Adam Grinvalsky ’21: Honoring New York’s Capital Region Veterans

by

When Adam Grinvalsky ’21 was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2014, he was happy to put his military experience behind him. He had spent four years working as an aviation ordnanceman on an aircraft carrier, placing bombs and missiles onto planes.

During his deployment in the Persian Gulf, he spent his days toiling in 115-degree heat, under the grueling hot sun. By night, he slept in a berthing unit below deck with 40 other sailors, stacked three beds high. “Nothing was comfortable at all,” he says.

It was the kind of experience where he formed lifelong bonds — and one he was happy to leave behind when he returned home to the Capital Region.

Back Home

Grinvalsky grew up in Mechanicville, N.Y., the son of a Navy man who had served in the Lebanon conflict in 1982. His paternal grandfather was in the Navy as were his uncles; his maternal grandfather served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

“It wasn’t anything that was forced upon me, but all the sea stories and stories of traveling the world really resonated with me,” he says. “And I needed to get out of Mechanicville and go experience life.”

After his service, Grinvalsky got a job working for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services. He graduated from SUNY Schenectady County Community College in 2018 and three years later, got a degree in business, management and economics from Empire State University.

He also got married and started a family with his wife Lucy. Together they’re raising a son and daughter in Galway, NY.

Back to the Military

As time went on, Grinvalsky sensed a void in his life. “I was missing the camaraderie, the camaraderie I had when I was in the service,” he says. “I’ve never been able to find it again, and I don’t think I ever will. I think a lot of servicemen and women can relate to that.”

At Lucy’s encouragement, Grinvalsky got involved in the area’s veteran community. He now serves on the board of the Capital Region Veterans Memorial’s “Legacy Project,” which is working to create memorials honoring Capital Region Veterans. Each “pod” will commemorate one of the seven major conflicts of the last century — World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, The Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan — and feature a monument, battlefield cross, and historical elements.

The project is located at the Legacy House and Legacy Park in Glenville, NY, a resource center and gathering place for area Veterans that opened in 2023. A café and welcome center are in the works.  

In addition to “The Legacy Project,” Grinvalsky serves as the IT and communications officer at the Legacy House. He helped create a computer room for veterans to use to connect with family, explore job opportunities, or pursue an education. He also helps to update the organization’s website and manages their social media platforms and email account.

Working on the memorial and using his IT skills to help local veterans has been rewarding for Grinvalsky, who is the third vice commander of the American Legion Post 234 Ballston Spa and an active member of VFW Post 358 Ballston Spa.

“I just want to honor our veterans, both the living and the dead who served the Capital Region, by establishing this house and memorial and making it a nice area for people to visit,” he says. “It’s something I’m passionate about.”

Behind the Scenes: Basic Needs at Empire State University 

by

According to Temple University’s Hope Center for Student Basic Needs annual survey report, 59% of students experience at least one form of basic needs insecurity related to food or housing while pursuing their education. This is what the Basic Needs programs at Empire State University aim to tackle every day. 

Basic needs are defined as any of the day-to-day things one needs to survive (think food, water, housing) that when absent, get in the way of a student’s education. Basic Needs Coordinator Anna Zoodsma describes them as “baseline needs that are pretty standard, but can quickly snowball if one is not met and lead to a much bigger challenge.” For an online university like SUNY Empire, this also includes access to technology.  

“Having your car break down doesn’t mean that you’re not a capable student,” said Zoodsma. “But if you’re not meeting your basic needs, then you’re not able to work towards your goals. If you don’t have food on your table, it’s really hard to write your final essay.” 

Empire State University’s online format and student demographic pose both challenges and opportunities in supporting basic needs.  

“If you’re a parent, a veteran, that can introduce its own challenges,” said Zoodsma. “There’s any number of complications that exist because of how unique and varying the experiences of SUNY Empire students are. Logistically, it can be harder because you’re working with students who are trying to meet their basic needs in so many different locations instead of in one centralized place.” 

Physical, in-person support that traditional brick-and-mortal college campuses provide, like an on campus health center or food pantry, aren’t an option for SUNY Empire’s virtual campus – but that doesn’t stop the Basic Needs team helping students get the help they need. Through Basic Needs, students can access a virtual food pantry, emergency grants, 24/7 mental health support, the laptop loan program, and more. A partnership with Single Stop extends resources even further by connecting students benefits they’re eligible for in their community.  

“You have to get a little bit more creative with an online university space, but there’s definitely opportunities to make it more efficient and catered more specifically to what students need,” notes Zoodsma. 

Since its inception in early 2024, the virtual food pantry has seen over 285 orders with $67,224 in funds awarded. Instead of physical food pantries that typically offer less fresh food options and limited stock, the virtual food pantry allows recipients to order online and pick the foods that work best for themselves and their families.  

Similarly, Empire State University’s partnership with TELUS Health Student Support allows students to access mental healthcare on demand, in a way that best supports them. 

“Students can make an appointment 24/7 with someone who speaks their language, who fits their schedule,” said Zoodsma.  

Additionally, over 470 emergency grants have been awarded to students who face emergencies or setbacks surrounding basic needs since fall 2023. 

“It’s human to struggle, and having these supports available so students don’t feel like they’re on their own when something out of their control happens or they can’t continue their studies is important,” said Zoodsma. “It’s affirming to know that someone has your back if some of these unexpected things come up.” 

Leading the Way in AI Literacy: Associate Professor Diane Shichtman

by

When artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as one of higher education’s most urgent and exciting challenges, Empire State University Associate Professor Diane Shichtman was ready to embrace it. With a background in computer science and a passion for the public understanding of science and technology, Shichtman is an important voice in preparing her students and colleagues for an AI-infused world.

When discussing artificial intelligence’s rapid emergence, Shichtman says, “This is the moment that we have to think and talk about AI, not just be aware of it.”

Her approach to AI literacy extends beyond teaching students how to use generative AI tools. Her course “AI Literacy: Foundations, Challenges, and Responsibilities,” cultivates a holistic understanding of AI that encompasses ethics, social responsibility, and real-world applications. In her role as the Center for Teaching and Learning’s AI Fellow, she offers professional-development opportunities for her colleagues through initiatives like Open Mic sessions that support open discussion of ideas, as well as “Topics in AI” discussions where she presents AI-related news and engages participants in hands-on demonstrations.

Shichtman began at SUNY Empire as an adjunct teaching computer ethics, a subject that would prove prescient. Despite a successful and lucrative consulting career, she was drawn to the creative opportunity to design curriculum and work with students from diverse backgrounds. Her career turning point came at a friend’s wedding when she realized she couldn’t stop talking about the work she was doing for SUNY Empire on the side—not her actual consulting work.

“I was making a difference,” she recalls. “I knew that I was doing something meaningful with my life. I was teaching at an institution that gives a lot of students a chance.”

Her expertise has earned recognition beyond campus. As a SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellow, Shichtman shares resources and consultations on AI literacy and the ethical use of AI for faculty, instructional designers, and librarians across SUNY. She sees SUNY Empire’s unique position as an online institution as an advantage. “We are looking at things in ways traditional brick-and-mortar institutions are not,” she says.

Shichtman says her background, knowledge, and experience have landed her in a moment she is ready for. While she doesn’t claim to have all the answers, she knows how to facilitate the crucial conversations higher education needs to be having about AI—and she’s committed to ensuring students aren’t surprised by whatever comes next.

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

by

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. 

Golden Opportunity: Meet Bilingual Communications Specialist Catalina Irigoyen

by

Catalina Irigoyen could hardly believe her eyes. After her “long and strenuous” job search, there it was on LinkedIn: Empire State University’s call for a bilingual communications specialist. A first for the institution, the newly created position would require dreaming up and translating content in both English and Spanish for the launch of SUNY Empire’s Spanish BBA program. To Irigoyen, a bilingual writer who spent years living and studying in Spanish-speaking countries, the job almost seemed too good to be true.

“In my job search, I had not seen anything like it—anything that felt like me,” says Irigoyen, who was born in Argentina. “When I stumbled across the listing, I was reading through it and thought, wait a second; this is like my whole life in a job description. I’ve always had to live my life in two languages, no matter where I’ve been.” 

And she’s been many places. By her 13th birthday, Irigoyen had lived in six countries: Argentina, Uruguay, the U.S., Ecuador, Spain, and Mexico. Her father’s high-level management job caused her family to relocate frequently, exposing the now Miami-based writer to a variety of international schools, cultures, and dialects along the way. 

“Languages and translation have been such a big part of my life,” Irigoyen says, adding that she learned to speak English around age four. “I’ve had to translate myself in different contexts and go back and forth between two languages so much that it’s become secondary in my brain.” 

“Spanish speakers are so diverse…and I’ve experienced a lot of different dialects, a lot of different histories and traditions and sociocultural phenomena. So I feel like I can connect with more than just what comes from my country of origin,” she continues. “I think that’s valuable because we’re not talking about appealing to just one kind of Spanish speaker with the BBA program—we’re talking about everyone who falls under that umbrella in the state of New York and beyond.” 

Recognizing that her experience could be an asset to Empire State University, Irigoyen enthusiastically applied for the job. She landed the position and officially joined SUNY Empire’s communications and Spanish BBA teams in October 2024. 

For Irigoyen, who holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, the job is a welcome opportunity to combine her unique background with her lifelong passion for writing. Over the last year, the wordsmith has produced stories about all aspects of the Spanish BBA program, thoughtfully bringing her multicultural perspective to each news article and profile she writes. 

“It lets me do what I love in a way that’s so connected to my life experience,” says Irigoyen, who also pens press releases and social media posts for SUNY Empire. “Getting to write about things and people that I care about has been very, very gratifying.” 

Also rewarding? Working with her Spanish BBA colleagues. She says their dedication to the recently launched program, which welcomed its first cohort of students this fall, inspires her every day.  

“It’s so motivating to be around people who care about something as much as I do and who also see how deserving the people we’re trying to help are,” Irigoyen says. “It’s such an important project, and it’s going to be the thing that makes a difference to so many people.”

Behind the Scenes with Information Technology Services

by

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.

Building Blocks: Libby Tsibulsky Talks Health and Wellness at SUNY Empire 

by

When it comes to student success, prioritizing health and wellness isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. So says Libby Tsibulsky, the director of Empire State University’s Office of Health and Wellness. 

“Basic needs and health and wellness resources are often, I think, kind of seen as the fluff or the ‘if I have time’ stuff when, in reality, those are the things that should be the building blocks of your academic career,” Tsibulsky explains. “If you learn how to take care of your health and your relationships, balance your time, and be financially responsible, it’s going to make all the academic stuff a whole lot easier.” 

It’s an ethos Tsibulsky has taken seriously since arriving at Empire State University in 2024. She joined the team after a 12-year tenure at SUNY Alfred, where she started as a mental health counselor before working her way up to an assistant director position. Tsibulsky says SUNY Empire’s reputation for supporting students inspired her to make the move to the online institution.  

“I love the university’s genuine dedication to helping students and the lengths [faculty and staff] go to make sure students succeed,” says the director, who holds degrees in psychology and mental health counseling. “It’s not a business to them—it’s human-centered. My own personal philosophy coming from the mental health world [centers around] a person-first approach, and that’s how it really feels here.” 

In the year she’s been at SUNY Empire, Tsibulsky has put that philosophy to good use. The popular Student Health Advisory Committee, the multi-pronged Basic Needs program—coordinated by new team member Anna Zoodsma—and the university’s free mental health first aid training course all fall under the health and wellness office’s purview. Planning events like the revamped health and wellness fair, successfully hosted for the first time as a virtual conference this past spring, is also part of the job.  

“I found out that’s a huge passion of mine—event planning and wellness programming and things like that,” Tsibulsky says, adding that her office designs each event and program to target different areas, or pillars, of health. “I’m very excited to be able to do that.” 

Right now, Tsibulsky is channeling that passion into initiatives like the university’s inaugural NASPA Peer Educator Internship Program, slated to kick off in the spring of 2026. As part of the program, a team of students will be chosen to “represent and promote the eight pillars of wellness through intentional programming, social media campaigns, and one-on-one peer wellness coaching,” she says. Tsibulsky also hopes to support Zoodsma—who has a background in agriculture—in expanding the university’s virtual food pantry and creating a Basic Needs programming series.  

Above all, though, Tsibulsky aims to let students know that SUNY Empire’s health and wellness office is “here to help.” 

“I think we went from a model of higher education that was like ‘you’re here to get a degree and do a job’ to ‘this is a transformative experience.’ We want you to grow in many ways. We want you to graduate feeling like, yes, I have a degree but I’m also a more fully equipped human,” she says. “Ask for help if you need it, and we can really move mountains to get you some resources.” 

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

by

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.

Adjunct Professor of Accounting Elizabeth Cortés Pérez Reflects on the Spanish BBA

by

One year into her role at Empire State University, Elizabeth Cortés Pérez, adjunct professor of accounting, reflects on her involvement with the Spanish BBA program. A Puerto Rico native and current resident, Cortés Pérez holds a doctorate in finance and teaches that subject matter along with accounting, and management. She has taught at the University of Puerto Rico at Arrecibo, and brings that experience with her to SUNY Empire.

A lifelong Spanish and English speaker, Cortés Pérez considers learning more than one language “a great opportunity to meet and communicate with people from different countries.”

Since her student days, Cortés Pérez has always found herself drawn to numbers. Analyzing them is something she always felt passionate about, and she went on to dedicate her academic career to doing so. “I also love the challenge of identifying discrepancies or differences in accounts,” says Cortés Pérez, showing a true aptitude for her field.

Eventually, she pursued a career in education. “The art of teaching is a great challenge, and I am passionate about having the opportunity to impact lives,” she says. The Spanish BBA, which has been designed to boost economic mobility in Hispanic communities of New York and beyond, aligns with Cortés Pérez’s desire to help students transform their lives through learning.

“Knowledge is power and will contribute to your professional development,” are her words of encouragement to prospective students who are on the fence about pursing their BBA in Spanish. She sees the program as a great opportunity for Hispanic degree-seekers, and believes in its capacity to impact communities. “Take advantage of the opportunity,” Cortés Pérez counsels.

“Accounting in Puerto Rico is governed by the same principles and regulations that govern accounting in the United States,” she explains, noting that her expertise, in a way, encompasses both American and Hispanic standards. Her perspective as an educator in the Spanish BBA is shaped by the island’s political and economic context as a United States territory. While it shares certain regulations and practices with the national umbrella it falls under, it is wholly distinct in terms of culture and customs.

Upon graduating, “Students may have the opportunity to work in any administrative area of a company, as the curriculum of the Spanish BBA includes courses that allow them to train in different aspects and areas of administration,” explains Cortés Pérez. She sees obtaining a degree via this program as a versatile asset for students seeking to explore which facet of business administration they are best suited to. A degree from the United States, particularly one that can be earned with flexibility, and that accommodates the native language of Hispanic students, is well worth considering.

Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Cybersecurity Andrew Hurd: From the Field to the Classroom

by

This excerpt is taken from “A Deep Dive with Andrew Hurd, Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Cybersecurity.” Read the full version.

Andrew James Hurd has been an assistant professor in the information technology (IT) and cybersecurity graduate programs at Empire State University since 2021. Hurd aims to be a support figure for anyone who needs it and to empower learners to take initiative in their pursuit of knowledge. For Cybersecurity Month, he discusses his trajectory in the field and shares insights on engaging with one’s passions, education, and internet safety.

Irigoyen: Can you tell me about your upbringing? What were some early interests and passions?

Hurd: One of my early passions and interests is playing “Dungeons & Dragons.” I’ve played since 1980.  I have a large group of friends that I have played with over the years … My other major passion is giving back to my community. I was a Scoutmaster for close to 18 years and now I joined the Lions Club in Ballston Spa. I do a lot of community service work.

The biggest thing with board games is problem-solving skills. At a very young age, I learned how to solve a Rubik’s Cube … If you’re not into problem-solving, you probably don’t get into IT.

When I went into the industry, I wanted to build things that millions of people would use—I didn’t want to do computer games, I wanted to do software.

I got my two bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and computer science, stayed in school and got my Master of Teaching in mathematics. My best friend and I had the thought that we would go back to our high school—he’d be the math teacher, I’d be the computer science teacher—and when we got down to graduation I said, ‘I can’t teach from just book knowledge, I really need some experience to teach.’ So, I decided to go into the industry for a while.

Achieving the title of software engineer was a big deal for me back then, it showed a level of dedication … it was a sign of prestige and hard work. I was part of the team that made the Palm Pilot 3.01, which is now the backbone for all smartphones—it’s the first touch screen, and I was part of the team that wrote that software. I see someone grab their iPad and stylus and start writing, and I just smile because … that technology goes all the way back to that team I worked on.

I lift up the stylus and tablet I was taking interview notes with, and Hurd gestures towards the screen, saying, “There you go!”

Irigoyen: Those are historic technological milestones. You see the world we live in today and wonder, when did it all start? To know that you were there for some of those things is very cool.

Hurd: When my daughter was really young … she asked, ‘Dad, what do you do?’ I say, ‘I work with computers, Abby.’ She goes, ‘Can you hack computers?’ I said, ‘Just know that your father has some unique skills, and yes, I can do some phenomenal things with computers. But I never do anything bad.’

There are things that students have to learn so that they can know how to defend. I use this phrase all the time: “with great power comes great responsibility.”

When you go into cybersecurity, the biggest issue is that hackers aren’t constrained. They have all the tools available to them, and most of them are free. The people trying to defend it—network administrators, cybersecurity specialists—are constrained by processes.

He explains the purpose of a course he teaches called “Ethical Hacking.”

Hurd: The concept is that students learn what they call the attack vectors—how people would first try to get into a company.

Irigoyen: You’ve talked a bit about your trajectory so far, can you tell me more?

Hurd: I went to a community college, then ended up going to SUNY Potsdam and graduated with a master’s degree. I went into the industry, worked for the federal government, wrote some radar software that is still on bomber aircrafts today, I’m excited to say. I was at Hudson Valley for 15 years and finished my doctorate. Education is something that can’t be taken away from you. I won the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012, which is one of the highest honors you can win as a professor.

He describes hearing about SUNY Empire’s job opening and applying.

Hurd: Long story short, in 2021 I got hired. I proposed the Master of Science in IT program while interviewing … and it’s been one of the fastest-growing degrees at the university.

I love getting emails from former students that give me an update on what they’re doing in their career … I got an email from a student who wrote the controllers for the Mars Rover’s tires. He said, ‘I started in your programming class.’

I had another student email me saying he wrote the pressure control drivers for the San Francisco geothermal tunnel. Another said he wrote the mobile network communications for military flak jackets.

Irigoyen: Can you share what the most challenging thing about your work has been?

Hurd: Communication. Now, with everything dealing with artificial intelligence, I hear tons of my colleagues say, ‘I don’t know if this paper is written by AI.’ I say, ‘Have a conversation.’

What I’ve been mentoring faculty on is trying to get students to buy into their education. If I give you a valid reason why you shouldn’t be using AI, that there’s some technique or deep-down learning I need you to understand so that when you go into the field … you can be successful, I need you to buy into that.

Irigoyen: What is your proudest accomplishment?

Hurd: There are a lot of ways I could take this question. I’m proud to be a father of two successful adults. I’m proud to be a husband of 29 years. I’m proud to be the first member of a family of 160 grandkids to get their master’s and doctorate. I’ve been extremely proud to take one generation removed from poverty to upper-middle class.

I’m a cancer survivor. I’ve bowled a perfect game … but I guess my proudest accomplishment is to be that person in my friend group, in my community, that people look for if someone needs guidance, words of advice … being a good member of my community and family.

Irigoyen: In our technologically connected world, what is your best advice to stay safe on the internet?

Hurd: Awareness. Understand what’s happening around you. Microsoft will never call you and ask you for your password. Your bank’s never going to call you and ask for your account information. They have that. They know that.

Irigoyen: What’s something you wish more people knew?

Hurd: The ‘you don’t know what you don’t know philosophy’ that drives people to ask more questions and have the fortitude to follow up on them. So, if someone gives you an abrupt answer, that you have the fortitude to say: ‘I really don’t understand what you’re saying, can you please explain that?’

Cybersecurity didn’t exist when I got into IT. When criminals started hacking, people didn’t know how to defend themselves, so everybody was very easy to hack. If people become educated, it gives us a bigger defense.