Jimmy Wade
Meet Jimmy Wade, Systems Engineer extraordinaire on our Learning Systems and Infrastructure team. With over 16 years of experience, Jimmy's knack for troubleshooting tools like CarmenCanvas, Zoom and Mediasite keeps our learning systems running smoothly. When he's not untangling tech issues or writing scripts, he’s keeping up with his two kids, singing in choir, or starting a new hobby that he will absolutely, without a doubt finish this time (*wink*). While botany and zoology might have been an early passion, we’re glad Jimmy found his way to IT and puts his problem-solving skills to use here in OTDI.
Q: What is your role at the university? I’m a Systems Engineer on the Learning Systems team, supporting tools like CarmenCanvas, Zoom and Mediasite.
Q: How long have you worked at Ohio State? A little over 16 years, most of that at OIT/OCIO/ODEE/OTDI.
Q: What are you currently working on? What does a typical day look like for you? Right now we’re working on fleshing out middleware to support our partners at Ohio State Online. A typical day could be meeting with an instructor to troubleshoot something in a tool, sorting out unexpected behavior in the gaps between systems, or digging into documentation to make sure we’re getting the most out of the products we’re using.
Q: How do you create and innovate? An open mind, a collaborative spirit, and lots of PowerShell scripts!
Q: Did you always know this is what you wanted to do as a career? No, but in retrospect it makes total sense! I’ve always loved figuring out not only how things work, but how to make things work.
Q: How did your career path bring you to work for us? I started as a Student Tech for Classroom Computing way back in Autumn Quarter 2007 and was hired full-time a year later, helping manage computers in Labs and Classrooms. I spent 2011-2013 doing IT at the Fisher College of Business and then found my way back to ODEE to support the then-new Lecture Capture service.
Q: Of what are you most proud? I think it’d have to be our transcription service that we’re running at the Ohio Supercomputer Center! Since August 2023, we’ve processed over 7,000 hours of content representing 53 million words.
Q: What was your very first job? I had a work study job in the dungeon subbasement of Botany & Zoology (now Jennings Hall). I digitized loads of 35mm slides, photographed the Mammalogy skulls and skins collection, and developed an appreciation for Gray Short-Tailed Opossums.
Q: What is your favorite place to visit? Boston, to visit my sister and her husband. We hang out, cook meals, ride the train around, she tries to convince me to move there, and I try to convince her to move back to Ohio.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Too hard to pick one, but anywhere with good food and better trains. Japan’s a contender for sure!
Q: Can you tell us about your family? My wife Emma and I met in middle school way back in 1996, and we got hitched in 2008. She’s an educator with Columbus Babywearing and is passionate about teaching new parents how to get some sanity back! We’ve got two great kids, Sasha and Miles, who constantly keep us on our toes. In addition, we have two cats, Mr. Whisker and Grog, and a Crested Gecko named Jeromey Sassy 2. The three animals share two brain cells.
Q: What do you do for fun outside of work? Do you have any hobbies? I volunteer for our school PTO, and I sing in the choir at St. Joseph Cathedral. One of my hobbies is starting new a hobby, getting the equipment for it, and then getting distracted by something else.
Q: Favorite place to eat in Columbus? Tip Top after a long choir rehearsal.
Q: Best concert you’ve ever been to? WNCI presents Spin Doctors at The Continent, 1997
Q: Favorite quote? “Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.” – Kurt Vonnegut
Q: Do you have a favorite book? Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Q: It’s 9 p.m. on a Saturday. What are you doing? Trying to convince my kids that they should go to bed, and then staying up far too late myself.
Q: Give three adjectives that best describe yourself. Optimistic, Kind, Resourceful