University & Community Engagement
Part of IT's mission is to develop and nurture meaningful relationships and collaborations on campus and beyond. Here are just some of the opportunities our team members took to engage with our university partners as well as our wider community this year.
IT's partnership with the Institute for Integrative Conservation
IT partnered with the Institute for Integrative Conservation to support their "Conservation Clinic" initiative. This initiative is a collaborative effort between William & Mary and UCLA to build a technology platform to present conservation research, crowdsource solutions, connect with conservation resources, and advance knowledge and understanding of conservation issues.
The team at W&M, led by Dr. Alexandra Sabo and Dr. John Swaddle of the IIC, is charged with brainstorming and building the technology platform users will access and utilize. We have two students working as interns, Michelle Zhou, and Suhina Dutt, who are taking information from the UCLA team and bringing the conservation platform to life. From IT, Dolores Metcalf, Phil Fenstermacher and Melissa Pettigrew serve as mentors and resources for support on the project.
Student Engagement Opportunities
Cypher Hackathon
During the seventh annual Cypher Hackathon in March, Phil Fenstermacher and Erin Fryer hosted a table at the Hackathon Career Fair, which gave them the opportunity to chat with computer science students about working for IT. Fenstermacher was also able to give them some insight into some of the systems and software he uses as a programmer at the university. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Corinne Picataggi served as a judge for the event.
Showing support during final exams
In May, Melissa Palacios and Erin Fryer hosted a table in Swem Library during final exams. Students were very appreciative and enthused to receive some IT-themed freebies, like W&M screwdrivers, webcam covers and delicious cookies!
W&M IT & Esports
Members of IT have been instrumental in the success of W&M Esports, an exciting new initiative from the university that emphasizes the power of play. Long-time employee John Drummond, academic technology senior strategist for IT, has left his mark on the esports program as an esteemed member of the Esports Advisory Board. As a founder of W&M Esports, Drummond has had a hand in coaching the Rocket League team, designing the STEM & SCRIM™ Esports summer camp, and served as the Technical Director for the EGFC League Championships hosted by W&M.
Speaking of the League Championships, the event could not have been possible without the expertise of Drummond and other IT staff. Baxter Bristow, applications administrator, set up the student analyst desk allowing for seamless transitions between gameplay and the colored commentary of W&M’s own passionate students. Jeff Jolly, network engineer, and Reggie Williams, infrastructure field engineer, ensured stable connection for all 30+ teams participating in the tournament locally or remotely.
Getting to the League Championships took a lot of practice, and thanks to the IT department allocating space in Jones, the teams had a private room to run drills, scrimmage, and more on brand new Alienware gaming stations. Drummond maintains Jones 231 as well as the Esports Training and Research Center (ETARC) housed in Boswell, providing technical assistance that ensures the success of student players.
This summer, W&M Esports is extending its support to the next generation of gamers with the help of W&M IT. The STEM & SCRIM™ Esports summer camp, named by Drummond, will balance the thrill of gaming with the need for wellness in the digital age for young adults. The camp places equal emphasis on the academic and applied aspects of esports, which is where IT steps in to guarantee a slew of gaming stations for the campers.
As the university continues to break new ground with emerging technology, IT is there to help. The passion for esports from both the newly established program as well as IT is palpable, and as a team, the esports community will continue to flourish at W&M.
IT staff volunteer at Slingshot
Kathy Baldwin, director of systems integration & automation, and Shewlyn Chen-Stewart, senior programmer analyst, provided Banner data and information for the Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center's Slingshot event. The event is a fast-paced, team-based competition that provides students with an opportunity to apply entrepreneurial thinking to a real-world problem at W&M.
Additional Involvement
Outside our traditional services, IT provides insights and advisory services to the university and a global technology community. Here are some of the ways we contributed:
University
- Equipment Trust Fund Committee
- Esports Advisory Board
- Internal Communications Council (ICC)
- Institutional Change (IC)
- Parking Committee
- Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance
- Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly membership
- Staff Assembly membership
- Student Conduct and Honor Appeals Board
- Studio for Teaching & Learning Committee
- W&M&You
Community
- Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)
- DC CDO Executive Summit, Women in Data - Widening the Table, Panel Participation
- Educause Chief Data Officer (CDO) Working Group
- Internet2 Business, Procurement, and Legal Advisory Committee (BPLAC)
- Mid-Atlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance (MARIA)
- Virginia Alliance for Secure Computing and Networking (VASCAN)
- Virginia Women in High Performance Computing (HPC)
