- Campus:
- IU Bloomington
What professional development activity did you complete with the help of the IUWIT grant?
I went to the ACM SIGUCCS (Special Interest Group for University and College Computing Services) 2023 Annual Conference, which focuses on people working in IT support, training, and educational technology at higher ed institutions. This year’s conference was held in Chicago, IL, and consisted of four days of panels, team-building exercises, and networking with colleagues in higher education from all over the world.
How was that activity important/beneficial to your professional development?
I’ve been attending the annual SIGUCCS conferences since 2017 and have been involved on the conference planning committee in various roles since 2019. Attending the yearly conference gives me an opportunity to network and exchange ideas with others in similar roles to mine at other universities. At this year’s conference specifically, I presented two posters at the conference poster session – one on how technology training has changed over the past ten years, and another on the development process for a how-to guide I created for IT Training that won Best in Category for How-To Guides in the 2022 SIGUCCS Communication Awards. Additionally, I served as the publications chair and poster session chair on the 2023 conference committee – serving as publications chair gave me the opportunity to use my graphic design and print layout skills in designing materials for the conference, and organizing the poster session was something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time as I really enjoy creating and presenting research posters.
What was the most valuable take-away from your experience with that activity that you can share with us?
There were many valuable things I took away from the SIGUCCS conference, but I think one of the most important things that came up in many discussions, both formal and informal, was the importance of adaptability and being ready to handle changes. From discussions about shared library and IT service desks to the Google storage changes that impacted many universities, being able to adapt to sudden changes was a common theme in many presentations. I feel it's especially important to be flexible and adapt to quick changes in my role at IT Training, especially considering how quickly things change in the technology world.
What did you want to be as a child, and how has that journey led you to where you are today?
As a child, I wanted to be a teacher – and as I grew up and technology became more prevalent, I became more and more interested in using technology. When I was in undergrad at the State University of New York at Potsdam, I got my first job in IT and eventually found myself working at the Instructional Technology Center, which I loved. My boss at the ITC suggested that I get my master’s in educational technology, as it seemed to be a good fit for me with my love of both teaching and technology. I followed her suggestion, and ultimately it led to me getting a part-time position with IT Training here at Indiana University.
Do you have any advice as a woman in a leadership role?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. There will be times when you’ll need to delegate tasks to others due to having too much on your plate, or when an emergency comes up and you’ll need someone to step in for you while you take care of things elsewhere. It’s okay to reach out for help, even in a leadership role.
Do you have any advice for finding your place/role in an organization?
I think the best advice I can give is to not be afraid to put yourself out there and to try new things. When I started out as a part time employee at IT Training in 2011, I often volunteered to help out with projects that were outside of my usual role but within my skillset, as I found my work fascinating and wanted to do more than just teach and assist workshops. As I got more involved with content creation, I gained opportunities to develop my leadership skills, which ultimately led to me becoming IT Training’s video development coordinator, and later on our materials development coordinator as well. In both roles, I organize our development processes and ensure the training content created by our team meets IT Training’s standards – and I wouldn’t be in these roles if I hadn’t been brave enough to put myself out there when I first started at IT Training.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy working on various craft projects, hiking, gardening, playing all sorts of games, and spending time with my cats Hannah and Anya.