Views on Informatics

The significance of informatics in the world today and in the future is in the information economy.  Today the world is dominated not by what is made but by what is known and shared.  Those who seek to move into the future must keep the movement, storage, security, and redundancy of data in the forefront.  In today’s world and increasingly so into the future knowledge is power.

Informatics will continue to be forefront both societally and politically as the use of data for everything from acquisition of goods and services to the targeting of political adds for maximum impact.  Economically it will be the way that most companies go from a small business to a world conglomerate.

The movement of information is a subject of the movement of everything.  The future is likely to see a drop in the mass movement of goods since the rapid development of 3d printers may soon render large scale centralized production a thing of the past.  The movement of information will continue to hold great value as new things can be distributed at the speed of connection instead of the speed of shipping.

Leadership is inspiring others to do things that they did not know they were capable of.  This can be achieved through leading by example and taking others along with you.  I believe that given leadership is not leadership.  Leadership can only be earned.

I like to come at a problem from one angle then completely change direction shed preconceptions and come at it from a completely different one.  This gives the option of seeing a problem from multiple perspectives and gives a clearer picture both of how to solve the immediate problem and what it initially stems from.

Strategy and future planning is absolutely essential in the world of informatics.  Threats are continually emerging and the future of piracy is likely to look more like a bot farm than a Somali with an AK 47.  The movement of information being what it is there is likely to emerge entire economies that are based on the stealing of data.

My initial move into IT was met with a lot of looking and very little finding of entry level positions.  When I started in IT in 2014 I searched for jobs in my field with few hits and fewer interviews until I got a job at a school district as a tech.  Now that I have experience I do not have really any trouble finding jobs that would hire me.  I think that my takeaway is that the number of companies that are willing to take a chance on someone without experience is very small.  Everyone seems to want someone with years of experience.

Talking to elders and talking to peers is mainly different in your mind.  If the information you have to share is useful and interesting to your audience and you are competent of course they are going to listen.  The mistake many make when transposing peers with those of another group is to make the assumption that there is a real difference.  You just need to know your audience and pick topics and terms appropriately.

I have not identified a community group to practice career networking.  I use networking at my job which does allow me to use new things I learn from classes to troubleshoot issues that arise on our network.

The ideal code of ethics for informatics is really just use best practices and don’t be a jerk.  I think that if people adhered to this we could cut down on both the number of people who are doing bad things and the number of hosts that are vulnerable.  You will always have a few bad apples but that can be mitigated by making it difficult for them to actually make any headway when trying to cause trouble.

Resume in Brief

Education 

Bachelor of Business Administration: Management Information Systems

May 2016, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS

Bachelor of Business Administration: Management

May 2009, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS. Earned GPA 3.26 on 4.0 scale

Associate of General Studies

May 2004, Dodge City Community College, Dodge City, KS

Currently taking classes on Informatics / Cybersecurity

 Fort Hays State University

 

Experience 

 

Technology Specialist, USD 266, Maize, KS

 1/3/2017 to Present                 

  • Responsible for management of large scale camera network
  • Conduct installation and repair of internal and external cameras
  • Provide firewall testing
  • Conduct inspection and replacement of cat 5 lines
  • Manage installation of server OS
  • Troubleshoot network and switch issues
  • Provide repair of physical hardware
  • Offer troubleshooting of school device issues
  • Manage escalation of tickets as needed

Security Team Member Volunteer, River Community Church

Feb 2018 to Present

  • Co-led installation of Cameras and NVR stations for use at two church locations
  • Provide troubleshooting for any issues
  • Perform lead role in training of security staff in use of the system
  • Initiate contact with vendor for technical support
  • Orchestrated positioning of cameras for optimal coverage with minimal resources

Copy Center Backup, Bus Driver, Mail Route Driver, Summer Tech, USD 266, Maize, KS

8/14/2014 to 12/23/2017                      

  • Responsible for operation of large scale printing and copying center
  • Interfaced with customers by answering inbound calls
  • Provided management of online storefront
  • Assisted in operation and management of Fiery Central
  • Responsible for setup of computer stations for staff and students
  • Worked in pulling twisted pair wire
  • Installed access points as needed
  • Transported students to and from school
  • Participated in First Responder training in CPR and First Aid
  • Completed Defensive Driving courses
  • Took on key role in supervision of Special Needs children