Cartoon by Karl Leitzel

Meet the Help Desk

Dara Duman

Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management;
Management Science, and Information Systems

After completing my degree in Mechanical Engineering and four years in various leadership positions in the Turkish army, I wanted to diversify my professional qualifications. I decided to leave Ankara, Türkiye where I was born, to come to Penn State where I am now pursuing concurrent master's degrees in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management; and Management Science, and Information Systems.

I joined Help Desk at the Center for Academic Computing in fall 1997, my third semester at Penn State. It has been a very interesting and challenging job; it involves lots of problem diagnosis and problem solving.

I believe, having almost completed my second year as a Help Desk consultant, that an important part of the job is to have a positive rapport with clients: communication skills play a big role in the consulting business. Support from full time staff, which we have enjoyed without any limitation, also helps us as consultants to provide our clients with satisfactory solutions.

In my spare time, I enjoy tasting fine beers my interest is in quality, not quantity playing golf, mountain biking, scuba diving, and playing the occasional soccer match with my friends.

Kolawole Segun

Computer Science and Engineering

I was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. I earned my Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the University of Ibadan. I spent a year as a Programmer/Analyst developing Oracle based applications for a company called Information Projects Ltd, in Lagos, Nigeria, prior to my coming to the United States for graduate study.

I joined the Center for Academic Computing Help Desk in September of 1998. My primary responsibility has been to assist faculty, staff and students with various computer-related problems. Most of the questions I have had to field concern e-mail and connecting to the Internet.

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this job is dealing with people. It often requires lots of patience and perseverance, but I enjoy the opportunity to help others with their problems. It is really satisfying after all is done to see our callers happy and satisfied. It helps to be part of a wonderfully experienced team of individuals who are always willing to help out when there are problems I am unable to resolve by myself.

In my spare time I like to read a good novel, particularly spy thrillers, but I've been known to indulge in science fiction occasionally. I also like to listen to music, and for exercise, I jog and play soccer.

Rajesh Iyer

Mechanical Engineering

I come from a city in India called Bombay. I did my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering in India before coming to the States.

I started my graduate work at the University of Toledo in Ohio and transferred from Toledo to further pursue a Masters in Mechanical Engineering here at Penn State.

While at Toledo I worked for a remote access support group to help students, staff and faculty get connected to the Internet from home, something very close to what we do here at the Help Desk at the Center for Academic Computing.

I enjoy working here at the Help Desk. In fact, I can relate better to the Help Desk office as home on campus rather than my department since I spend more time here. I like working with people and I am glad to consider those with whom I work not just professional colleagues, but friends.

I think the most satisfying part of this job is to succeed in helping someone who has a difficult problem. Of course with the support of able and knowledgeable consultants and full-time staff here, almost any problem can be solved.

When I'm not studying or working at the Help Desk I play tennis, volleyball and I am a great lover of travelling and driving. I love meeting different kinds of people and understanding different walks of life. And I love Penn State!!!

Allen Stubblefield

Educational Psychology

I received my MA in Applied Experimental Psychology in 1994 and I am currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology. My primary responsibilities at the Help Desk include helping computer users solve basic computing problems with email, configuring dial-up connections, transferring files, etc.

When not at the Help Desk I provide in-home computer tutoring as well as statistical consultation. I also spend a good deal of time playing on our home computer with my son Daniel whom, I must brag, is an eight-year-old computer wizard.

What I like most about working at the Center for Academic Computing is the collegial atmosphere. My coworkers are wonderfully diverse, universally share a sense of humor, and are all counted among my friends.

Each member of the Help Desk staff is expected to have a broad base of general computing skills as well as expertise in some area; I specialize in the use of statistical programs such as SAS and SPSS. I also have had an increasing number of Mac users directed to memy favorite callers!

Vivek Bhanu

Computer Science and Engineering

I come from Madras, India. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Madras in May 1999. This is my first semester in Penn State and my first visit to the United States.

I joined the Center for Academic Computing this fall as part of the Help Desk team. I help callers or walk-ins with their computer-related troubles (or otherwise too :).

The Help Desk team is very friendly and helpful. The best part of working at the Help Desk, I think, is the good feeling I get when I manage to help someone, who doesn't know much about computers, get connected.

Reading novels is one of my hobbies; science fiction is my favorite category. I like many sports and am partial to soccer and tennis. Some of my time is spent off-road biking. I'm into rock, especially Pink Floyd. In my spare time I'm doing my Master's in Computer Science and Engineering.

Ruchi Bhargava

Electrical Engineering

I joined the Center for Academic Computing Help Desk in August and like my work here. It feels great to be a part of a friendly group of people and it's satisfying to help people solve their problems. But the best part of work is the amount I learn while trying to find a solution to a problem. Brainstorming for solutions is a regular phenomenon at the Help Desk and everybody chips in with his or her valuable advice.

Before joining Penn State, I worked for two years in the communication software industry. I am a B.E (Instrumentation) graduate from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, India. I have lived in various parts of India but I love my birthplace Delhi the most. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world (if you could get rid of all those polluting vehicles).

My spare time (which seems really little since I've joined school) is spent reading some of my favorite classics, or on a computer. I love the outdoors and love to go canoeing and rafting (in spite of not knowing how to swim!). I love travelling and aim to see all the seven continents in the next five years.