IT with Heart: Service Behind the Systems
February is often a time to reflect on appreciation and connection – and across the University of Arizona’s IT community, those themes show up year-round through a shared commitment to service. While technology powers classrooms, research, and daily operations, it’s the people behind the systems who ensure the university community stays supported, connected, and secure.
“Working in IT is about more than working on technology,” said Sandy Spakoski, Interim Assistant Director for IT Strategy and Operations. “We ensure that systems and applications are available when students, faculty and staff need them. We serve all the needs of the university, big and small.” That work often happens quietly, maintaining uptime, troubleshooting issues, and planning strategically so others can teach, learn, and conduct research without interruption.
For Teresa Banks, Information Security and Compliance Programs Manager, service is deeply personal. “I learned from mentors, especially in music ministry at church, that service can be a lifestyle,” she shared. “I'm so grateful to work in information security, where service is part of everyday life. Supporting the mission of the university by making it easier to secure campus resources is a blast.” In a landscape of evolving cyber threats, her work helps protect institutional data while enabling innovation to move forward safely.
Service also shows up in leadership and team development. Patrick Walters, Information Technology Manager for Infrastructure and Foundational Technologies, sees supporting his staff as a critical part of serving the university. “In my current role, my goal for those I supervise is to serve as a support for them to be successful, whatever endeavors are in front of them,” he said. “If we’re not having discussions about what’s next in their career, I’m falling behind in my job.”
That people-first mindset extends to customer support as well. “I try to have my staff and I assist customers with the perspective that we know telecom, what a call queue is, what an AP is, because that’s where we excel,” Walters added. “Our customers may be fantastic at accounting but may struggle giving us a description of what they need. My staff is fantastic at working with customers from all areas of the university and regularly knock it out of the park!”
Across strategy, security, infrastructure, and support, IT professionals continue to demonstrate that service isn’t just part of the job, it’s the heart behind how technology enables the university to thrive.