Speaker: Ben Gardner

Ben Gardner worked at Clark University’s ITS Help Desk for 4.5 years during his time as an undergrad and graduate student, including 3 years as a student supervisor. In this capacity, he developed training sessions and resources that helped bolster the professional development of his fellow student staff.

Ben is currently employed as the Coordinator of Student Programs at Clark University’s LEEP Center, where he draws on his experience managing students at Clark’s Help Desk to support students working with the Community Engagement and Innovation & Entrepreneurship programs.

Speaker: Sharon Griffin Edson

Sharon Griffin Edson is the Help Desk Coordinator at Clark University. Her responsibilities include overseeing the daily operations of the Help Desk, hiring, training and providing staff development opportunities for student staff. Sharon also provides staff workshops related to in-house services and applications.

During her 12 years at the Help Desk, she has been instrumental in professionalizing all aspects of their student work force. Some of these areas include staff performance, customer relations, accountability, and staff development.

Speaker: Ravi Kotecha

Ravi Kotecha has been working as the Help Desk supervisor in a formal capacity since July of 2011. He began working at Brandeis’ Technology Help Desk as a sophomore at Brandeis. Ravi progressed through the ranks of the Help Desk as a student, and upon graduation in 2010, was hired as a staff member at Brandeis. Ravi is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Help Desk and his responsibilities include staffing and training of Help Desk student workers. Ravi holds a BA in Computer Science and is currently pursuing an MS in I.T. Management while working in his current role at Brandeis.

Speaker: Anne Livermore

Anne Livermore oversees the Desktop Computing organization at Brandeis, which encompasses desktop support, public computing, hardware and software provisioning, research lab support, and executive support. Her previous roles at Brandeis have included direct faculty and staff support, public computing, management of the student help desk, and oversight of of student-related administrative systems projects. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a M.F.A in Musicology from Brandeis.

Speaker: Bill Murphy

Bill is the Technology Center Manager at Quinnipiac University. He is responsible for the daily operation and management of the Technology Centers on all 3 of Quinnipiac University’s Campuses. He is also responsible for the operation and management of the student worker program and classroom and event A/V. Bill has his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Quinnipiac University. Bill was a student worker himself when he was working on his undergraduate degree and was hired fulltime in 2007. He has a unique perspective on the student worker program and loves working with the student workers.

Speaker: Susan Riello

Susan Riello is a first year graduate student in Information Technology at Quinnipiac University, with a BS in Media Studies from Quinnipiac University. Her position at the Technology Center is a STAR Program Coordinator, which entails managing the workflow of the Technology Center and ensuring the efficiency and productivity of its student technicians. She became interested in the STAR Program because it provided a unique opportunity to learn more about the IT field, as well as gain valuable experience for a future career.