Laurie Harvey
Director of Client Services
Office: Information Technology and Infrastructure
Campus: Old Westbury

Member of NYIT Since: 2010

When Director of Client Services Laurie Harvey talks about the best part of her job, one word always comes to mind – collaboration. It's also her guiding principle in overseeing NYIT's departments of information technology (IT) and academic computing.

"Every IT solution involves collaboration," Harvey says. "A technology can meet technical requirements, but if the interface doesn't work easily for our clients, then it isn't the right solution. I start my discussion with asking the client, 'Tell me what you want to achieve ... what problem are you trying to solve?'"

Harvey's "clients" are NYIT faculty members, staff, and students. She has collaborated with each group to institute new technology services, such as creating a standard for SMART classrooms; supporting the use of iPads by NYIT Board of Trustee members and faculty in the Academic Senate; using iPads for in-classroom interdisciplinary research; providing Blackboard training; and starting a plot shop for students.

Using a remote-access technology tool called Bomgar, Harvey and her staff also provide resources to NYIT's global campuses. "We use this tool all over the world to fix problems and train people," she says.

Harvey's path to IT services began when she was a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. She modified computers to make work easier for people with disabilities.

Years later, she is still using what she learned as a teacher for another NYIT initiative – implementing ZoomText software to magnify computer screen text for visually-impaired students.

"Technology levels the playing field for everyone," Harvey says. "The client services staff is here to help the NYIT community use technology services to be more productive and to better serve our students."