Celebrating our People: Roger Packwood
Roger Packwood is a Technical Manager in the Computer Science department, and the winner of an Unsung Hero University Award. Here, he tells us about his role, and what winning this award means for him and his department.
Tell us a bit about your role
As Technical Manager in Computer Science, I'm responsible for the departmental computer systems used by our students and staff, I also try and contribute wherever it looks like I can help with practical matters, or just as an extra pair of hands. I see my role as helping everyone here be as productive and successful as possible, that involves pushing all the time to give them the best possible environment to work in, but also helping anyone who needs it on an individual basis. I hope and think that anyone in the department can approach me directly, pretty much as I walk around, sometimes just a brief chat can fix up some confusion and convey information in a remarkably productive fashion. Far better to find someone and talk to them, better than email, better than waiting to fix up the problems after they've happened."
How would you define your project?
As an Unsung Hero, I don't have a specific project. Computer Science at Warwick is expanding, so it's good to help new staff settle in, and make sure the increasing number of students have the right environment. We like to think of ourselves as a friendly environment, and I think our students look comfortable as they work, and to some extent live and grow up around the department. We are having an extension built to our building, this new space needs to be the best that we can make it and I am working as hard as possible to engage with the process that will make this happen, and be a great success."
Going above and beyond your role
I sometimes wonder what this means. There's only so much time to do things, it's tricky picking the best the thing to do, my role is open ended, I don't know that it has an above and beyond, I just run out of time. I don't think I'm unusual in that way, many people I know are the same."
How does it feel to have won an Unsung Hero Award?
It's tremendously uplifting to know that what I do is appreciated."
What would you like to say to the person(s) who nominated you?
Thank you."
Extract from Roger's nomination: "Roger is always available to answer questions and address problems from the entire departmental community. His door is always open and he always seems to be here earlier than everyone else gets in and later than everyone else goes home. He will always try to help, often on the same day or when it’s been left too late. He attends every departmental open day to set up displays and demonstrations, provide computing equipment and ensure smooth running. Roger does many little things every day to keep everything technical and practical running smoothly, ensures the computer systems within the department are running smoothly and without interruption, particularly at critical times."
We hope you enjoyed the University Awards Evening on 12 May. Did you have any highlights?
It was good to see the various suppliers, contractors and consultants, as I deal with some of them, and many people around campus don't know much about them. I also realised a bit more how many teams are working away in areas that I'm totally unaware of, and it's good to be reminded about that."
