Meet David Torres, a UTRGV Unsung Hero
Text by Amanda Taylor
NAME: David Torres
JOB TITLE: System Engineer II, Part-Time Adjunct Faculty
CAMPUS: Edinburg
DEPARTMENT: Information Technology
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
I’m currently employed full-time at UTRGV as a System Engineer and as a part-time adjunct faculty member. I am also currently serving on the Staff Senate.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
I have been working for the university for seven years. I started back in October 2012 and have enjoyed every year.
WITH THE SOCIAL CHANGES DUE TO COVID-19, DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY IN THESE TIMES
On average, we utilize our ticketing system (Team Dynamix) that has been crucial to centralize and organize our daily tasks. Helping our community remotely and having to deal with COVID-19 can be stressful, but with the tools implemented by IT, this transition has been near seamless.
As part of the Data Center team, we continue to move forward with updating our infrastructure to better serve the needs of our university. This includes making trips to our remote Data Center at Arlington, Texas. From time to time, and as the need arises, I still need to report to the data center to physically work on tasks with in our Data Center’s machine room.
We, as the IT Department, have been fortunate to continue providing services for the UTRGV community remotely. We all engage in meetings, work groups and video conferences via many forms of communications. This includes Skype, TEAMS, phone calls, and Cisco WebEx. We are very comfortable in using multiple platforms, so we can make sure our UTRGV Vaqueros know we are still here for them.
IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU HELPING YOUR DEPARTMENT MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS?
Staying home has been the best practice within our department. Even when I am tasked to go in person to the data center’s machine room, I am always following the recommended procedures, such as maintaining physical distance, wearing protective wear, and washing my hands regularly. Moreover, the same applies to my family when we are at home and when we go out for bare necessities.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
The atmosphere, the environment, the people I work with. I can’t imagine myself at another job with the same healthy relationships I have with my co-workers. I really enjoy coming to work and working with our team.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY, OR STORY, ABOUT YOUR TIME HERE?
The best stories are usually related to our bi-annual maintenance “downtime,” where, as a team, we participate in tasks regarding maintenance of infrastructure hardware and software to keep up with technology and best practices. We normally plan the maintenance tasks outside normal operating hours to avoid disruption to ongoing services as much as possible. There are times when we have issues, but with our experienced team, we are quick to recover.
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I can consider myself a great carpentry hobbyist. I like posting pictures of my progress to my co-workers and value their input. I am easily convinced to buy new tools and gadgets for my hobby. I also enjoy watching movies that go beyond the predictable outcome. Suspense, thrillers, drama and unexpected endings are the best.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UTRGV COMMUNITY?
I am currently serving my second term on the Staff Senate. This year, I was elected parliamentarian and currently am part of a task force to produce a policy to provide the opportunity for eligible employees to participate in telecommute (working from home). I am also a proud 2004 alumnus of our legacy institution UTPA. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and furthered my education, getting a master’s degree in Information Technology.
WHAT ARE SOME ENCOURAGING WORDS YOU COULD SHARE WITH YOUR PEERS ON OVERCOMING THE PANDEMIC?
This year has been very unpredictable. I understand how difficult it can be for many people to feel the same regarding what we can do to overcome this pandemic. One piece of advice I can share with my peers on this topic is simple: Protect others by protecting yourself.
