Dana Rose-Schmalz knows how to make technology people-friendly. She is the user services manager at Lawrence, which means she is in charge of the Help Desk on the second floor of the library. You may have noticed her name attached to all the e-mails from Computer Services. Every day she helps people with computing and telecommunication issues.
The questions Dana answers range from how to make a chart in Excel, to how to deal with a virus-infected computer. She says she strives for “going beyond the call of duty,” adding that the satisfaction in her job comes “simply from helping people.”
But Dana’s job is not exactly simple. She implements her technological knowledge on a daily basis, although what she sees as one of her greatest challenges is “convincing someone who is timid around computers that there may be an easier way to get the job done.” It seems that Dana Rose-Schmalz is here to synthesize all the details of technology into one coherent whole, which she presents to us as simple ways of making our lives easier.
Dana began helping people integrate technology into their lives long before coming to Lawrence. Although she is a native of Philadelphia, she studied at Northland College in Ashland, Wis. and moved to Appleton 11 years ago. Having majored in accounting, Dana worked as a financial consultant at a computer manufacturing company, but soon found herself spending most of her time acting as an “interpreter” between technical workers and computer users. In this way, as she said, she “fell into” the field of software training. Before joining the Lawrence staff in 1998, she managed a temporary service in Appleton, where she taught clients skills to make them better-qualified employees.
When she wants to take a break from technology, Dana loves to spend time outdoors with her family. She has two children, ages 6 and 9. “Our vacations revolve around water and sailing,” she said. She and her family enjoy swimming and snorkeling, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Although her job description is fairly straightforward, as in any position, there is room for the unexpected. Computing problems can be unpredictable. Dana said that she once had a phone call from a student whose computer was actually smoking. Coworkers can also provide changes from the ordinary. During the past summer a student employee had his head shaved by members of the Computer Services staff during lunch time, and a couple others have taken advantage of the opportunity since then. But leave no doubt as to Dana’s commitment to providing Lawrence faculty and students with technological resources. No matter how small or large your need is, Dana Rose-Schmalz will do her utmost to bring technological harmony to your life.
What do you do all day profile -koe -dlh
