Press Release Results: IT student employees prepare for careers in technology world

Press Release Results:
- Utah State Today: USU IT student employees prepare for careers in technology world

For Immediate Release

December 5, 2012

Contact: Kevin Reeve, kevin.reeve@usu.edu

IT student employees prepare for careers in technology world

There are plenty of odd and irrelevant student jobs in a college town, but what about jobs that provide students with experience and mentoring to jump-start a post-graduation career with companies like Google, Oracle or Apple? Students find that kind of college job experience working for Utah State University’s Information Technology department.

In addition to a full-time staff of more than 75, Kevin Reeve, USU IT Enterprise Architect, said the department also employs about 130 part-time students, including nine student programmers and designers who assist in professional-level projects for USU organizations and departments.

Reeve said, “We place a lot of trust in our student employees to help with big programming and design projects for the university and its organizations, and the students themselves really benefit from the resume-building experience.”

Mike Fotinakis, USU computer science graduate, worked three years as a USU IT web developer/programmer analyst before he graduated in 2010 and was hired as a web developer for Google. Fotinakis said the experience he gained developing and maintaining websites, apps and computer systems for USU IT prepared him for work with a Fortune 500 company.

“I probably learned more from working at USU IT than through my actual major,” Fotinakis said. “The flexibility of the team and the project opportunities definitely helped me gain experience that was valuable when I graduated and came to work at Google.”

John Pope, USU IT programmer analyst, said he mentors other student employees, training them in the skills necessary to find a job in today’s competitive market.

“Our part-time student employees say the main benefit of working for USU IT is the real experience they’re getting in a field they’re interested in while they’re at school,” he said. “It’s great preparation for the real world.”

Callee Christensen, senior in graphic design and photography, has worked as a part-time designer for USU IT since March 2012. She says her experience working with IT programmers on the Huntsman School of Business and other university department websites has prepared her for design in the commercial world.

“IT entrusts us with responsibilities so we can learn and gain experience; I have the same responsibilities as the other full-time designers,” Christensen said. “Now, I get to my design classes and I know how to utilize design in the commercial world. I’m able to design better than I was before.”

For more information about USU IT and its student employees, contact Kevin Reeve, kevin.reeve@usu.edu

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Press Release Results: USU IT releases USU Directory App

Press Release Results:
- Utah State Today: USU IT releases USU Directory App

For Immediate Release

November 12, 2012

Contact: Karlie Brand, IT Communications Assistant, karlie.brand@usu.edu

USU IT releases USU Directory App

Ever needed to know where a professor’s office is located, your academic advisor’s email address or the phone number to a lab or office on campus? There’s an app for that. USU IT recently released the free USU Directory App, providing quick and easy access to contact information of people and places on the USU campus.

The app was created by Jay McEntire of USU IT and took about three months from start to finish to complete.  Both iOS and Apple versions were created and are now available for download on Google Play and the App Store.

McEntire said although a link to the online directory exists on the current USU app, IT determined early on that the function needed to be improved to be accessible to smartphone and mobile device users. The result was a directory app that when opened, functions much like a cell phone contact list. 

“With the new directory app, you can scroll through and find anybody in the university with the touch of your phone,” he said. “You can even call right from the app.”

What’s next from USU IT? McEntire said students can expect a new USU app by the first of 2013 with easy Banner access, athletics and academic calendars, maps with GPS coordinates of Aggie shuttles and more.

For more information, contact Kevin Reeve, USU IT Enterprise Architect, kevin.reeve@usu.edu.

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Press Release Results: Information Technology Helps Streamline Transcript Request Process

Press Release Results: 
- Utah State Today- USU Information Technology Helps Streamline Transcript Request Process
- The Herald Journal- USU students can get transcripts faster, cheaper

For Immediate Release
October 22, 2012
Contact: Karlie Brand, IT Communications Assistant karlie.brand@usu.edu 

USU IT Helps Streamline Transcript Request Process 
Applying for grad school or transferring schools can be difficult, but sending USU transcripts as part of the application process doesn’t have to be. Requesting and sending a USU transcript is now faster, less expensive, and easier than ever, thanks to a combined effort by USU Registrar’s office, Information Technology department, and the National Student Clearinghouse. Roland Squire, USU Registrar, said the Registrar’s office is “really, really excited” about the updated process co-developed by USU IT and the Clearinghouse which allow students to request and send their transcripts electronically through their USU Access/Banner account for only four dollars per transcript. Transcripts are then sent automatically within 15 minutes of the request. “Previously, transcript requests were sent to the Clearinghouse and then sent back to our office to be processed manually.” Squire said. “It’s now a very automatic process.” Setting up the new process, however, was not automatic. Squire said IT’s role was “huge” in co-developing the original beta program with the National Student Clearinghouse to make the new simple process a reality. “A lot of work was done by our IT folks here working with the Clearinghouse to make it happen. The IT folks have been awesome to work with,” Squire said. Carl Ellsworth, IT data operations team lead, said IT has been working on developing and streamlining the transcript ordering process since 2005, and that the latest update is a great improvement. “It may not be very different from a student’s perspective, but the difference in technology is huge,” Ellsworth said. “It’s now completely automated, hands-off process.” Squire said all institutions of higher education in Utah accept the electronic transcripts through the Clearinghouse, and are being accepted by more and more institutions across the nation. For fifty cents more, students also have the option to send a secure PDF transcript. “The benefit to the student is faster delivery of transcripts and more options, the PDF option being a big one for students. Another big benefit is being able to order online, students don’t have to make a trip to the Registrar’s office or send a mail order,” Squire said. USU was one of three Clearinghouse pilot schools and the second to go live with the new streamlined process. Squire said the Clearinghouse would now market and integrate the USU IT developed transcript system to all schools that use Banner. For more information, please contact Kevin Reeve, USU IT Enterprise Architect at kevin.reeve@usu.edu, or Roland Squire at roland.squire@usu.edu.

About USU Information Technology Information Technology provides world-class IT support to the students, faculty and staff at Utah State University. IT Enterprise Data Operations is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining databases across campus, including Banner SSB. For more information, see https://it.usu.edu.
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Press Release Results: USU IT Encourages Students to be Cyber Secure

Press Release Result: Utah State Today- USU IT Encourages Students to be Cyber Secure

For Immediate Release
October 1, 2012
Contact: Karlie Brand, IT Communications Assistant
 
USU IT Encourages Students to be Cyber Secure
 October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and USU Information and Technology (IT) department reminds USU students to be safe Internet consumers by creating strong passwords and being aware and on the lookout for cyber threats. Bob Bayn, USU IT security analyst, said cyber crime is a real issue that affects students everyday. Just Monday, USU students were sent an email message from the Utah State University Police alerting them of various recent online fraud attempts perpetrated, some successfully, against USU students. Bayn said the IT department continues to emphasize that one of the best protections against these cyber threats is a strong password. “We need strong passwords because passwords are becoming increasingly easy to crack,” Bayn said. “The best measure of strength is password length." Bayn said the biggest risk for students is accounts wherever they can suffer financial loss, making bank passwords an obvious target. He said email accounts are also targeted because other passwords may be discovered from email messages. Low profile or seemingly “unimportant” logins are also targeted to gain information to other accounts, which is why he said each login and account must be unique. “Using multiple passwords will protect you from hackers trying to guess or intercept or social engineer your password,” Bayn said. “Sometimes your security efforts just have to be above average while the hackers are picking off the below average victims.” Bayn said besides cracking weak passwords, hackers can also gain access to accounts and personal information through social engineering “phish messages”, pretending to be from email systems, banks, or other online e-commerce services. Bayn said students must be “internet skeptics” and be wary of messages that don’t seem quite right or seem too good to be true. "Making your computer do what you want it to do is only half the job,” Bayn said. “It is equally important to insure that your computer does not do what hackers want it to do." About USU Information TechnologyInformation Technology provides world-class IT support to the students, faculty and staff at Utah State University. For more information, see https://it.usu.edu.
 For questions about security and National Cyber Security Awareness Month, contact Bob Bayn, Information Technology Department Security Analyst bob.bayn@usu.edu
 

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