Staff Profile of Bart Cohen: Director of Technology Services Has Interests Beyond Machinery
Posted on 10/23/2007
Pretty much everyone on the faculty and staff of the College of Education and Health Professions knows Bart Cohen. He's the guy you meet in your first day or week on the job when he gets your computer and related equipment set up.
You call him when your e-mail is doing something weird or you can't figure out how to turn on your printer.
There may be a thing or two about him you don't know, though.
But more about that later.
This is the first in a series of articles in Compass Points that will help people get better acquainted and, to go a step further, maybe help improve your understanding of just what it is that your colleagues do.
Bart came to the University of Arkansas in 1991 from Memphis after a brief stop in California. He earned a dual Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology and a Master of Science in curriculum and instruction from the University of Memphis.
Bart and his wife, Heidi, who teaches at Turnbow Elementary in Springdale, have two daughters. Both attend the UA – Karen studying international relations and Jacqueline studying business.
In his early days here in what was then the College of Education, Bart taught some classes and did some desktop publishing as well as handling service of the college's computers. Now as director of Technology Services, he focuses primarily on keeping the college's technology running smoothly.
In ballpark figures, that's:
- 425 desktop machines
- 100 laptops
- 300 printers
- A number of scanners and other miscellaneous equipment.
He's responsible for the technology service needs of all academic and administrative departments and research and service units in the college with the exception of Intramural/Recreational Sports and the National Office of Research, Measurement and Evaluation Systems, better known as IMRS and NORMES. That also includes seven computer labs in four buildings across campus. And, don't get him started on the technology challenges in the Speech and Hearing Clinic.
Despite such a large amount of machinery to look after, Bart's job is also focused heavily on people.
"I think helping people is the most important part," he said. "Someone asked me a question the other day that I had to say wasn't my job. I hate saying that."
"I want people to be able to use technology to the best of their ability, and I want to assist them in the best way I can."
The only people Bart generally doesn't meet unless they have a computer problem are the graduate assistants.
"I wish I could improve on that," he said. "I like to be able to associate a name with a face, and usually I do eventually but I don't like the time it takes."
In the past four to five years, Bart has come to rely on the Internet to diagnose problems and find solutions. He spends about an hour every night reading online to keep up to date and routinely turns to the Web during the day to research a problem he hasn't encountered before. He keeps odd hours sometimes, too, performing system upgrades on the weekends when they'll disrupt the least number of people.
Most people in the college get to know Bart's helpers pretty well, too. He hires students and they generally don't need much training.
"This generation has grown up using computers so there isn't much they're not familiar with," he said. "My training usually concerns procedures."
Jonah Kronenberger and Andrew Adams are Bart's assistants currently, and because they're students he knows their time here is limited.
"I really enjoy working with them," Bart said. "But, I'm glad to see them move on eventually, although I'll miss them. I think they get great experience here, working both with technology and people."
And, what about that tidbit of information promised at the beginning of this profile?
Bart plays bass for a four-man indie rock group. Other members of The Circle and the Ages are Marcus Winters and Brian Kisida, doctoral fellow and research associate, respectively, in the department of education reform, who play guitar, and Eli Hansen, a computer tech who works in the Bumpers College. You can ask Bart what indie rock is and where the band's name came from.
As of early October, the group had practiced twice and had a practice/gig at College Inn, so they're probably available for bookings.
We want to hear from you. Please e-mail comments and feedback to Heidi Stambuck at stambuck@uark.edu.