Tech Den’s Service Desk Team is the backbone of student tech support at WashU, ensuring the graduate/professional and non-residential students get the help they need. Meet the dedicated professional team consisting of full-time and student employees: Samantha, Steve, Rachel, Benny, and Delali.
At the heart of Tech Den’s success is a team dedicated to ensuring that technology at WashU runs smoothly for the students under the guidance of Tech Den’s Assistant Director, Scott Markovich. After joining WashU on September 6, 2016, Steve has been recruited for his expertise to be one of the original service desk support team of Tech Den since its conception in 2020 as a Technical Support Specialist II. In this role, he has been assisting graduate students by diagnosing issues with their personal computers. Steve describes his experience with Tech Den as wonderful and enjoys interacting with the students. Recently, he also has noticed a growing awareness among students about Tech Den’s services, particularly the 3D printing program, and is excited to see the program grow.
Rachel also has been an integral part of the WashU community for a while- since December 2018. She brought her expertise to Tech Den in September 2020 as one of the original service desk team. Specializing in network and hardware support, she finds great satisfaction in solving students’ tech problems and helping them keep their devices running smoothly. She also enjoys learning new skills and is working on continuous self-development for the Tech Den Team. As a Technical Support Specialist II, her role frequently involves assisting with tasks like Duo setup and SPSS downloads, making her a key resource for students transitioning into their academic roles.
Then we have Samantha who recently joined WashU in August 2023 and became part of Tech Den in May 2024. Although her time at Tech Den is relatively short, she has already found it to be a welcoming environment that fosters continuous learning and exploration of new technologies. As a Technical Support Specialist III, she supports the tech needs of student population and has already been found to be an integral part of the Tech Den team. She is also interested in how AI can enhance students’ learning experiences, offering personalized feedback and guidance tailored to individual needs.
Tech Den’s service desk team would not be complete without the wonderful student workers who are always enthusiastic to learn and support their peers- Delali and Benny. In September 2023, Delali dove right into balancing his role as a Master of Public Health student with his responsibilities at the service desk. He finds the work both rewarding and insightful, as it allows him to connect with students and understand their evolving tech needs. Reflecting on his experience, he shares that working at Tech Den has been a great learning opportunity, helping him better understand what students truly need. Along with the rest of the team, he also noticed a growing trend of AI usage among students, which he finds particularly exciting.
Lastly, Benny, who joined the team in October 2023, also juggles his studies in Public Health while managing frontline customer care at Tech Den. He enjoys the dynamic nature of his work, especially when helping students navigate their tech challenges. At his work, he’s observed a significant increase in the use of portable devices and innovative tech solutions, such as AI tools and advanced 3D printing applications, in academic settings, and also finds it enthralling.
Together, this service desk team ensures that the non-residential student technology needs are met with expertise and care, allowing students to focus on what really matters—their academic journey at WashU.
Tech Tips from Tech Den Service Desk
Tech Den is aware how overwhelming it can be for students with so much information being thrown at them in the beginning of the school year. So they asked their service desk team what is the one tech tip they would like the incoming students to take away.
Samantha: Bookmark ONE.WUSTL.EDU
Rachel: Set a reminder on their calendar once a month to check for window updates and model (Dell, HP, Asus) updates monthly as well as clearing browsing history, cookies, and cache once a month. Always remember to back up your data too.
Steve: Learn how to set up DUO authentication on your phones.
Benny: Always BACK UP your stuff in Box or somewhere else.
Delali: Familiarize yourself with the available tech resources and support services at your university. Regularly check for updates and take advantage of any training or workshops offered to make the most of the technology available to you.