April 13, 2017

Meet the Staff: Ian Anderson

Note: Meet the Staff is a new feature that ASCTech will be publishing over the next few months to introduce staff members to the College of Arts and Sciences. We welcome your thoughts on it.

What's your background? I started my undergraduate degree at Ohio University in Athens before transferring to OSU my junior year where I earned a BA in Film Studies with a focus on digital post production.

What is your favorite part of your job? I like seeing those moments when an idea becomes an actuality, when people see that technology is a great assist in the classroom not a hindrance.

What makes you proud of your work? I take great pride that, in my former role, I mentored several employees who have been promoted or moved on to great things.

Ian Anderson worked for ASCTech's Support Services for 12 years before recently moving to Academic Technologies, where he manages digital signage, configures classroom iPads, and oversees augmented/virtual reality projects. In this new role, he enjoys "discovering and, more importantly, vetting new technology to see if it delivers what it promises and figuring it out how it will work here at OSU."

Anderson gets to work with a new group of clients in the College of Arts and Sciences now, those focused on "those who want to further the use of technology in their class or department."

Anderson's background wasn't always technology. "When I was younger my dad always told me that I should do something with computers. I told him I didn’t want to. Here we are," Anderson says, laughing. All that has changed. "I like working with the fun side of technology, the products that engage students in learning while also bringing something new and inventive to the content. If students can be engaged in an organic way, I feel they will be more successful learners."

If you need someone to help with your technology, request help from ASCTech and maybe you'll work with Ian Anderson.