When faculty, staff, and TAs find their computers are crashing or their AV equipment won’t link to their laptops, they call Kathy McGlynn, Anthropology’s IT expert. Kathy troubleshoots technical problems on all department software and hardware and keeps everyone’s systems up-to-date and safe from viruses. As the link between central MSU IT and the department, Kathy helps faculty on everything from small issues (“Is this email safe to open?”) and big issues, like what new equipment to invest in for the department’s future. She also keeps abreast of new industry developments for both Windows and Mac products, updates, and software. “I always have to keep an eye on what is coming down the pike,” she says.
Kathy started working for Anthropology in Fall of 2012 after having worked a few years in ANR. Before that she worked in a corporate environment, where she transitioned to an IT career from one as a graphic designer. As the only one in her company who worked on a Mac, Kathy was self taught and eventually became an informal IT expert. Realizing how much she enjoyed this work, she returned to school and got an IT degree. Kathy has learned to adapt her corporate experience to the unique nature of IT work on an academic campus, where expectations of faculty and students create a different set of pressures. As an MSU alumnae herself, she also enjoys working on campus. When not at work, Kathy can be found working in her garden and spending time with her beloved pets.
This article appears in our Fall 2016 newsletter. Read the entire newsletter here.