A Deep Dive with Joe O’Dea, University Photographer

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Behind most images and employee headshots found on Empire State University platforms is one talented individual: University Photographer Joe O’Dea, who joined SUNY Empire two summers ago. Much like the art of photography, something about the university clicked with him right away. 

Winter light leaks through the window in four slanted quadrants behind O’Dea. To his left, a six-piece grid arrangement of commencement photographs shot by him. In them, cap-wearing graduates smile—he has captured one of the proudest days of their lives. O’Dea, who is in a polo shirt, rectangular glasses, and headphones, leans slightly to one side in his office chair.  

Irigoyen: Can you tell me about where you’re from and what your upbringing was like?

O’Dea: I was born in Huntington, New York, on Long Island. My family moved to Western Massachusetts when I was young, about a year old, so really, all my memories are of Massachusetts. It was a very rural area on the border of Vermont.  

I enjoyed living further away from things; it was all I knew at that point. You knew your neighbors well; it was a close-knit community. I had some good friends growing up. I also lived a couple of doors down from my grandmother’s house, which was the central hub everyone would come to. There were always people going in and out of her house unannounced. It was a fun, vibrant, and sometimes hectic social situation.

In some ways, it’s funny—it was almost a survival of the fittest scenario, socially speaking. There were a bunch of loud New Yorkers, so everyone was constantly talking over each other, and you had to learn your times to interject and say something funny to get noticed. It was altogether a good experience.  

The humorous undertone in O’Dea’s voice gives dimension to the unruliness of overlapping voices in a conversation. With it comes a strong sense of endearment for his family. The conversation shifts to sibling dynamics. O’Dea shares that he experienced being both the youngest sibling and an older sibling, as his youngest brother was born after he turned 15.

Irigoyen: What were some of your early interests or hobbies?

O’Dea: Music was always a huge one for me. One of my biggest musical influences was my oldest sister, Christi. She used to order CDs through the mail. She had hundreds of them in her room. We would often listen to them—or she would listen to them—and I would absorb some of her musical interests, kind of through osmosis, and learn about music through her. Back in the day, she used to ask me, ‘who does this song?’ as trivia, so I got good at recognizing different musical artists.

I have some vivid memories from when I was fairly young of sitting in my room with my boombox listening to the “Beatles’ Greatest,” or “Odelay” by Beck—one of my first CDs. I came from a fairly musical family. My grandmother was a professional singer in New York, so music was a big part of the atmosphere.

Though music had a steady presence in his upbringing, O’Dea sees his family’s quippy humor as an equally influential factor.

O’Dea: Eventually, I started playing the guitar and got into music more as a hobby. I play the piano as well now, and I’ve done that for a good number of years. I don’t read sheet music; I mostly play by ear, so I’ll look up YouTube videos … I love improvising music.

Irigoyen: I’m curious, what’s your favorite song to play right now?

O’Dea: One song I love playing is “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead.

Mentioning the rock band veers the conversation into a musical tangent. O’Dea explains that the “Paranoid Android” arrangement he plays is by Josh Cohen, a New Zealand pianist. 

Irigoyen: Would you say you’ve always been drawn to visual expression and storytelling?

O’Dea: I used to draw quite a bit when I was younger, that was the early days of exploring some of that artistic side. I also always loved film and TV, and really enjoyed the art in those mediums. I remember being an early teen, and one thing I was drawn to was music videos. I love music videos, and I have hundreds of favorites.

Irigoyen: Maybe it’s not possible to choose one favorite, but if you can, what was your favorite music video, or your favorite film?

O’Dea: One of my favorite movies, which I love, is “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” I enjoy it visually, but it’s more the storytelling that’s interesting to me. I’ve been getting into Charlie Kaufman movies recently. I like his writing style. The reason I would say it’s one of my favorite movies is because it’s something I can watch over and over again. Another one I love is “Midnight in Paris” by Woody Allen.

The reference spurs a discussion about what makes a film have a compelling atmosphere. In the case of “Midnight in Paris,” a combination of lighting, color grading, music, and other elements help construct—and maintain—a sense of longing and nostalgia that feels familiar to viewers, and permeates every scene.

O’Dea: I think what I like about both those movies is that, to some degree, they both have interesting romantic stories or ideas behind them. There’s something about that that’s in some ways sweet, in some ways melancholic—but it’s ultimately interesting. I love the idea of films being meta and having multiple levels in them. Both of those movies nail that in interesting ways.

Irigoyen: What about photography first drew you in?

O’Dea: I kind of stumbled into photography, which was nice. It was a fun way to be introduced to it. I was going on a road trip across the country, living in Texas at the time, and heading to California and through the West. I bought a camera to play around with and learn how to use.

I would go into a nature trail by my apartment at the time, take photos and listen to Simon and Garfunkel. It clicked with me right away—I love to do it.

What’s great about photography is when you’re in the zone with it, you become so focused on the thing that you’re photographing, and you get into a bit of what people call a flow state. You lose touch with yourself in a way that puts you in the moment. That feeling was very stimulating.

I nod. This is a feeling that many creatives know and chase after.

Irigoyen: It’s interesting to get so captivated by something that you forget what you’re even doing in the moment. My next question is: how would you define the role of a photographer?

O’Dea pauses briefly to consider the question.

O’Dea: That can be a complicated question because there are many answers to it. In some ways, photographers are like documentarians. They are there to capture a scene at a very specific moment in time. There’s a lot of power in that, but what I’ve learned over time is that the photographer’s role is to be an active participant in the scene.

I’ve found—specifically with event photography where you’re photographing a lot of people and they’re moving around—that the ways in which you interact with people really changes the scene. You are just as much a part of it as the things you are photographing.

It’s a process of give and take, working in both directions. I don’t think you can ever take the photographer out of the scene. The kind of energy that you put into the situation alters the energy that you get from it.

Irigoyen: It’s almost like a two-way mirror—I hadn’t thought of it that way. So, how did you formally get into photography as a career?

O’Dea: I completely fell in love with photography. I was working in restaurants and interning at nonprofits in Austin, Texas—I thought I was going to work in the nonprofit sector.

After work, I would close the restaurant up and go to 6th street—the big party street of Austin. I would head there with my camera at night, take photos of whatever I could find out on the street, and throw my photos up on Instagram.

People were giving me positive feedback, and as a nonprofit intern, I was offered a couple of opportunities to go shoot some events for them. I did it for free—I figured, if I offer to do this, I’ll get better at it and gain access to photograph more of the things I am interested in.

At some point, my sister sent me a Facebook page called “Humans of Austin,” which was similar to “Humans of New York,” who would go around taking photos of people in New York and interview them. A couple of graduate students in Austin started their own version of it.

I eventually began to work with them. I’d go out on the street, take photos of people in Austin, and do interviews with them. I learned all sorts of things from people. They have this amazing ability to surprise you in so many ways with things you would never have known about them. It was a great opportunity to peer behind the curtain into people’s lives.

I would take someone’s photo first, then interview them, and then take photos afterwards. I found that the images I would get after the interview were so different from the photos beforehand.

Irigoyen: It’s interesting how that illustrates what you were saying before about having a positive disposition when you interact with a scene, and how that can impact what you get when you photograph someone.

O’Dea: Absolutely. After that, I found a job posting for a place called Chive Media Group for a photographer’s assistant position, so I applied. I was wildly unqualified, but I did well in the interview and got the job. I spent all my time looking at YouTube videos and taking photos to learn as fast as humanly possible because I felt I didn’t know enough about photography at the time. I became the head photographer there, but that was years later.

Irigoyen: I’m assuming you’ve taken thousands upon thousands of images, but if you have a favorite, can you describe it for me?

O’Dea asks for a moment to scroll through his online portfolio before he settles on an image and begins telling the story behind it.

O’Dea: When I was working at Chive Media Group, we did a piece on a man who ran a neon light business. He had created a neon sign for an area on the top floor of our workplace, so we went there to take photos and videos of him. It was a place out in the hills in Texas, very far from where we were based, kind of like a warehouse or a large shed, which was his workshop. I loved all the gritty textures, and the lighting coming from all the neon lights, which we supplemented by adding a couple of lights. He, as a character, was also so cool.

My grandfather was a carpenter; he used a lot of hand tools and had his workshop in the basement. I love watching people in the process of making things. I thought it was a cool shot—I like that one a lot.

Irigoyen: What do you wish people knew about your work as a photographer?

O’Dea: How difficult a good headshot can be. I wish every single headshot that I took was an absolute home run, but if I’m honest, it’s a very hard art to refine. I work hard to make them as good as I possibly can, but there are so many elements that go into it—the lighting, the setup, the angle, and the expression you’re getting from the subject. It’s satisfying when you do get what you’re looking for, but it’s a difficult thing to do.

That being said, please feel free to come by and get your headshot taken during Annual Meeting. We set up every year, and for some of our other university events as well. We try to use every opportunity to get updated headshots for people, and I’m always happy to update headshots if you want to come to different sessions. Sometimes we don’t nail it the first time, but hopefully, we’ll get something that you really love.

Irigoyen: Next question: what is your favorite photography tip?

From his mental repository of photography knowledge, O’Dea carefully selects what to share.

O’Dea: When you’re adjusting the levels of a photo while editing, I’ve found it can be helpful to turn the photo black and white when doing that. That way, you’re only looking at the tones of the image, and you’re not being bogged down with the color.

Other than that, one of the biggest things for me with photography is overcoming social anxiety, or fear that someone will reject what you’re doing, and immersing yourself as much as possible in the scene. Getting over the fear of talking to someone, asking to take their photo, or putting a camera in someone’s face—obviously with respect—that’s the other tip. Try to push yourself past those social limitations.

Irigoyen: What is your favorite thing to talk about?

O’Dea: I went to college for anthropology, so I very much see humans as animals. I feel like people lose touch with that, and through all of our endeavors, we are slowly relearning that the things that connect us with nature are the things that are healthiest and best for us. I’m trying to live in a way that is more connected with our roots—it’s something that I find to be increasingly important.

Irigoyen: Last one—what is your advice for aspiring photographers?

O’Dea: For me, I found that it was useful to offer to photograph things for free. In the beginning, it gave me the opportunity to go places and take photos of people, or events, or artists—just all sorts of random projects that people wanted. It’s a nice way to build your skills.

Behind the Scenes with the Office of the Registrar

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Labeled the hub of academic operations at most universities, registrars’ offices oversee student registration, degree audits, transfer credits, and are responsible for conferring degrees at the end of a student’s journey. At Empire State University, the Office of the Registrar is interwoven with the student lifecycle—they are guides from beginning to end, ensuring that the unique paths of students are on track and adhering to the necessary requirements.

University Registrar Pamela Enser, Assistant Registrar Joey Van Ullen, and Assistant Registrar for Concurrence Amanda Parker take us for a behind-the-scenes look at the office’s backend processes. Enser has been with the university since 2017, Van Ullen joined two years ago, and Parker has been part of the team for three and a half years.

What does your work entail?

Van Ullen: On the records and registration side we assist students daily with registration inquiries. Our side of the office also handles grading and academic standing.

In my role, I work with the colleges preparing the term guide every term, as well as doing maintenance on our course catalog. We also do general student record maintenance.

Parker: I work on the other side of the office, which consists of transfer review, graduation review, Degree Works audits, and concurrence review. We handle the other end of things, making sure that we get all the students’ transfer credits evaluated and added to their records, that their Degree Works audits are showing accurate information … and the technical review of individualized degree plans. Also, of course, awarding degrees.

Enser: We also certify veteran students’ benefits, so if they receive any financial assistance, we do that. We issue transcripts and provide any kind of enrollment or degree verification for students, as well as printing and sending diplomas. We also help to oversee a bunch of different software—for example, CourseLeaf, the curriculum software.

We pretty much touch upon students during their entire lifecycle—we are one of the only offices that do that. We work with students sometimes before they enroll … we have a touchpoint at each part of the process.

Van Ullen: A lot of times, I’ve heard a registrar’s office is the hub of a university. A lot of other offices come to us, and we have to go to a lot of other offices for things. We don’t deal with financial aid, but a lot of students’ financial aid is based on their enrollment.

Enser: We also report any kind of student enrollment to the National Student Clearinghouse, which then reports to the National Student Loan Database. We work very closely with the Office of Decision Support when it comes to any kind of SUNY reporting.

What is the biggest challenge that your office has to navigate?

Enser: The sheer amount of transfer work that we deal with is significant due to the type of student that we usually have. Usually, they come in with an average of five transcripts from different schools over different time periods, which is a lot of transfer work for a typical institution.

Van Ullen: I’m going to speak specifically about the term guide, which is looking at the course schedule each term and what we need. One of the unique things about Empire State University is that most other institutions—particularly institutions that serve a more traditional student population—tend to have a lot of their registration front-loaded. Here, it’s kind of the opposite.  Our registration is more of a consistent flow because of the fact that students are getting admitted at various points throughout the year. A lot of times, our biggest registration rush is the month leading up to the term.

We are an access institution and it’s important that we are able to keep track of these trends and make note of when it’s a good time to be opening new sections. It usually means that we have a lot of shuffling to do … to make sure that we’ve got seats for the students who need it, that students are able to have a full-time course load so they can get financial aid if that’s what they’re looking for, and make sure that they have courses that are going to be applicable to them.

Parker: Because Empire State University is such a unique institution, our problems and challenges are a bit unique. The transfer piece is huge, because most schools don’t experience that volume of transfer coming in. We are also dealing not just with transfer credits from other colleges and universities, but also prior learning evaluations, professional learning evaluations, individualized credit for prior learning, and trying to get those all onto the records accurately and verify them can be a real challenge.

Enser: I can speak directly to an initiative that we started and worked on last year where we were able to identify students who were eligible to receive a general studies degree without any additional credits. We were able to award over 400 general studies associate degrees between the fall and the spring term. We’ll be doing that every term, but that was one of our tactics originally initiated by the strategic plan.

There’s a lot of things that we do that lead towards supporting the strategic plan and the mission of the institution. I am on the University Retention Council and there’s a lot of work that we do with Degree Works. Finding different ways to help students access information to enable their ability to successfully complete things in a timely manner.

We’re always looking at different technology to help support those roles. For example, we use a product called Laserfiche, which we use for optical character recognition software to more effectively bring data into the system when it comes to transcripts … we’re also going to be implementing a new scheduling tool that will help not only with the work of scheduling, but providing analytics to look at what and how we are offering to best serve our students.

Van Ullen: An important thing we do is always striving for accurate data. Data is the most important piece of looking at institutional effectiveness, because if your data is not accurate, then you don’t really know how things are going.

Parker: Concurrence review is how we check that the degree program meets the university, SUNY, and state requirements for that type of degree. From a concurrence standpoint, we’re supporting our students—especially those who have unique backgrounds and have a lot of credits coming in—to plan their individualized degree.

We see some interesting degree concentration titles because people have specific goals in mind, or because they have broad goals and they’re trying to get into a new field.

That’s how we support students … because we do a technical review of those degrees, we make sure that they are meeting the requirements that are set forth by the university, by SUNY, and by the State Department of Education to make sure that the integrity and value of a SUNY Empire degree is maintained.

What do you wish people knew about the work that you do?

Parker: We are making sure that the technical requirements of the degrees are being met. We enforce policies, and sometimes that makes us seem a bit like the bad guys. I wish people understood that it’s for the benefit of everyone—we want to make sure that those degrees have value. We want to make sure that things are equitable, so that all students are getting the same opportunities.

Van Ullen: I think sometimes people lose track of the fact that we have the same goals that mentors have, that student success coordinators have, that faculty have. We want students to succeed, and ultimately, we’re on this mission together. We heavily adhere to policy, but policy exists most of the time for a reason.

Enser: Seeing us as a partner is a goal that we have. We look to working with faculty and other offices as a way to keep relationships beneficial for students and find the best paths to ensure our students are successful and can meet the goals they have set. There’s a lot from SUNY that we are actively involved in. I am the transfer liaison on behalf of our institution for the SUNY Academic Momentum Campaign. If people have questions about that, they can always reach out.

What’s the best part of your job?

Van Ullen: The best part of my job is being able to solve an issue for a student.

The best part of the day is when you get on the phone with an exasperated student who can’t figure it out, and you spend 10 minutes with them, calm them down, walk them through it, and get them registered. They’re always so thankful that you were able to do that, so even though in my particular role I don’t get a ton of that on an everyday basis, when I do get an opportunity, it’s always great.

I think everyone who gets into higher education does it because they want to help students reach their goals, so even in the smallest ways on a day-to-day basis, it makes the job fulfilling.

Parker: Our office is amazing, and working with the people in it is one of the best parts of my day. Pam Enser has built an amazing team. We’ve got great people, and we’ve bonded in a meaningful way—it’s just lovely to work with people who all are working towards the same goals and who really care about the mission.

Enser: We’re a pretty big office—we’re at 30 people right now. The best part of my job is solving problems. Being in a registrar’s office, you’re constantly trying to find unique ways to figure out something new. It can be anything, and I enjoy that.

A Deep Dive with Desiree Drindak, Director of Veteran and Military Resource Center

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Desiree Drindak, military spouse and director of the Veteran and Military Resource Center, has worked at Empire State University for 18 years. Her background in military education and personal experiences in military family life make her a compassionate support figure for the military and veteran families that form part of the SUNY Empire community. Through educational programming, community events, and individualized support, Drindak uplifts this student population and fosters an inclusive environment.

Drindak’s image on the screen is glazed by bright, natural light. Her long hair is in a low ponytail draped over her left shoulder. She wears drop earrings with a lozenge-cut lilac stone held in place by an intricate silver frame, and a blue SUNY Empire lanyard around her neck.

Irigoyen: Do you like working here?

Drindak: I do. I tell people all the time that I have the best job. I’ve worked in military education basically my entire career, I believe in the mission of Empire State University, and that we are a great fit for military and veteran students and their families.

Irigoyen: Can you tell me a bit about how you grew up?

Drindak: I am a first-generation college student. I grew up here in the Capital District, and I went to Burnt Hills High School. My husband is also from Burnt Hills; we grew up together and will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary in December. Not only did my husband and I grow up together—I’ve known him since the third grade, though we did not date until after college—but I also met my best friend in the second grade. I have two staples that have known me almost my entire life.

I have a lot of family that is not actually blood-related to me that I spend the most time with. Family can be defined in a variety of ways, but I think having a best friend and a husband that have known me my entire life, make me have a comfort that a lot of people don’t necessarily have throughout their lifetime. I appreciate and value the fact that I have had them through the ups and downs of life.

Her eyebrows raise to convey emphasis. She continues:

Drindak: I finished my master’s degree before I got married, but as a military spouse, I had a really hard time finding a job. Although I had fantastic mentors and a support system in the space I was in before I graduated and got married, it did not help me in learning to be a military spouse or understanding the commitment I had just made beyond committing to my husband.

I did a lot of temping and side jobs—anything I could do to pay my student loans—because I could not get hired until someone gave me a chance. That was, for me, the Navy College Office at Norfolk, Virginia, which would have been probably three years after I got married and my husband had moved to his first official duty station.

At that time, I’d had an opportunity to go into more traditional higher education, and I made the decision to move into military education to work as a Navy college counselor. So, I took a route intentionally to work on the Navy base and ended up getting laid off through government contracts about eight weeks after. But, in those eight weeks, I connected with another university who was looking to hire a part-time representative for the area … and I worked for them.

 From a career stance, they gave me my start. It was a brand-new program, brand new role at the university in the Norfolk area, and it was basically mine to build. By the time I left, there were two other full-time people who worked in the area, so it was a great opportunity. I think it helped with my ability to be adaptable and flexible, and I also found a passion in assisting military members working on active-duty bases.

I worked there for about four years, and then my husband got deployed and my mother got sick.

The emotional weight of the memory feels tangible. 

Drindak: That’s a moment in time that is very hard to swallow … I made the decision to move home with my daughter. My husband was deployed for two years straight, and my mother had cancer, so I came home, and I was able to support her.

There are sometimes blessings in your life that you don’t see as blessings when you get them. But, if my husband hadn’t been deployed, I would not have been able to come home and be with my mom—my mother is fine, she is cancer-free now. There were two very hard things happening, and something which one would never want to have to experience allowed me to do something that I would not have been able to do for my mother.

That’s how we ended up back here in New York—when my husband finished his deployment, we made the decision that he would go reserve instead of active duty. I was here and had community when he was deployed … I really appreciate and value the people that I work with because they were what I needed at that time.

All the care she received from her community, and all it meant to her, comes through in her voice.

Drindak: Because of my background in military education, I came to Empire State University as a pre-enrollment advisor—the first pre-enrollment advisor to be hired alongside Diana Centanni in the Center for Distance Learning. Then, I became a military advisor and also reviewed prior learning assessments (PLAs).

When the university created the Office of Veteran and Military Education, once the GI Bill was instated, I got pulled into this new office under the leadership of Linda Frank … it became a college-wide initiative. We were an office within the Center for Distance Learning, and then became a college-wide office. I was an academic program coordinator and had oversight of our outreach and recruitment. When Linda retired, I became interim, and then eventually, director of the Office of Veteran and Military Education.

We launched the VMRC two years ago, and have broadened our scope to support not only the educational pursuits of our military and veteran families, but to support community engagement and veteran’s organizations within our community.

Irigoyen: Thank you for sharing. What is one valuable lesson you’ve learned through being on this path?

She takes a moment to absorb the question, which catches her off guard.

Drindak: The first thing is that every day is a blessing, because life changes instantly. The reality is there are a lot of emotions that go into being a military family. There’s so much that you give of yourself—I think you have to take advantage of being with your friends, family, and blessings.

For me, it’s also about enjoying the work that I do … and being as positive as you can, making the best of difficult situations, which also means being adaptable, and flexible, and trying to do the best you can regardless of the situation. There’s a lot we can be grateful for, even when there are a lot of challenges.

Irigoyen: That is why the work you are doing is so important—because you are holding so much for so many people, and for this community. It sounds like it’s all about found family, and the strength of that community.

Drindak: We have our Navy family, which we met during our first duty station and our husbands all ended up being at school together, but even now, 25 years later, we still all get together—we are a Navy family.

You find the family where you can be supported—especially within a military community—that becomes your own. That becomes your life … that you choose, but you don’t necessarily know what you’re getting yourself into when you start this roller coaster of a life.

Irigoyen: Could you tell me what your proudest achievement is at Empire State University?

Drindak: The VMRC for sure.  We have a great team and the opportunity to be able to build this space for our students, but also for our community, is making an impact in a way that I never thought possible previously … I have an amazing team, so I think that combination makes a big difference in being excited about coming to work—the energy we have and how excited people get when they come here … they’re always so appreciative of this beautiful space we have. So, to me, I think it’s the VMRC and being able to launch that and broaden our umbrella, the scope of services that we provide to military and veteran families.

Irigoyen: What needs do you see in the military and veteran community and how does your work at the university aim to help?

Drindak: The UNITE Professional Development Series, which is supported by a foundation grant. Four years ago, we brought in a speaker, and it was a professional development series … part of the Unite series is about engaging our virtual campus community to be embedded into the work that we are doing at the VMRC—hearing student stories, honoring our students, learning about the resources that are there.

It’s about encouraging people to learn and engage at their own pace, but also hit those five pillars within the UNITE series, which are: understand, nurture, inspire, transition, and empower.

She explains some more of her office’s programming, and mentions a video resource for spreading awareness about military and veteran life: 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know. The video’s aim is to educate those outside the military and veteran community on how to engage with those who form part of it while keeping care and respect at the forefront. 

Drindak: It’s a great baseline training.

Irigoyen: What is the most important advice you give to military and veteran students?

Drindak: You can do it. It’s more about breaking down that barrier in your mind. That’s what I tell people: you can do this, and we are here for you. We’re going to support you … most of our students are coming with some college experience, they are extraordinarily capable and they are excellent students. Sometimes they just need that little extra push to say, you can do this, this is worth it—you have the ability and capability.

Irigoyen: Encouragement and support take people very far.

Drindak: And, it could be that you’re closer than you think.

Irigoyen: Especially with the emphasis on credit for prior learning (CPL) here, and programs sometimes accepting work experience for college credit. We really work with what students have going on, and more often than not, they have more than they think.

What do you hope those who interact with your office leave with?

Drindak: Our goal is to build community. Something has that has definitely been working is spending a lot of time over the last year and a half is building out our chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA). Building that community is something that is extraordinarily challenging in a virtual environment for people who are typically working full-time and have families

Community, to a military person, is extremely important, and from a retention perspective, it’s also important to feel connected. We want them to feel connected not just to the university, but to their fellow students. Developing that community within the student club, and knowing that we, the VMRC, are here, shows they have a lot of people they can lean on as they pursue their degree. We also get a lot of engagement from our alumni, who are typically included in our programming because of that community aspect.

Irigoyen: If you could do it all over again, what would you tell yourself?

The question stirs emotion in Drindak, whose journey has been difficult but rewarding.

Drindak: As challenging as it’s been, I would do it all again, because I have a beautiful family and my daughter is the light of my life. So, I guess probably the same thing I tell students: You can do it. You’re going to make it. It’s going to be okay. That would be the advice, because no military spouse ever goes into this knowing what they’re actually going to experience. But you’re going to make it, and it’s worth it, so keep on moving forward and it’ll all come together in the end.

Irigoyen: It sounds like that community will also be there to support that.

Drindak: 100 percent. That family—whether blood or not—is going to be there to support you through it. Having those friends, that family, a good community around you… it makes all the difference.

Irigoyen: Are you ready for the final question?

We both laugh. Throughout the interview, we’ve learned that sometimes, a well-intentioned question can make unexpected emotion surface.

Drindak: I hope so.

I reassure her that this will be a fun one.

Irigoyen: Tell me something about yourself that most people do not expect—something people would find surprising about you.

Drindak: See, this is the fun question, and also the hardest question … I love photography. It’s probably why I comment to Joe O’Dea how fantastic he is. I love taking pictures, being outside in nature, hiking. I live in the woods, so to me, that’s not necessarily surprising, but that creative side isn’t something people usually see … I love hummingbirds. Maybe that’s my thing—I have five different hummingbird feeders. I love having lots of flowers on my porch and hummingbirds through the summer.

Irigoyen: Do you have a favorite photo?

Drindak: My best pictures are when I’ve taken a picture of my daughter and she is actually smiling … when you can get a genuine emotion, you can really capture the moment.

Five-Minute Feature: Anne Sweet, Associate Director of the Veteran and Military Resource Center

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Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now!

What led you to your career path?

My career started out with a variety of jobs on campus as a student, then sticking around after I graduated. Once I married into the military, the advantage of higher education became clear; there’s always a college or university near the base.

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire?

My favorite thing about SUNY Empire is how we honor the many ways our students learn. Whether it’s using more transfer credit, Professional Learning Evaluation of certificates and licenses, or exploring individualized Credit for Prior Learning, we have so many options for students to get the credit they deserve.

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?

Maintaining my career despite moving around the country and the world is a big point of pride for me.

What song always makes you want to dance?

I’m more of a wallflower these days, but the right 90s hits can always get me out on the dance floor.

What’s one thing you feel is important to share this Veteran and Military Families Month?

Military culture can take some getting used to, but it creates an amazing environment for collaboration. The shared experience and language are a shortcut in getting to know our teammates and understanding how to work together.

Investing in Education with Adjunct Professor of Macroeconomics Karla Soria Barreto

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Karla Soria Barreto is a Peruvian national living in Chile, and for the past year now, an adjunct professor of macroeconomics for Empire State University’s Spanish BBA program. While her arrival in the world of teaching was circumstantial, in it, she found a true vocation for shaping the minds of learners.

“You become a role model for young people. It’s something to take on with great responsibility,” states Soria, who, as an educator, aims to challenge her students academically but remain a figure of support. The key to maintaining this balance? Sensitivity for the competing priorities students may have, and how those can affect their academic performance.

Originally from Lima, Peru, Soria has resided in Chile for the past 33 years—first in Santiago, for her bachelor’s degree, and then in Coquimbo, where she joined Universidad Católica del Norte. Her appreciation for the variety of Spanish-language dialects, and for linguistic diversity at large, stems from her experience of different geographic contexts.

Since 2024, she has been actively involved in shaping Spanish BBA course modules, particularly Introduction to Macroeconomics. The course, which was sourced from the English-language BBA program at SUNY Empire, has been adapted into Spanish and tailored to reflect cultural distinctions. Its asynchronous format, as with all Spanish BBA courses, is meant to decrease obstacles to learning so students may balance academic coursework with other responsibilities.

When asked about the possibilities of bilingualism for students, Soria explains that “English is the language of science… it gives you a global vision of the world.” At the same time, “Spanish is also a major language. It facilitates communication across almost all of the Americas,” she says. Combining both languages makes for a well-rounded perspective, along with the ability to reach across borders and cultures.

Education shapes lives. In this truth, Soria discovered the value of being an educator, which sustains her passion for teaching to this day. “I first came to teaching without much planning, but one learns to value the impact they can make,” she comments. To Soria, being a professor is much like polishing diamonds in the rough in the hopes of helping students discover fulfilling career paths.

A crucial component of her role in that process is providing encouragement— “A motivated student learns,” she explains, “Students value and mirror your attitude, development, and skills.” Hence, she does her best to lead by example in the classroom, and demonstrate the investment in course content she hopes to inspire in each student.

This trajectory is not without its challenges. “The generational gap keeps growing,” says Soria, “we must try to speak their language to truly connect.” Considering this obstacle to connecting with students, she believes “we have to give them a differentiating factor,” something that helps students believe and become invested in their own academic journeys.

“Economics teaches you that there are multiple needs and limited resources—you must be efficient. Nothing is free; every decision has an opportunity cost,” says Soria. This is why she believes the discipline of economics is an important one to study—beyond achieving an understanding of supply and demand, or understanding tariffs, it contains valuable lessons applicable to the everyday.

To Soria, SUNY Empire’s Spanish BBA—with its international faculty and ability to accommodate diverse students regardless of location—represents a chance to advance and strengthen multiculturalism in higher education. “Education drives progress. It allows people to improve their quality of life,” she says. “Opportunities come only once; you have to take the challenge and move forward. What better way to learn than in your native language?” she adds, encouragingly.

Soria’s own academic formation in economics guides her perspective to this day. One of the most important insights she has derived from her field is “to value everything you receive.” To students, current and future, she says: “Education is the path toward greater wellbeing. Learning stays within you.”

Five-Minute Feature: Tom Wiese, Assistant Professor of Analytics

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Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now!

What led you to your career path?

My story isn’t all that different from many of our students’. I was the first in my family to attend and complete college, and I was primarily raised by a single mother, spending much of my childhood living with her and my grandparents.

I completed most of my BS degree while serving in the Navy (2006–2011), taking asynchronous courses and CLEP exams. I still remember reading a chemistry textbook for an online class while sitting on top of a live torpedo aboard a submarine in the Persian Gulf during my second deployment.

After graduating, I started working full-time as an engineer and used my employer’s tuition assistance to earn my MBA from Penn State. Later, I completed my Ph.D. in Information Science, still working full-time, raising a growing family with my wife and our three kids, and teaching as an adjunct at SUNY Farmingdale and Columbia University.

In 2021, I joined SUNY Empire to fulfill my lifelong goal of teaching full-time. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of developing the MS in Applied Analytics programs, and serving as MBA Academic Coordinator. Recently, my research has focused on veteran quality-of-life issues. I’ve analyzed ten years of Wounded Warrior Project survey data to track how U.S. veterans have been doing over time, and I’ll be presenting the findings at the Fall Academic Conference.

All this to say, I believe that my experiences are like those of many of our military and veteran students. I understand, at least in part, the challenges they face balancing service, education, and family. It’s been a real honor to support them, share my story, and learn from theirs. 

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire?

The best part of being at SUNY Empire is the opportunity to serve our incredible students, and recent graduates who are striving to advance their knowledge and reshape their careers. Many are balancing jobs, building families, and working tirelessly to create better lives for themselves. Their dedication deeply resonates with me. Having experienced similar challenges myself, like working full-time, raising children, and pursuing higher education simultaneously, I feel a profound connection to their journeys. It is truly an honor to play even a small role in their academic and professional transformation.

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?

One of the most meaningful experiences in my career involved a student who had sustained a traumatic brain injury during military service. They were apprehensive about studying data analytics, concerned that the rigor might be overwhelming. However, their medical professional encouraged them to take on analytical work as a form of therapy in order to strengthen cognitive function.

As both their academic advisor and instructor for several courses, I had the privilege of working closely with them throughout the program. Their resilience, discipline, and perseverance were nothing short of inspiring. When they completed their M.S. in Applied Analytics, they shared that the program had motivated them to pursue a doctoral degree in the field. Seeing their transformation and renewed sense of purpose remains one of the most rewarding parts of my professional journey.

What’s one thing you feel is important to share this Veteran and Military Families Month?

This month has been especially challenging for many service members and military families. The ongoing government shutdown has disrupted pay and significantly reduced the availability of services from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

To our military community, I want to say this: I see you. I remember what it was like to miss birthdays, holidays, and long stretches of time with loved ones. We should all take a moment to reflect on how difficult it must be for families who depend on a service member’s income—for partners raising children alone during deployments, or for those anxiously waiting at home when a paycheck doesn’t arrive.

Many military families live paycheck to paycheck, and the uncertainty of this moment adds a heavy burden. Yet, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that the veteran and military community embodies resilience, courage, and unwavering strength. We have weathered challenges before, and we will overcome this one too.

What fictional world would you move to if you had the chance?

I’d love to live in the world of Star Trek, exploring brave new worlds and making contact with new civilizations. Imagine existing in a utopian society without the need for money, where resources are abundant and humanity is united by a shared spirit of exploration and discovery. I genuinely hope our future looks something like that, minus any meddling from Q, of course!

Five-Minute Feature: Matt Quinn, Veteran and Military Resource Center Manager

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Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now!

What led you to your career path? 

It wasn’t a straight path, as I never knew what I wanted to do, so I started trying different things.  At Empire, I’ve had the chance to work in multiple areas.  What they’ve all had in common was opportunity to work with or serve the military community indirectly or, like now, directly in the VMRC.

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire? 

The cast of characters I’ve met here is one of my favorite parts of Empire.  My first mentee was a Spanish paratrooper who was always so excited to talk, and to have the opportunity to complete his degree. The 93-year-old WW2 veteran with his stories about the arctic convoys to Murmansk, and facing the typhoon that hit Hawaii while working on the movie “Waterworld.”  Empire’s own Jim McMahon, who had a story or two for every occasion.  Also, traveling to military bases throughout the country brought me to some amazing places I likely never would have seen.  

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?   

I can’t really point to one moment, but the VMRC has been hosting the transition assistance program for about a year now.  When you hear from military personnel, instructors, and presenters from all different industries that your location is the best place they’ve ever attended, it’s rewarding.

What’s the best street food or snack you’ve ever tried? 

That’s a tough one, there were some amazing food trucks doing the rounds in Irvine, CA. You couldn’t go wrong with one of those.

What’s one thing you feel is important to share this Veteran and Military Families Month?  

Honor veterans as a group, but remember they’re individuals as well.  All veterans’ experiences were different, different branches as well.  As you get to know or work with veterans, you’ll see the individuality of each. 

Behind the Scenes with Information Technology Services

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Empire State University’s success as an online university is sustained, in large part, by the work of Information Technology Services (ITS)—an office made of six internal divisions, ranging from user experience to business affairs and communications. Learn about some of the office’s responsibilities, initiatives, and objectives through the experiences of three staff members in this new segment of Behind the Scenes.  

Eric Grignon is deputy chief information officer (CIO) and assistant vice president of IT and has been at Empire State University since November 2021. Van White is a CRM architect and joined the university three years ago, though he is new to his role at ITS. Allison Bloome is the senior service desk technician, and has been at the university for two years, with the last six months being in her current position.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Grignon: A typical workday for me has a lot of meetings. Many of these meetings are collaborating directly with ITS and SUNY Empire staff and leadership to ensure that we are working toward the priorities of the institution while continuing to maintain services that keep the university running.

One of my primary responsibilities as deputy CIO is to be involved in the executive decision process, informing leadership on the capacity and availability of IT resources and staffing. Many of my meetings involve building relationships across divisions of the university and externally with our partners, vendors, and suppliers. By building and maintaining these relationships, I can free up our IT staff to do the work that is most beneficial to the institution while I remove barriers and provide answers.

Bloome: I imagine that our workdays look vastly different from one another. For me, a typical workday involves responding to support tickets from students, faculty, and staff. We also take phone calls, live chat, and email as additional ways of reaching out. A lot of those issues range from password resets and multi-factor authentication setups to software troubleshooting—sometimes even some light hardware diagnosis and help with network issues. The Service Desk also assists with monitoring system alerts and collaboration with other ITS teams as we escalate tickets to resolve them.

White: A typical day for me involves doing support work around the CRM, which stands for customer relationship management. We think about it as student relationship management. A CRM system is a great way to take a lot of manual tasks you may do every day, whether it’s data entry or having to navigate multiple screens to find a certain piece of information … and set up processes to reduce the amount of time you spend doing mundane things, giving you the time back to build relationships with students.

So, managing data integration from our enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems like Self-Service Banner, Brightspace, and others we have, such as tutoring software, and doing a lot of CRM work for Student Support and Outreach, but overall … managing the CRM strategy for the university as a whole. Looking at the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Support and Outreach, the Office for Advancement, and saying, ‘What are the needs here? What system do we need in place to meet those needs, and how should it be programmed?’

Essentially, every CRM system is a blank slate, so when it’s adopted, the institution needs to build it out to make it work for you. A lot of my days, I have conversations like that, doing a needs analysis, testing, and then delivering a final product to an office or group of users who are looking to be more efficient.

What would you say your office’s primary goals are?

Grignon: ITS’s primary goal is to serve as a strategic partner for the institution. We do this by providing high-quality, reliable, and available technology solutions, support, and guidance to the university community. To accomplish this, we have developed our goals and tactics to ensure the work we do aligns with the strategic priorities of the institution, and reviewed our offerings and services to align with the needs of our diverse faculty, staff, and student populations. We strive to provide superior technical support, infrastructure, software, and technical solutions to meet the needs of Empire State University.

Bloome: In a very broad sense, our primary goal is to provide reliable, secure, and accessible technology that ultimately supports our academic mission for students. That includes a lot of things, which is why we have so many teams within ITS—maintaining infrastructure, cybersecurity, supporting digital learning platforms, and on my end, delivering responsive technical support to all users—not just students—which is especially important within an online university.

White: The thing I would like to add is: giving our students, staff, and faculty the confidence and empowerment to utilize the systems that we have. It’s really difficult to learn a new system … so we want users to feel empowered in their day-to-day and give them confidence to use those systems, know that they will work, and that they will help them is part of our mission as well.

What is the hardest part of your job?

Grignon: One significant difficulty in my role is working to balance the competing priorities and technical needs that are requested from ITS. Although we strive to provide the best support possible, we have limited resources that must be managed properly to ensure that the work we do is in the best interest of the institution and in furtherance of the strategic plan.

We continue to evaluate opportunities for ITS to increase operational efficiencies through process automation, defined service offerings, and continual iterative improvements. This includes our management of work in progress, as well as the intake of requests, prioritizing and triaging of issues, requests, and new technical deployments.

Bloome: The hardest part of my job is balancing a high ticket and call volume with the need to be thorough and empathetic. A lot of users … aren’t necessarily tech-savvy, so it can take a lot of patience and clear communication to guide them through the solutions that we have, especially when those issues are complex or time-sensitive.

Timeliness is oftentimes an issue when students are running up against deadlines—I think it’s important to be empathetic in that regard because a lot of times for us at the Service Desk, we are maybe one of three or four ITS people that a student will speak to in the entire time that they’re here. In a lot of ways, it’s us being one of the faces of the university for them.

White: For me, I’d say managing expectations. I’m not student-facing … I only work with staff and not too much of the faculty yet. That’ll start happening, which I’m looking forward to.

We’re used to a world where we can get things very fast … and it’s very hard for us to wait. When people request changes, or want a new process, it’s about managing those expectations for how long that’s going to take to build and what the possibilities are. I love that we dream big here when it comes to systems and what they can do, but sometimes those things aren’t possible—everything has limitations. It’s about really leaning into being solutions-focused and giving users or offices something they can use.

What considerations does ITS need to have given our status as an online university versus at a traditional, in-person campus?

Grignon: There are certainly some considerations that ITS gives in comparison to a traditional in-person campus. As we know, many of our students are taking classes while they work, raise a family, or have other priorities that are outside of their academic studies. We are aware that our students use many of our technology services outside of regular business hours. To help serve those students, we have an IT service desk that is available outside of regular working hours—Monday through Thursday, our service desk is available until 9 p.m. at night, and on Sundays we are available from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. We find that we do have a lot of support requests during these times, especially for our student population who work or have other priorities during the day.

ITS also takes into consideration the academic calendar and course deadlines when we must schedule an outage or maintenance to our systems. This is critical to ensure that we minimize disruptions in our services for faculty, staff, and students.

SUNY Empire also has a very geographically dispersed workforce, and our IT support staff are continually working on improving our ability to provide remote support to our faculty and staff, wherever they are working from.

Bloome: As a largely online university, a lot of things that we consider and prioritize include remote accessibility, platform reliability, and ultimately cybersecurity, speaking of Cybersecurity Month.

Unlike a fully physical campus, students and faculty rely entirely on the digital tools that we provide. So, downtime or access issues can cause really severe disruptions not only to teaching, but to learning. That rolls into needing to provide support for a wide range of devices, which adds complexity to troubleshooting. We recently launched our Chromebook initiative, which added another rung on the ladder of support for us.

White: When we’re evaluating new technologies … we always look at ourselves as an outlier because we don’t need a lot of traditional things that a system may have for in-person students like athletics and dorms—some systems tend to have functions or processes pre-built for things like this.

Being in our position, we always have to consider our students being non-traditional and what that looks like. It’s about how to create a system that works for us. It’s about finding that balance where we still build things that are truly meant for the SUNY Empire student, or SUNY Empire faculty … but making it scalable so that it makes sense and is very easy to support.

What do you wish people understood about the work that you do?

Grignon: IT is not some magic black box. Sometimes people think, ‘We’ll just send it to IT and they’ll handle it,’ and a lot of times we do that. Not many people outside of IT understand what it may take to develop automations or customizations including those in our Self-Service Banner student information system.

There are a lot of things that go into analyzing what has to be done—programming changes, testing the programming, testing the application… But on top of all that building and creating, there is a huge layer of keeping the lights on and supporting what we currently have—the maintenance, time and effort that go into ensuring that our services stay up to date with patching, upgrades, and monitoring all systems.

There are a lot of folks here in ITS, a lot of administrative tasks that have to be done. Believe it or not, even in IT, there is a lot of manual work—we can’t automate everything. I think everybody should spend a few days at the Service Desk and really understand what it means to answer those questions, and understand the breadth of knowledge that our Service Desk staff have.

I started with desktop support, client support, so I lived that life … we have a smallish staff that does that, but the impact to the institution is large, and I’ll never stop selling that.

Bloome: I wish more people understood that at the Service Desk, tech support isn’t just about fixing things. It’s about enabling learning and, in some cases, for faculty and staff, enabling productivity. Behind every resolved ticket is a student that gets to attend class or a professor who is now able to teach. It’s the kind of role that requires consistent learning and a lot of multitasking from us.

White: It goes back to those expectations about what is possible. For me, if I had a dream state, everybody would know how a database is structured, how that data talks to each other, and how it’s configured in a system, because that would inform folks on what is possible or not. When you have an understanding of how data is set up or structured, you have a better understanding of how it lives in a system.

I’d also say that some people look at CRM and tracking student interactions through a lens of ‘Who’s looking this up? Who wants to know about this?’ It’s less about this Big Brother feeling and more about providing centralized, holistic support to students that all faculty and staff can see in one place. If a student ever spoke to somebody here, whether it was 1Stop Student Services, the Office of Financial Aid, Student Accounts, or their student success coordinator, everyone will have this bird’s eye view of what their situation was. It prevents the student from repeating themselves.

SUNY Empire Spotlight: October 2025

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The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty, staff, and leadership.    

Alan Belasen, professor, published “Clutch Leadership: Harnessing the Qualities of a Gamechanger,” with Routledge.

Luis Camacho, assistant professor and academic coordinator of the Spanish BBA, was interviewed by Telemundo 47 about Hispanic entrepreneurship in New York and the Spanish BBA program.

Empire State University’s Spanish BBA Program was featured on Univision with an interview by SUNY Chancellor John B. King on October 18.

Gloria Kramer, assistant professor and TESOL coordinator, published “It’s Raining Fish,” a children’s book, a culturally responsive resource for educators and families focused on teaching compassion and kindness.

Mindy Kronenberg, visiting assistant professor, was featured in a poetry anthology about books and censorship, published by Moonstone Arts Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She will participate in a virtual reading on October 5.

Joseph Lawless, adjunct professor, was featured in WalletHub’s piece about Unsecured Credit Cards for Bad Credit.

Ian Reifowitz, SUNY distinguished professor, appeared on The New Republic’s “The Daily Blast” podcast to provide insights into recent topics surrounding President Trump including crime and the military, as well as his early life in Queens. He was interviewed on Anthony Scaramucci’s podcast, “Open Book,” regarding his recently published book, “Riling up the Base.”  

Noor Syed, assistant professor anddirector of CAARES, has been named a trustee at Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Liv Thygesen, bilingual disability specialist, was selected for and attended the SVA Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.

Melissa Wells, assistant professor, appeared on the EdUp Experience podcast to discuss online learning, AI practices, and more.

Huiting Qi, assistant professor, was selected for “Examining the Usability and Efficacy of GenAI Tools,” a project sponsored by the SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grants (IITG) program.The project looksacross six SUNY campuses to explore how pro versions of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude can be used to design meaningful learning experiences, and to examine their impact on teaching and learning outcomes.  

Five-Minute Feature: Kevin Bane, Lead Digital Media Specialist

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Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now!

What led you to your career path?

I’ve been one of those people with a wandering career path.  I originally graduated from college with a biology degree and worked in research with a couple of organizations studying entomology (insects).  After deciding that was a little limiting, (and getting tired of the mosquito bites, bee stings, and occasional clothing infestations), I began a period of trying different jobs in different fields, from construction to physical therapy. Computers became much more prevalent at this point (’90s), and I gained an interest in the “new” technologies evolving. Then, the company I worked for (which used a very antiquated mainframe system) scrambled to put in a new, extremely user-unfriendly system for Y2K. It was so frustrating I was determined I could do better. I went back to school as an adult student and studied computer science, gaining another degree in IT. Though my first job in IT was in market research (corporate), the fact that I come from a long line of educators, and my positive experiences as an adult student, pushed me to find a position where I could support education through a non-teaching IT role. This led me to SUNY Empire 18 years ago.

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire?  

I find SUNY Empire very supportive and accessible for students of all different ages, cultures, and walks of life.  I feel it is a very positive attitude in education, one that can help many more people than just the traditional students at traditional educational institutions. Oh, and Blue—she’s a trip!

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?

Early on in my career at SUNY Empire I configured, installed, and implemented the first dedicated ticketing system on a virtual server array for the initial IT help desk/service desk. With the help of some very talented colleagues, we customized and tweaked the system to meet SUNY Empire’s changing needs at the time. While this was replaced later by more advanced systems, it was a big start on improving and shaping the IT technical support system we have today.

Imagine you won a lifetime supply of one completely random item—what do you hope it is?

Rice-a-Roni, “The San Francisco Treat”—for all you Gen Xers…

What invention do you wish existed right now?

I really enjoy travelling, especially to foreign places outside of the US.  However, I’m just not built for air travel, and the long flights are nearly unbearable. Though I’m not really a Star Trek nerd, I’d like to see teleportation invented so I could be beamed across the globe in an instant.