Staff Profile

Virginia Tang

Virginia Tang started working at Stanford in 2007.

 


How would you describe your current job responsibilities?

I currently work for Cholada Chenhansa as an Executive Administrator on the Administrative Services team. My main role is to provide support to Jay Kohn and the staff of Forsythe Hall. A majority of my time is dedicated to assisting Jay—managing her calendar, booking travel arrangements, taking notes in meetings, creating agendas or spreadsheets, and other tasks.

I also support Forsythe Hall, which includes processing purchase requisitions, reimbursements, ordering supplies, coordinating events and meetings, registering staff for classes, and of course helping out whenever possible. I am also a Kronos Administrator and I reconcile budget statements. My goal is to provide the best support possible to the staff of IT Services.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

I think the best part of my job is my interactions with people in IT Services and at Stanford. Not only are people here nice, but being surrounded by so many intellectuals is very motivating and inspiring. I truly have a wonderful team to work with on a daily basis. We all get along very well and never hesitate to help each other. I enjoy being able to help people and get tremendous satisfaction knowing that I am contributing to the organization.

What did you do before you came to Stanford?

Before I came to Stanford, I was an assistant manager at a bank. I trained and mentored employees, ran the day-to-day operations of a branch, and assisted clients with their financial needs.

What do you like to do when you're not at work?

When I’m not at work, I love spending quality time with friends and family. We do things like bowling, BBQs, karaoke, and little getaways. When I’m not doing that, I love relaxing in front of my TV watching reality shows.

What is your favorite movie, book, song?

I enjoy watching all sorts of different movies, especially romantic comedies and action films. Two recent films I’ve seen are 27 Dresses and Live Free or Die Hard. I love all types of mystery novels including the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I listen mostly to R&B music, especially older songs from the 90s.

Tips From Your Admin

Did you know that...

...when a traveler who is reimbursed at the full per diem rate furnishes a meal to others, s/he must prorate the cost of the meal and seek additional reimbursement only for the guest's meals?

Expense Guidance for Business Meals [PDF]

Staff Happenings

Comings and Goings

The following people have left IT Services. Please see their manager if you have open issues.

Pamela Harris (Carolyn Kane)

its in bits welcomes more detailed employee news submissions from all staff. Please submit to itsinbits-submissions@lists.stanford.edu

Client Interaction Skills Tips

This is the second step in a series describing the Four Steps to Quality Service.

Step 2: Gain understanding and establish rapport with the client.

  • If meeting in person and/or calling to follow-up, identify yourself and why you're calling; use the client's name; reference the HelpSU case number (if appropriate).
  • Talk to client in words s/he understands.
  • Restate the issue as you understand it, to make sure you truly understand.
  • Probe to get to the root problem.
  • Solicit information about their problem in the context of their work.
  • Anticipate other needs.

- Dani Aivazian
Organizational Effectiveness

Tech Briefings

Tech Briefings

Fridays
2:00–3:30 p.m.

Turing Auditorium

Friday, May 9: Matlab

This presentation will illustrate the usage and explain the benefits of the different function types available in MATLAB 7. Demonstrations will show how to apply these techniques to solve optimization problems and make it easier to program GUIs in MATLAB. Experienced MATLAB users will receive the most benefit from this session. Mike Agostini from MATLAB will present.

Friday, May 16: Integrated Email & Calendar

This summer, IT Services will begin to transition the Oracle Calendar (Sundial) and Webmail services to a new integrated email and calendar solution. Ammy Hill will provide a first look at the new service and answer your questions.

Check the Tech Briefings home page for future sessions and to subscribe to the mailing list.

Tech Express

Once a month
12:00–1:00 p.m.

Turing Auditorium

Thursday, May 8: Integrated Email & Calendar

This summer, IT Services will begin to transition the Oracle Calendar (Sundial) and Webmail services to a new integrated email and calendar solution. Ammy Hill will provide a first look at the new service and answer your questions.

Check the Tech Express home page for future sessions.

Technology Training Courses

Tech Training Courses

The full listing of Current Courses is available on the Tech Training web site.

Upcoming Tech Training classes of interest to IT Services staff:

Word 2007 Level 2, Mon, May 12, 9:00–4:00, $325

Web Design Level 3: Cascading Style Sheets, Mon, May 12, 1:00–4:30, $195

Mac OS X Fundamentals (Leopard), Wed, May 14, 1:00–4:30, $195

OrderIT Site Training, Thu, May 15, 8:30–12:00, Free

TechPort Open Lab, Thu, May 15, 9:00–12:00, Free

InDesign Level 2, Fri, May 16, 9:00–4:00, $325

Podcasts: Creating Audio Podcasts at Stanford, Mon, May 19, 1:00–4:30, $195

FileMaker Pro Level 2, Wed, May 21, 9:00–4:00, $325

Access 2007 Level 2, Wed, May 21, 9:00–4:00, $325

Excel 2007 Level 1, Thu, May 22, 9:00–4:00, $325

Dreamweaver Lite, Thu, May 22, 1:00–4:30, $195

Sign up at http://axess.stanford.edu.

Classes with low enrollment may be cancelled one week in advance. More information on courses, registration, and training is available at the Technology Training Services site.

- Nancy Baumann
Technology Training Services

IT Employment Opportunities

There were no new job postings for IT Services this week.

To view the complete listings or to apply for a position, visit the StanfordJobs web site at: jobs.stanford.edu.

There are other open Information Technology positions at Stanford. To see what other opportunities exist on campus, link to the full list of all open IT positions at Stanford.

Quote of the Week

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it."

- Rudyard Kipling

News

A Note From Bill...

In March, I announced a series of changes to our organizational structure that group similar functions and are intended to create more technically-focused units. These changes will help us meet emerging opportunities and improve our processes so that clients can more easily access and use our services.

Since that announcement, I have reviewed our plans with many key clients and their feedback was very positive. They like the increased focus on technical solutions and services and appreciate our resolve to make these changes with minimal disruption.  

Today, we have completed many of the planned changes in a relatively seamless manner. In March and April,

  • We formed the Computing Services unit with the Application Support, Data Center Facilities, System Administration, and Storage workgroups. Jay Kohn is providing interim leadership. We posted the permanent leadership position for this unit in early April and we have engaged a search firm to assist us with identifying the best candidate to fill the role.
  • Order Management, Cell and Card Services, Service Consultants, Operator Services, and the Production Control Group moved into the Client Support unit. Client Support remains under Jan Cicero's leadership.
  • We continued to build the Business Services unit by adding Account Management, Project Management, and Quality Assurance to the former Finance and Administration workgroups. We expect to add Metrics functions by the end of May. Sam Steinhardt is leading this unit.
  • We continued to build the Communication Services unit and have already combined Networking Systems, Communication Systems, and Media Services. By the end of the month we expect to add Facilities Engineering and Installation and Maintenance. Mark Miyasaki is leading this unit.

Additionally, we are more than halfway through our difficult task of reducing staff positions by approximately 5%. Of those position reductions we've completed, about two-thirds were met through various forms of attrition.

We will not make changes to our official organization charts until early June. Even without those changes we have posted content outlining our planned changes (as announced in March) and other related materials.

In addition to these realignments to the organization and reporting relationships, we continue the essential work of delivering service to our clients and meeting our commitments through our daily work and efforts. 

Even though many of the larger changes have been made, our lines of communication remain open. There are still many details for us to sort through to attain our stated goals, and we will continue to incorporate your ideas. Please continue to provide feedback to me or any of the Directors.

- Bill Clebsch
IT Services

Building Security

You have probably heard about the Building Security project, but what exactly is it? What is IT Services doing for it? And what is the status of the project? All great questions.  

The building security project—Access Control Enterprise System (ACES)—is the result of recommendations made by the University Building Security Technical Subcommittee, which was formed at the request of Randy Livingston. The charge to the subcommittee was to “Enhance overall Stanford University campus security, crisis, and emergency response capabilities through a centralized and integrated security and communications system.”  One of the recommendations of the subcommittee was to control door access throughout the campus with a single security application. This recommendation is being met with the ACES project.

The ACES project consists of three elements: A standalone building security network, an access control and security application, and the construction and installation of building equipment and door locks. Approval and funding for the network equipment and installation was given in March.  The Communication Services team is installing the equipment for our building security network. On Monday, April 21 we received approval and funding to complete all freshmen housing, but will proceed initially with a more limited pilot.

IT Services Facility Engineering will provide project management for the subcontractors doing the construction work at the buildings.  The deadline to have a completed 103 door pilot at the Stern residence hall is July 1, 2008.

IT Services will be responsible for the support of the software application and the network. Thanks to everyone in IT Services who attended the meetings last week or provided input in another way. Your prompt response and flexibility was appreciated by the entire project team. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

- Bryan Wear
Application Support & Database Administration

HelpSU Status Updated

On Saturday, April 26, IT Services went live with a new online interface that allows customers to check the status of, as well as update, their HelpSU requests. When customers want to check on a help request, they will not need to contact the Service Desk or other support groups, or submit a second HelpSU request.

The feature is available through the Help Request Status link (for Stanford users only) in the left sidebar of the HelpSU request form.

Some notes about the first release of this feature:

  • Only users with SUNet IDs (who can authenticate) can check the status of their HelpSU requests. You cannot check the status of another person's HelpSU request—only your own.
  • HelpSU requests that don't include the SUNet ID of the requester will not be displayed.
  • Only active HelpSU requests, and those that have been resolved for less than 15 days, will be displayed.
  • Only Work Info History specifically set to Public visibility by Remedy support staff will be displayed in this interface. All Work Info entries marked Internal (the default) will be visible only to Remedy support staff.
  • The status of requests in HelpSU's secure-data groups (Payroll, Human Resources, Student Financial Services, and Office of Development) will not be available online due to the restricted nature of data that might be included.
  • When a customer submits an update, the assigned support staff member will receive an email with the text of the customer's submission.

Any questions or comments about this new feature can be submitted via a HelpSU request.

Thanks to the IT Service staff who worked to develop and implement this new feature: Tim Torgenrud, Brian Young, Christopher Kittle, Anne Pinkowski, and (consultant) Steve Kallestad.

- Chris Lundin
Help Desk Services

Client Support Update

As part of the organizational realignment I have moved the Production Control Group and Operator Services into Client Support earlier than anticipated: May 1 instead of May 31. This will allow us to evaluate all services within Client Support at the same time, instead of spreading out the process over several months. Carolyn Kane is reporting to me.

I will continue to have discussions throughout IT Services. Please send me a note or schedule some time if you would like to share your thoughts.

- Jan Cicero
Client Support

Laptop Security

It is estimated that over 600,000 laptop computers are lost or stolen each year in the United States. Laptops are becoming more prevalent at Stanford and offer great portability, Work Anywhere solutions, and almost all of the campus is covered by the wireless network. But laptops are particularly vulnerable to data loss and theft.

Here are a few tips for laptop users: Never leave your laptop unattended in a coffee shop, bathroom, classroom, workstation, or in other public places. Laptops left in automobiles are vulnerable to quick “smash and grab” theft. Laptops should be carried as hand luggage when traveling. Backups of the data on your laptop are extremely important. Laptops have a higher likelihood of data loss, due to rough handling or theft. Without a backup, your important data can be lost forever.

Backup options are available. Even when we try our best to protect our laptops, a few will be stolen. While the likelihood that a thief will want the information on your laptop is very low, the reality is that California law requires us to notify research subjects and patients if any medical information was on a device that was stolen unless the information is encrypted. General information about mobile computer security is also available.

Contact your local IT support person to help you choose and implement the encryption solution that best fits your needs. You can also contact the IT Services Help Desk if you need advice about securing your laptop or encryption solutions for sensitive data.

- Edited from the Medical School Dean's Newsletter

PMO Saves Trees

Between charters, agendas, status reports, and closing documents, the Project Management Office has done its share of killing trees. So on Arbor Day this year (April 25), six project managers headed to the Dish to make amends, and spent the morning tending to newly planted oak trees.

Steve Loving, Caren Kammeyer, Michelle Collette, Chai Ho, Pam Ross, and Joyce Dickerson headed to the hills with handsaws and loppers. Their mission: to cut back the pervasive Coyote Bush so that oak tree saplings could get the water they need to thrive. In addition to working together to chop out the Coyote Bush, the PMO team braved screeching hawks, rabbits, ticks, snakes, and baby ducks. This was balanced by the beautiful views of campus from the top of the hill.

Our guides for the morning adventure were from Magic, a non-profit organization based close to campus. The group has planted and cared for over 2000 oak trees at the Dish since 1988. Magic started planting oak trees at The Dish as part of a mitigation agreement when the Carnegie Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences was being built. Under that program, they put in 200 trees. They ran drip irrigation to the original trees, but the rest are hand-watered for the first few years. Magic's goal is to help restore the foothills to the oak forests that existed hundreds of years ago.

So next time you're up at the Dish, be sure to look for the newly-planted oak trees, and give a little thanks to Magic. 

- Joyce Dickerson
Project Management Office

A Community Treasure

The Community Treasures series is sponsored by the Office of the President and consists of a series of lunchtime events to honor Stanford staff for their community volunteerism. Each quarter, three individuals are recognized and interviewed by LaDoris H. Cordell, Special Counselor to the President for Campus Relations. Our very own Fred Hansson is one of the current recipients. The background on Fred's volunteer efforts are available on the Stanford's Community Treasures web site.

- The Editors

Town Hall

The next IT Services Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Oak Lounges at Tresidder Union. The meeting should already be noted on your Sundial calendar. We are also planning a post-Town Hall event that afternoon from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the Turing Lawn. We will continue the Wellness Theme by offering chair massages, Jamba Juices, and some yummy snacks. 

Please make plans to attend. Additional details will follow as we get closer to the event.

- Nancy Ware
Planning & Communications

IT Services Golf Tournament

Roland Acoba and Frances Locke are organizing an IT Services golf tournament for Saturday, August 23rd and would like to invite you to join.

If you would like to sign up, please email Frances Locke or Roland Acoba. There's still plenty of spring and summer left, and time to prepare by getting out on the greens and driving range....

- Frances Locke
Service Consulting

About its in bits

A regular summary of IT business, news about personnel, and pointers to other information of interest to IT Services staff. Coordinated, compiled, and published by the Communication Strategy and Standards Team. its in bits is published on the first and third Wednesday of the month.

Submissions are due by Noon on the Friday before the scheduled issue, to itsinbits-submissions@lists.stanford.edu for consideration. its in bits is distributed via email to its-all-staff@lists.stanford.edu and the subscription list itsinbits-subscribers@lists.stanford.edu People outside of IT Services can self-subscribe via mailman.

The next its in bits will be published on Wednesday, May 21, 2008.