David Parker ’11, Database And Systems Administrator

information . tips . events .THEUC MATTERSPAGE 2 & 3HR Notes,Convocation 2017PAGE 4-5Kudos,New FacultySEPTEMBER 2017PAGE 7-9In the News,Around CampusUC PEOPLEDavid Parker ’11, Database and Systems AdministratorQ: Tell us a little about yourselfand how you came to be in yourposition at Utica CollegeA: Utica College has been a bigpart of my life for quite some time.My father, Bill, was an employeehere in what was then the MediaCenter for about 30 years. I got hiredhere for an entry-level position inBACK COVERare also UC grads.Q: What does your job entail andwhat does a typical day look likefor you?A: A lot of my job entails setting up,maintaining, and monitoring schoolservers, such as BannerWeb, the UCwebsite, Engage, and Smarthinking.Maintaining these servers includesboth software and hardware work. Atypical day consists of verifying thatback ups are working, responding toany help desk tickets, and handlingadministrative aspects of accounts.Q: How have UC’s needs in thisarea changed over the years?A: In the IITS area, things havechanged substantially. In the past,there was a single central mainframefor students and employees. In thelast 15 years, the College has adoptedBannerWeb and a cloud system.We also have to deal with a lot ofoutside systems such as Engage andcontinued on page 32001 doing printouts. From thereI moved to systems and now I’m adatabase and systems administrator.As an employee, I took classes oncampus and graduated in 2011 witha bachelor’s degree in computerscience. My mother and two brothers“I enjoy problem solving and goingto someone with an answer, not justtelling him or her I don’t know.”- David ParkerEvents, Trainings,Health & WellnessHundreds and hundreds Walked for Unitylast week to celebrate our community, full ofuniqueness and diversity. See more picturesfrom the Unity Walk on page 9.

HR NOTESWelcomeMichael Badolato, Student Success andCompletion Navigator, Student SuccessMelanie Blanden, One-Year Assistant Professor ofBiochemistry, School of Arts & SciencesLaura Becker, Library Assistant: Circulation andInformation Desk, LibraryPatrick Collea, Part-Time Sgt., Campus SafetyCrystal Dabrowski, Assistant Director of AnnualGivingLauren Lojba, Coordinator of EnrollmentOperations, Enrollment OperationsAndrea Mariani, Coordinator of EnrollmentOperations, Enrollment OperationsAtahuaipa Pinto, One-Year Assistant Professor ofChemistry, School of Arts & SciencesTina Oyer Ponce, Two-Year Assistant Professor ofForeign Language, School of Arts & SciencesTabitha Poplaski, Administrative Assistant III,AdvancementLaura Salvaggio, One-Year Assistant Professor ofTheatreKimberly Suriano, Accounts and RecordsAdministrator, AdvancementNew TitleJames Wilson, Systems Engineer, IITSRetireeNancy Virgil-Call, Librarian III: Coordinator ofAccess Services, LibraryCONGRATULATIONS!EMPLOYEE GIVING HITS RECORD HIGHAs we begin a new academic year, we want to thank all of the UticaCollege employees who supported students financially by givingdirectly to the College. Overall, contributions made last year increased17%, as faculty and staff gave 154,865 to support various programsand initiatives. Contributions made through payroll deductionincreased 17% as well, and accounted for more than 64,000 of thedollars raised. It was a banner year for faculty and staff giving withspecial recognition to the School of Arts and Sciences, School ofBusiness and Justice Studies, and Academic Affairs for making thelargest contributions.Coinciding with the start of the academic year, we are running apayroll deduction campaign to make it easier to make a differencein the lives of students. Just choose the amount to be deducted fromyour paycheck each pay period. Over time, those gifts add up to asubstantial contribution by the end of the year. What’s more, giftsmade through payroll deduction can be set up or changed wheneveryou like at http://www.utica.edu/employee-giving.In appreciation of your support, we have several great upcomingevents this academic year that we want to make sure you put onyour calendar: Nov. 15 is National Philanthropy Day where we will recognizeconsecutive-year givers January 13 is the annual faculty/staff donor reception in theZeitlin Lounge and ticket for the Men’s Hockey game. March 21 is the second annual faculty/staff happy hour in thePioneer Pub.The Kudos Card program monthlydrawing winner is.Joe RibaudoAssociate Professor of PhysicsCongratulations, Joe,and enjoy your prize!You can access the following link at any time torecognize a colleague for his/her great work:utica.edu/kudos“Thank you for organizing Monday’s eclipsewatching gathering! The fact that you shared yourtelescope and safe-viewing glasses is proof that yourlove of science is matched by your love of teaching.What a great opportunity for so many of us!”See more pictures from the Solar Eclipse viewing event on page 8

IN MEMORIAM - MARIJEAN LEVERING“To say she will be missed is a gross understatement, buther strength reminds us that we have an obligation to keepdoing our best work,” said Alexandra Caldas ’13, formerstudent of Marijean Levering, associate professor of theatre,who passed away July 27.“Marijean’s determination, intensity, and incrediblededication to others have always been an inspiration to me.She was not just a mentor, but also a mother to me. I wouldnot be the person I am today without years of guidance,encouragement, and love from her. Theatre is family, andmany students who worked closely with her called hermom. In her final days, she said her students are her legacy,and legacies don’t build themselves,” Caldas said.Levering joined the UC family in August 2000 as an assistantprofessor of theatre. She earned her bachelor’s degreefrom Loyola University Chicago, her master’s degree fromMichigan State University, and her doctoral degree fromWayne State University.In May 2004, she received the Student Life Award for makinga difference in student life through advocacy, mentoring,PARKER continued from page 1in general have grown in the last 10 years, whichshifted the need for increased technology.Q: What has been the hardest task you havecome across while working here?A: One big challenge the IITS departmentfaced was transitioning our email to Google.We were given the go-ahead by the presidentto start the transition. This was challengingbecause it was actually in the middle of asemester. The project was suspended at onepoint because we couldn’t work on it duringfinals week. When the suspension was lifted,we proceeded. We ended up completingthe transition with no problems. It was a bigaccomplishment for our department.Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: I definitely can say the people I work with arethe best part. Overall, I think UC is a positiveplace. I actually interact with a lot of facultyand staff outside of IITS. I find it makes my jobeasier when I have personal interactions withpeople. On the job side, a huge part of it dealswith troubleshooting and problem-solvingwithout warning. This is great because I enjoyproblem-solving and going to someone withan answer, not just telling him or her I don’tknow. If I don’t know the answer myself, I willfind the person who does.and contributions to studentorganizations. In 2006, shewas promoted to associateprofessor of theatre.Oncampus,Leveringcoordinated “Taste of theArts” to show how much artthere is on campus, in manydifferent forms; it becamean annual event. At the 2017Commencement Ceremony,she received the Dr. Virgil Crisafulli Distinguished TeachingAward, which is given each year to a professor whoexemplifies the highest traditions of teaching.Marijean, who taught, befriended, and mentored thousandsof students, passed away in her hometown of Detroit. OnSaturday, Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Library Concourse,the college community will come together to honor andremember her life. Those present will be welcome to sharememories of her. For those unable to attend, statementsand photos can be sent to provost@utica.edu.CONVOCATION 2017At this year’sConvocation ceremony,the Harold T. Clark Jr.Award was presentedto Donald Rebovich,professor of criminaljustice and executivedirector of the College’sCenter for IdentityManagement andInformation ProtectionRebovich and Provost John Johnsen(CIMIP). The ClarkAward is limited to faculty who have achieved the rank of Professoror Associate Professor, who have a distinguished record ofscholarship and professional accomplishment, and who have thepotential for further excellence.Very special thanks went out to Tim Roye ‘81for traveling across the country to speak athis alma mater. A former member of both TheTangerine and WPNR staffs, Roye is embarkingon his 28th year of working NBA play by play,including two trips to the NBA finals!