrangement of programs and workshops. She also has experience with myHR, Kronos, CAESAR, FAMIS, and SIMS, among other systems. Please welcome Bahar to Northwestern IT.

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Suleiman Kazi

December 6, 2021 |  Systems Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Suleiman joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 6, as a systems analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team. Suleiman recently graduated from DePaul University with an undergraduate degree in management information systems and finance, focusing on business systems analysis, data management systems and design, information systems project management, and reporting. He worked as a financial operations analyst intern for TransUnion, where he was responsible for analysis and reporting. Before joining Northwestern, Suleiman worked on a short-term project as an analyst consultant in an Agile team environment to deliver SQL-based reports to senior leadership. Please welcome Suleiman to Northwestern IT.

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Danny Foster

November 29, 2021 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Danny joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 29, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. He comes to us having completed an intense full-time programming boot camp at the Coding Dojo, developing proficiency with Python, JavaScript, and MEAN stack. Danny is co-founder of Faded Network, one of the largest Minecraft servers in 2014. Before joining Northwestern, Danny worked as a software developer at Munch and developed multi-functional chatbots for Discord and Telegram with CI/CD pipelines to deploy on Google Cloud. Danny also created processes for analyzing blockchain transactions to select randomized giveaway winners. Please welcome Danny to Northwestern IT.

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Adam Gentz

November 29, 2021 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Adam joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 29, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Before joining Northwestern, Adam worked at Kenosha Water Utility, where he modernized outdated processes from COBOL to C# and Python. He also created programs for SCADA and GIS systems to enhance the water system mapping.

Adam has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and he majored in games development at Columbia College in Chicago. Adam tutored advanced mathematics while pursuing his degree at UW-Parkside and delivered excellent tech support services at Columbia College's technology center. Please welcome Adam to Northwestern IT.

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Stephan Melnyk

November 29, 2021 |  Quality Control Specialist, Cyber Service Operation, Cyberinfrastructure

Stephan joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 29, as a quality control specialist on the Cyber Service Operation team. He comes to us from the Glenview State Bank, where he served as a teleservice representative with excellent customer service skills. He brings more than eight years of experience using online banking systems with their demand for accuracy and stringent protocols to meet federal and state requirements. Stephan holds a BA in International Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Stephan joins Lori Blum as part of the two-member Quality Control team providing 24/7 on-call support and job scheduling services. Please welcome Stephan to Northwestern IT.

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Max Kaulich

November 14, 2021 |  Technical Support Specialist, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Max joined Northwestern IT on Sunday, November 14, as a technical support specialist on the Endpoint Device Management team. Max comes to the team from Northwestern IT's Service Operation Center, where he worked as a data center technician. He has more than eight years of technical support experience, a bachelor of science in technical management from DeVry University, and a project management certification from Northwestern's School of Professional Studies. Please welcome Max to Northwestern IT.

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Saundra Harrison

November 8, 2021 |  Systems Analyst, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Saundra joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 8, as a systems analyst on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials team. She joins the Grants team and will focus her time on the Huron Grants implementation and the NUFinancials Grants modules.

Saundra has extensive experience at several higher education institutions in the Chicago area. She most recently worked at Rush University Medical Center and has previously worked on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student team at Northwestern. In addition to her knowledge of PeopleSoft’s HCM Payroll modules, Saundra has also worked with financials modules, including General Ledger and Accounts Payable, and several modules within Campus Solutions. Please welcome Saundra to Northwestern IT.

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Spencer Colton

November 1, 2021 |  Developer, Identity Services, Administrative Systems

Spencer joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 1, as a developer on the Identity Services team. Spencer completed his undergraduate work at Northwestern this past June with a degree in computer science. While at the University, he was a student worker at the Northwestern IT service desk and served as an undergraduate peer mentor teaching programming language design and introduction to computer systems. In his time with Technology Support Services, he documented our processes in the Knowledge Base and improved the FootPrints user experience via Chrome extensions. After graduation, he joined a Chicago area financial tech company as a developer. Spencer enjoys playing piano or working on technology projects in his spare time. Please welcome Spencer to Northwestern IT.

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Sam Kustra

November 1, 2021 |  Systems Analyst, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Sam joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 1, as a systems analyst on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials (ESAF) team. In her role, she will focus on the NUFinancials procurement-related modules and bolt-ons and supplier contracts. Sam most recently served in Northwestern's Procurement and Payment Services office, where she started in 2010 as purchasing department assistant and later became a procurement analyst in 2012.

Sam has a wealth of experience with procurement-related business processes and procurement transactions, and she is a subject-matter expert in the area of supplier contracts. She is greatly responsible for creating and maintaining the clauses and templates used by contract administrators when entering and processing contracts with vendors at Northwestern. She also assisted with the implementation of DocuSign for Electronic Signatures and is a subject-matter expert on the DocuSign application. Sam has worked closely with the ESAF financials team for the past 10 years during fiscal year-end processing and works with end-users daily, providing support and issue resolution. Please welcome Sam to Northwestern IT.

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Andrew Kowalski

October 25, 2021 |  Developer, Identity Services, Administrative Systems

Andrew joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 25, as a developer on the Identity Services team. Andrew has both desktop engineer and systems engineer experience, and he most recently worked at an options trading firm in the Chicago area, where he led companywide initiatives. He has built and managed virtual and physical machines through provisions systems such as SCCM, Ansible, and Jamf. He also built and maintained a lab for testing and evaluating new hardware and has worked with various Microsoft products from an operations and support perspective.

Andrew enjoys hiking, running, video games, investing, sports, deep dives, space, the future, self-improvement, and learning. Some of his key achievements include finishing the 2019 Chicago Marathon and being the first in his family to attend a university. Please welcome Andrew to Northwestern IT.

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Ilhan Trnovac

October 18, 2021 |  IT Inventory Control Specialist, Cyber Service Operation, Cyberinfrastructure

Ilhan joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 18, as an IT inventory control specialist on the Cyber Service Operation team. He fills a newly created position and brings 15 years of experience managing product supply in multiple storage sites and warehouses. His skills include developing and implementing strategies to streamline inventory processes, and we anticipate a vast improvement in the control of our inventory levels across Cyberinfrastructure. Ilhan holds a BA in Business Administration and Technology from Kendall College in Chicago.

Ilhan will provide onsite support at multiple Northwestern locations serving Cyberinfrastructure operations. He will divide his time between managing secure store facilities, inventory control, and logistical tasks to safeguard the chain-of-custody for IT assets and their movement across an enterprise campus environment. Responsibilities include inventory control and distribution of IT parts, materials, tools, equipment, and supplies; keeping secure storage and supporting spaces organized; completing procedures for IT asset disposal; and shipping/receiving duties for Cyberinfrastructure. Please welcome Ilhan to Northwestern IT.

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Lara Johnson

October 1, 2021 |  User Support Specialist Associate, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Lara joined Northwestern IT on Friday, October 1, as a user support specialist associate in Technology Support Services. Before joining Northwestern, she served as office IT manager at Simple Mills since 2017. She earned a bachelor's degree from Rhodes College in Memphis and has done archivist work for The Neo-Futurist group in Chicago. When she's not volunteering or at work, she can likely be found watching movies with her cat, Roger. Please welcome Lara to Northwestern.

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Zarui Dangyan

September 20, 2021 |  User Support Specialist Associate, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Zarui joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 20, as a user support specialist associate in Technology Support Services. Before joining Northwestern, she served as a technical support specialist at Reliable Network Services. In the role, she was responsible for supporting IT customers with system and network issues, implementing new IT projects, and monitoring client systems.

She holds an economics degree from the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and is working toward a master's in data science at DePaul University. She enjoys cooking and aspires to open a bakery in Italy in retirement. Please welcome Zarui to Northwestern.

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Aaron Geller

September 1, 2021 |  Senior Data Visualization Specialist, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Aaron joined Northwestern IT on Wednesday, September 1, as a senior data visualization specialist in Research Computing Services (RCS). Before joining the team, Aaron supported visualization projects in a limited capacity, but he has now taken on this expanded role within RCS.

Aaron is also a research assistant professor with Northwestern's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). He previously worked at the Adler Planetarium as an astronomer. Aaron collaborates with researchers on visualizations and data applications for scientific publications, public outreach and communication, and exploratory analysis.

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Ryan Klaproth

August 16, 2021 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Ryan joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 16, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations CAESAR team.

Before joining Northwestern, Ryan worked at Infogix, Inc., where he created automated workflows, including coding with Python, and developed processes for Infogix customers utilizing JavaScript and SQL, to name a few. Prior to Infogix, he instructed students at InternalDrive in C++, Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Python, Unity, and C# programming languages, basic game concepts, basic scripting concepts, manipulating game objects, importing models, and game loops.

Ryan holds a bachelor's degree in computer games development, with a programming focus, from DePaul University. Please give Ryan a warm welcome to Northwestern.

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Anna Semprit

August 2, 2021 |  Lead Project Manager, Office of Portfolio Management, Administrative Systems

Anna joined Northwestern IT on Monday, August 2, as a lead project manager in the Office of Portfolio Management (OPM). She will lead the PPM function for the OPM team and is working to connect with the OPM team and Administrative Systems directors and managers to learn more about the portfolio and project management practices in place.

Anna comes to Northwestern from Rush University Medical Center, where she was a project manager. In this role, she worked closely with student and research partners to transition and replace information systems. Anna led efforts to move on-prem applications to cloud-hosted solutions. She also has experience as a portfolio manager, working with University and research IT projects. She also boasts project and process experience in a higher-ed setting, having worked with DePaul University and DeVry University. Please welcome Anna to Northwestern.

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Kelvin Chang

July 6, 2021 |  User Support Specialist Associate, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Kelvin joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, July 6, as a user support specialist associate in Technology Support Services (TSS). He will serve on the IT Service Desk's Tier 1 team.

Kelvin returns to Northwestern after working as a remote service desk agent at Mechdyne Corporation, where he was responsible for supporting information technology for more than 25 clients worldwide, providing follow-the-sun support. Kelvin earned his bachelor's in neuroscience from Northwestern and was a four-year student worker on the Northwestern IT Service Desk during this time. He was a leading consultant and responsible for a large portion of the Knowledge Base setup and rollout.

When not supporting IT customers, Kelvin can be found playing one of 12 different instruments. He counts the guitar as his current favorite, though the piano is a close second. Please welcome Kelvin back to the TSS team.

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Brian O'Sullivan

June 28, 2021 |  Lead Developer, Identity Services, Administrative Systems

Brian joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 28, as lead developer on the Identity Services team. Brian comes to Northwestern from BLACK+DECKER, where he worked on many M&A projects in which he led redesign and consolidation efforts for Active Directory. He also worked for STANLEY, where he was a part of the NT4 transition to Active Directory. Please welcome Brian to Northwestern.

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Brian Roland

June 25, 2021 |  Data Management Specialist, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Brian joined Northwestern IT on Friday, June 25, as a data management specialist in Research Computing Services. He will provide guidance and support for researchers navigating data storage, data transfer, and other data management services.

Brian comes to Northwestern from The University of Chicago, where he served as center administrator and senior analyst for the Center for Health Statistics. He has led projects, served as a liaison between customers and IT staff, delivered training and webinars, and has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education. Brian has an MBA from DePaul University and a BA in Computer Science from Roosevelt University. He brings a great combination of technical skills, partnership and relationship skills, and life experience to the team. Please welcome Brian to Northwestern.

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Emmanuel Thomas

June 21, 2021 |  Associate Developer, Identity Services, Administrative Systems

Emmanuel joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 21, as an associate developer on the Identity Services team. He comes to Northwestern from Loyola University Chicago, where he worked in the student finance office. Emmanuel recently earned his master's degree in computer science and completed his undergraduate studies with a focus on philosophy and mathematics. Please welcome Emmanuel to Northwestern.

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Isa Hernandez

June 14, 2021 |  AV Systems Engineer Associate, Media and Technology Innovation, IT Services and Support

Isa joined Northwestern IT on Monday, June 14, as an AV systems engineer associate on the Media and Technology Innovation team. Isa will support Zoom and a wide array of virtual and hybrid events across campus. Isa joins Northwestern after 10 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where they graduated with a bachelor's in history in 2012.

From their time as a student worker in the IT/AV department to being promoted to a senior academic technologist, Isa brings a vast degree of experience in all facets of AV and IT technology, working with and training faculty and students, managing projects, and supporting events at UIC. Please welcome Isa to Northwestern.

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Abhisekh Adhikari

May 24, 2021 |  Associate Developer, Data Management and Analytics, Administrative Systems

Abhisekh joined Northwestern IT on Monday, May 24, as an associate developer on the Data Management and Analytics team. Before joining the University, Abhisekh was a junior data engineer at Wavicle Data Solutions and data analytics specialist at ClearSky Technologies. He also served as a program assistant in the Kellogg School of Management from 2006–17. He is a double Northwestern alumnus with a master's in predictive analysis and a bachelor's degree in psychology. Please welcome Abhisekh back to Northwestern.

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Michelle Stecko

May 24, 2021 |  ITSM Developer, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Michelle joined Northwestern IT on Monday, May 24, as an ITSM developer on the Technology Support Services IT service management team. Michelle will work on various software development and integration projects related to our IT service management platform.

Before joining Northwestern, Michelle earned her Bachelor of Science in Information and Decision Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She also worked for nearly five years at UIC as a full stack web developer. She has an impressive background in software development technologies, relational database management systems, and higher ed information technology. Michelle enjoys creative coding when she is not working and is learning programs such as Blender and Unity in her free time. Please welcome Michelle to the team.

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Anna Zorn

May 13, 2021 |  Digital Media Specialist, Media and Technology Innovation, IT Services and Support

Anna joined Northwestern IT on Thursday, May 13, as a digital media specialist on the Media and Technology Innovation’s media production team. While joining the production team primarily as a director of photography, she will also support post-production work, equipment management, and innovation research development. Before joining Northwestern, she worked as a freelance director of photography on commercials for broadcast and as production studio manager at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Anna is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has training in writing and improvisation from The Second City. Please welcome Anna to Northwestern.

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Brandon Grill

May 1, 2021 |  Senior Director of Technology Planning and Security, Information Security Office

Brandon joined Northwestern IT on May 1 as senior director of technology planning and security. He has more than 18 years of experience in progressive technology roles at Northwestern. Brandon will lead the Information Security Office team and oversee central and distributed IT initiatives, projects, and processes with a focus on improving the adoption of information security practices and fostering collaboration with technology leaders across campus. Before joining Northwestern IT, Brandon served as the director of information technology for Northwestern's School of Communication. He holds dual degrees from Northwestern, a bachelor's in computer science and a master's in communication, specializing in technology systems strategy and management.

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Tiffany Simons Chan

March 22, 2021 |  Systems Analyst, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Tiffany joined Northwestern IT on Monday, March 22, as a systems analyst on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials team. In her role, she will focus primarily on the Facilities Management System. Before joining Northwestern, Tiffany served as a system analyst associate within the Kellogg School of Management's admissions office, where she focused on managing and enhancing a CRM system (Slate) and implemented an MBAi application. She was also recently certified with her PMP through the Project Management Institute. Please welcome Tiffany to Northwestern IT.

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Poojitha Yathiraju

March 8, 2021 |  IT Service Management Analyst, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

Poojitha (Pooja for short) joined Northwestern IT on Monday, March 8, as IT service management analyst on Technology Support Services's IT Service Management team. She will be involved in various functions, including change management, running Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, and developing reports and dashboards to drive continual service and process improvements. Pooja is originally from India and has called the United States home since 2018.

Before coming to Northwestern, Pooja earned an MBA at the University of New Haven. She is ITIL certified and has five years of experience in the information technology field. She has worked as an IT service management analyst for TATA Consultancy Services, and more recently, as an account manager at FEI Systems. An interesting fact about Pooja is that she can speak five languages fluently. She enjoys being in nature, listening to music, painting, and cooking, among other hobbies. Please join us in welcoming Pooja to Northwestern IT.

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Paul Hinds

March 4, 2021 |  Security and Privacy Advisor, Office of the VP and CIO

Paul Hinds joined Northwestern in January as Security and Privacy Advisor. Paul is leading efforts to advance the critical IT security program at the University. This transformational effort will better guide Northwestern IT and security partners in strengthening our security environment and evolving our program using internationally accepted standards frameworks to protect University systems and information. Current areas of attention and priorities include focusing on furthering our IT risk assessment and security prioritization efforts, redesigning the IT security policy framework, and coordinating the risk assessment and audit planning process with the internal audit team.

Paul joins us from PwC, where he spent 23 years in their cybersecurity, IT audit, and risk management practices. He offers a wealth of experience with HIPAA, privacy, GDPR, CMMC, and other critical regulatory requirement areas. He also previously led PwC IT cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance audits for Northwestern, The University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University, Saint Louis University, and others.

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Bethany Tacoma

February 1, 2021 |  System Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Bethany joined Northwestern IT on Monday, February 1, as a system analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials team. In her role, she will focus primarily on the Facilities Management System. Before joining Northwestern, Bethany worked as a business system analyst at Spectrum Health, focusing on its incident and problem management processes and system.

Bethany attended Central Michigan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts with majors in health administration and psychology. Please welcome Bethany to the team.

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Scott (Scotty) Coughlin

January 11, 2021 |  Computational Specialist, Research Computing Services, IT Services and Support

Scotty joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 11, as a computational specialist on the Research Computing Services team. Scotty has served as a part-time member of the team for approximately a year, assisting researchers with computational requests and participating in other Northwestern IT projects and tasks, including the downtime 2020 project and some Quest incidents. He has also served as the computational specialist at the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) at Northwestern. Scotty has a PhD in physics and astronomy from Cardiff University in Wales, and he is a Northwestern alumnus.

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Krista Burris

January 4, 2021 |  Digital Media Specialist, Media and Technology Innovation, IT Services and Support

Krista joined Northwestern IT on Monday, January 4, as a digital media specialist on the Media and Technology Innovation's media production team. Krista graduated from the University of Illinois at Springfield and Southern Illinois University with an MA in Public Affairs Reporting and a BA in Radio-Television. Before joining Northwestern, she freelanced, creating documentary-style content, and worked as a communication specialist for the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus. She will support all of our production and post-production work, including MOOCs, promotional content, research projects, and events. Please welcome Krista to Northwestern.

Andrew Mack

December 21, 2020 |  System Administrator, Platform Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Andrew “Drew” joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 21, as a system administrator on the Cyberinfrastructure Platform Services team. In this role, Drew is working with DAPS Team members to continue our journey to strengthen relationships and enhance technology services in conjunction with our business partners across the University. Over the next several weeks, Drew will shadow several DAPS team members to acquaint himself with the various platforms and applications under the DAPS purview, initially working on operational support and project-based activities.

A graduate from Loyola University Chicago, Drew quickly immersed himself in the financial services industry, supporting and developing for Belvedere Trading on their flagship, high-frequency trading application. Before that, Drew’s experience in Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) on Linux OS environments and technical support for University employees and students at Loyola allowed him to rapidly gain exposure to various coding languages and understand the benefits of processes, all of which will serve him and the team well in this new role. Please welcome Drew to the team.

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Michael Campbell

December 14, 2020 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Michael joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 14, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team.

Michael is a Northwestern graduate and holds a BA in Earth and Planetary Sciences. He recently served as a full-stack software developer at Cognizant, where he worked with Java-based microservices deployed in AWS. When we return to the office, Michael will join the team on the southwest side of 1800 Sherman's second floor. Please welcome Michael to the team.

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David Gracey

December 7, 2020 |  Manager of IT Service Management, Technology Support Services, IT Services and Support

David joined Northwestern IT on Monday, December 7, as the manager of IT Service Management. David brings a wealth of experience, most recently from the University of California, Riverside, where he recently held the position of interim CIO and held senior positions in the enterprise solutions area. He has many years of experience in higher education and has also worked in various industry positions. His breadth of expertise and leadership in service and systems development will serve us well as he provides thought leadership in campus service delivery and as we look ahead to the future of our ITSM processes and technology.

After being a regular visitor to our fine city for several years, David, a lifelong California resident, is moving here into the snow in early 2021. Please pop in and say hello to him via Teams, Zoom, or however you choose.

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Stephanie Vaccaro

November 30, 2020 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Stephanie joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 30, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Stephanie graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) with a bachelor's and master's in computer science (Co-Terminal Program).

Before joining Northwestern, Stephanie worked on developing an application framework and internal software applications at Accenture. While at IIT, she researched software-defined radio and developed a Prolog. She has also created a simulation that demonstrated airplane flight patterns and completed an AWS Cloud Practitioner certification.

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Naveed Ganjani

November 2, 2020 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Naveed joined Northwestern IT on Monday, November 2, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. Naveed holds a BA in Philosophy from Elmhurst College. Recently, he completed a software engineering boot camp and was awarded a merit scholarship. Before joining Northwestern, Naveed interned at AVIA Health Innovation, where he implemented features for an online collaboration and knowledge-sharing platform to accelerate digital innovation in healthcare.

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David Wolff

October 19, 2020 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

David joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 19, as an associate developer on the Application Development and Operations team. David recently graduated from Northwestern with a BS in Computer Science. As a student, he worked for the McCormick School of Engineering, building out web applications for faculty and staff using Ruby on Rails and JavaScript. David also interned at TIBCO Software, where he built a CLI integration tool that optimized workflow efficiency for users to manage TIBCO Active Spaces.

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Allen Zeitler

October 12, 2020 |  Developer, Identity Services, Administrative Systems

Allen joined Northwestern IT on Monday, October 12, as a developer on the Identity Services team. Previously, Allen assisted the identity team with active directory work as a consultant in 2019 and was instrumental in the initial build-out of Shibboleth AWS. He has partnered with Cyberinfrastructure, as well as with other units in Northwestern IT.

Before joining Northwestern, Allen worked at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years implementing and supporting enterprise-wide infrastructure and systems. He worked with Microsoft and Palantir to upgrade the criminal apprehension and booking system. He also implemented data analytics for CompStat, along with deploying Microsoft Dynamic CRM, to help manage the nation’s third-largest sheriff’s office.

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Ryann Austin Green

September 28, 2020 |  Systems Analyst Associate, Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Administrative Systems

Ryann joined Northwestern IT on Monday, September 28, as a systems analyst associate on the Enterprise Systems Human Resources and Student, Student Functional Team.

Ryann's career started in athletics with a business operations role at Georgia State University, and he later transitioned to a similar role at Northwestern. In these positions, he focused on making the departments more efficient by leveraging budget-friendly programs and software. In Northwestern Athletics, he also served as the lead administrator for camps and clinics operations and led Power BI infrastructure development. Ryann is pursuing a certificate in Data Science & Analysis from Northwestern and will complete the Boot camp in November.

He graduated from Georgia State University with an undergraduate degree in finance and a graduate degree in sports administration.

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Paula DaVault

September 8, 2020 |  Systems Engineer, Collaboration Services, Cyberinfrastructure

Paula joined Northwestern IT on Tuesday, September 8, as a systems engineer on the Collaboration Services team. Paula previously worked at BMO Harris and brings more than 15 years of experience in project management, solutions delivery, and systems administration. In her new role, she will focus on the implementation, operation, support, and deployment of collaboration services software.

Paula has a BA in Business Administration from Ashford University and a graduate certificate in project management from George Washington University. She is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

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Dan Hoefler

August 31, 2020 |  Learning Technologist, Teaching and Learning Technologies, IT Services and Support

Dan rejoined the Teaching and Learning Technologies team as a learning technologist on Monday, August 31. Dan returned to Northwestern after spending a year at The Poetry Foundation, where he served as a product and project manager. In his previous years with Northwestern, Dan held multiple roles in Northwestern IT, the Media Management Center, and the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He also managed the Digital Learning website and guided the service rollouts for BlueJeans and Panopto.

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Beatriz Jimenez

August 24, 2020 |  Learning Engineer, Teaching and Learning Technologies, IT Services and Support

Bea joined Northwestern IT's Teaching and Learning Technologies team as a learning engineer on Monday, August 24. Before joining Northwestern, she worked for the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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Jeremy Hunsucker

August 17, 2020 |  Manager, Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials, Administrative Systems

Jeremy returned to Northwestern IT as a manager on the Enterprise Systems Alumni and Financials team on Monday, August 17. Jeremy recently worked in a leadership role implementing a common human resources system for 20 schools, medical centers, and national labs in the California state system. Prior to that experience, Jeremy spent 10 years with Northwestern in escalating positions of responsibility, including post-award financial grants management, systems analysis with IT, and directing the Office of Program Review. He brings a wealth of experience to the manager position.

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Rachel Goc

August 17, 2020 |  Learning Engineer, Teaching and Learning Technologies, IT Services and Support

Rachel took on a new role as learning engineer on Monday, August 17. Rachel has been an integral member of the Teaching and Learning Technologies team since joining as a learning technologist last year. Before joining Northwestern IT, she previously worked for Northwestern's Weinberg College IT Solutions.

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Blake Chambliss

June 22, 2020 |  Associate Developer, Data Management and Analytics, Administrative Systems

Blake joined Northwestern IT as an associate developer on the Data Management and Analytics Extract, Transform, and Load team on Monday, June 22. Before joining Northwestern, Blake served as a senior academic advisor for Loyola University Chicago. He holds a business management bachelor's degree from Florida State University and a master's in education administration from the University of Tennessee. He also completed his master's in software engineering from Loyola University Chicago this spring.

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Russell Sorin

May 18, 2020 |  Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations, Administrative Systems

Russell joined Northwestern IT's Application Development and Operations team as an associate developer on Monday, May 18. Russell is a full stack developer and is passionate about application design and development. Previously, Russell served as an instructional staff member at Northwestern's Coding Bootcamp for Full Stack Web Development and trained dozens of diverse professionals and students with modern technologies. He also has extensive freelance experience in web and game development.

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Christine Hardt

April 13, 2020 |  Information Security Analyst, Information Security Office

Christine joined Northwestern IT in April 2020 as an Information Security Analyst. To the Information Security Office, she brings experience in a defense contractor setting, focusing primarily on compliance and the maintenance, certification, and accreditation of computer networks. She has worked as a cryptologic technician in the United States Navy Reserve since 2012, an experience that includes targeting advanced persistent threats and providing timely, actionable intelligence.

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Sarah Dillard

April 6, 2020 | Associate Developer, Application Development and Operations , Administrative Systems

Sarah Dillard joined Application Development and Operations (ADO) as an Associate Developer on Monday, April 6. She has been with Northwestern since 2014. Over the past three years, Sarah served as a business analysis in ARD where she developed OnBase solutions and managed the department's SharePoint site.

Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from William and Mary, and completed Northwestern's Coding Bootcamp for Full Stack Web Development earlier this Spring.

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Serena Simpson

March 2, 2020 |  Communications Specialist, IT Communications, IT Services and Support

Serena joined Northwestern IT's communications team as a communications specialist on Monday, March 2. She brings more than a decade of experience in strategic communication, writing and editing, project management, and more. In this role, she will focus on content development for our various communication channels, guiding the editorial direction of the Digital Learning site, project communication, and leading our social media efforts.

Most recently, Serena served as a communications consultant for the Susan Crown Exchange and Two Rivers Public Charter School. She also managed IT communication and change management at Chicago Public Schools and was Editor-in-Chief of SET Magazine.

At present, Serena is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and English literature at Northwestern. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Spelman College, a Master of Arts in writing and publishing from DePaul University, and an executive scholar certificate in nonprofit management from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.