DYK Series: Dave Shantz
William & Mary Information Technology is comprised of intelligent and hardworking individuals who exemplify the university’s core values of belonging and respect. Our “Did You Know?” series gives us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on members of our team and introduce others to their work, as well as the unique things that make them tick.
Dave Shantz is a valued member of the W&M IT infrastructure team and has been working for the university since 1997. Over the course of his tenure at W&M, Dave has worked on countless projects, and has witnessed numerous technological advances that keep him from ever getting bored in his work.
An attendee of the electrical engineering program at Virginia Tech, Dave held various IT positions before coming to W&M as a consultant. Dave has witnessed and been a part of the implementation of lots of new technology through the years, including cable TV, wireless internet, and the formation of the IT department as we know it today. Despite the continuous changes and innovations, Dave has remained a fixture in W&M IT and still enjoys the work that he does.
“IT is involved in almost everything across campus and there is always something to do,” said Dave. “Working in IT never feels like the same work because things are constantly changing."
Dave’s role on the infrastructure team includes helping to run the campus network. This work entails buying and installing technology throughout campus and improving edge services for cloud connection through ethernet ports in every building. Dave also specializes in cable TV connections in the dorms and office desktop connections in classrooms. He works heavily with energy and power to make sure that all switches are installed correctly and are properly equipped to sustain power outages and avoid issues. Recently, Dave has played an integral role in the completion of the renovations at Phi Beta Kappa Hall, Monroe Hall and others by working with architectural engineers and designers to make sure these projects can be finished with proper technology.
One of the most memorable projects for Dave has been the renovation of the Blow Hall data center, which was recently completed. This ground-up renovation included a new generator and racks for proper data storage of campus information. This was an interesting project for him to work on because the prior data center needed to be completely changed. He described it as “putting a new foundation on a house” because they needed to work carefully to convert the data to the new system in stages to ensure nothing was lost.
Did you know?
Outside of IT, Dave likes to spend his time motorcycling, sailing, and is even a member of a caving club! He spends most of his time as a member of a local amateur radio club where he helps them improve their emergency radio system.
We are so grateful for all the hard work you have put into making our campus a better place. Thank you, Dave!
