IST alum Hansel enjoys working on the 'bleeding edge of technology'

“I enjoy the challenge of keeping up with technology and always being on the bleeding edge,” said Dan Hansel, information technology (IT) consultant and support desk manager at Penn State, and a 2007 graduate of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST).In January, Hansel and a team of Web developers won gold in the Microsite category at the second annual Educational Digital Marketing Awards for their redesign of the Schreyer Honors College website.Hansel said the focus on teamwork, a core feature of IST’s curriculum while he studied at Penn State, helped prepare him to build the Schreyer Honors College website and to flourish in his current position.“In almost every class I attended at IST there were group projects,” said Hansel. “We often grumbled about it, but it really set us up well for the future in the workforce. We learned that everyone brings different views and opinions to the table. We learned how to brainstorm ideas as a group, and how to use technology to aid us in working with others.”Consulting, collaboration and database administration are a few of the keys to Hansel’s success, skills he honed at IST.“All of the technical details aside, a lot of IT work really comes down to consulting with your end users and customers to find out what they want and how they want to use it,” Hansel said.The story of how Hansel came to enroll in the College of IST is a family affair, a common theme at Penn State. “My father, Terry Hansel, who works at University Park campus as an Office of Physical Plant (OPP) project coordinator, brought home a Daily Collegian article from when IST was created. He started showing me some of the graduation numbers from the first few IST classes,” Hansel said.“I was blown away by the numbers and the possibilities. I knew I had the patience and a knack for technology, and I wanted to be a part of the new school, which later became the College of IST.”Hansel said he knew that with an IST degree, there would be many job opportunities available to him after graduation. Another draw, he said, was the ability to stay local and remain in the community in which he was raised. “I stuck with IST because I was curious to learn more. I wanted to stay on the bleeding edge of technology, and I was surrounded by great classmates who shared my values and interests. My professors were very energetic and upbeat and made things interesting – they challenged me.”When Hansel thinks about current IST students -- what they should know and what he has learned since graduating -- the first thing that springs to mind isn’t something technological, it's character.“Be honest with what you know and what you don’t know,” said Hansel. “People appreciate honesty. There are so many things I don’t know, but I listen to the people who are knowledgeable in that subject area and l learn from them.”“Be a good listener,” he continued. “Learn to write technically. The world we live in today runs on email and effective communication is a must.”“But it all boils down to this, said Hansel.  “If you can work with people, and you can learn and understand processes and technology, you will have nothing to worry about. IST is a great foundation.”