As many of us know, this past academic year has been one of several unique challenges. We in OIT have strived to no only maintain the service you expect but continued to excel. We are happy to see that our work has not gone unnoticed. Several of our staff members have been recognized for their work this past year.
Christina Churchill was awarded the Staff Recognition Award for Outstanding Performance 2020–2021. Christina is one of our embedded Academic Technology Service Directors (ATSD). She has made a significant impact within the Cox School of Business since joining us in 2019.
Also receiving an award from the Cox School of Business is Mike Gebreselassie. For the past 15 years, Mike has been a strong force in supporting the Business School’s needs and was also was awarded a Staff Recognition Award.
One of our other ATSDs, Faye Walter, received the 2020 Shining Star Award from the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. Faye joined OIT in March 2020 as the ad Interim ATSD for Dedman and, only eight months ago, became the permanent Dedman ATSD.
We are also very proud to have Shawn Remek receive the coveted “M” Award at the 2021 Hilltop Excellence Awards. The “M” Award is the highest recognition bestowed upon members of the SMU community. Shawn and his team were monumental in the physical transformation to SMUFlex last summer and providing classroom support during such a time of change. On a daily basis, he continues to work to make the University a better place.
We are also saying goodbye to a few members of our team this year.
After 25 years, Steve Snider is retiring. Steve was the go-to guy for many faculty–first with Blackboard and then Canvas–with questions about the Learning Management System. Before that, Steve was the Manager for the Digital Commons, what would now be described as an early maker-space for faculty classroom technology projects.
Also leaving us is Allen Hughes. Allen served for many years as the Director of Systems Services then took on the role of managing the University’s Data Center. Allen oversaw the implementation of ManeFrame II, SMU’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, and the rollout of two-factor authentication on campus.
Teena Newman is also stepping away from SMU this summer for a new adventure in her life. Teena ushered in a new era of project management for OIT when she took on the role of Director of the IT Project Management Office in 2015. Working with University governance and the CIO, Teena’s office created a stable framework and greater visibility for OIT projects.
We are very proud of our OIT family, and we look forward to what the next year has to offer.
