ISSUE Officers 2014-2015

• President: Brittney King
• Vice President: John Rusnak
• Curriculum Chairs: Natalie Davis & Albert Kang
• Employer Relations: Chris Mcgouch & Kellie Carter
• Recruiting Chair: Stephanie Chien
• Social Media Chairs: Devon Williams & Connie Zhu
• Staff Liaison: Lori Haight

Wall of Fame

Read some of the success stories of ISSUE alums who have gone on to do big things!

• Alani Nichols: Business Systems Analyst

  

  Title: Business Systems Analyst
  Employer: Vanguard
  Degree: BSIS, 2011

  After graduation from the BSIS program in 2011, Alani began work as a Business Systems Analyst with Vanguard, a company that has a variety of investment options, one of which are mutual funds. "I believe that my coursework in SILS gave me an edge because it transformed how I view information and technology," Alani said. "SILS has taught me that information and supporting technologies exist and have merit because of their ability to connect people with each other and also with new ideas. These tools are more than just coding, tubes, and wires—they are about about access, dissemination, and interaction with information that affect us every day."

• Samira Akpan: Sr. Clinical Trial Administrator

  

  Title: Sr. Clinical Trial Administrator, Clinical Development
  Employer: Stiefel (a GlaxoSmithKline company
  Degree: BSIS, 2006

  Samira Akpan is in the Training and Integration area of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). She currently leads efforts to transition over to GSK processes for the systems and a vendor for reports required by local and globalregulatory agencies. When the transition has ended, Samira will work with a project team to assist in transitioning to GSK’s Sharepoint system for project and meeting management.

  "The system is technology based, but it’s more about understanding the different learning styles and packaging information in a way that is most relevant to the user," said Samira.

• John Walker: Principal Engineer and Manager

  

  Title: Principal Engineer and Manager,
  Communications Consultant
  Employer: Fujitsu America
  Degree: BSIS, 2006

  I wear multiple hats, but I spend the majority of my time leading a small group of application engineers who support a set of core business applications that provide imaging services, integrated document and report management, and transactional document composition for both print and e-delivery. If you’ve ever gotten an insurance ID card or member booklet from Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, that’s my team! I also help define and shape our enterprise document strategy, provide technical and architecture consulting to large corporate initiatives that involve print or e-delivery of documents, and help run our enterprise content management program. Finally, I serve as a communications consultant to large enterprise initiatives, designing and executing the communication components of significant change initiatives.

• Evan Carroll: Lead User Experience Designer & Author

  

  Title: Lead User Experience Designer and Author
  Employer: Capstrat and The Digital Beyond
  Degree: BSIS, MSIS, 2008

  Information Science wasn’t my first choice when I came to Carolina in 2004. In fact, I didn’t even know what Information Science was. Little did I know that I was already designing information systems. I had a keen understanding of technology, but always in the sense of how it could help people work smarter. In each of my part-time jobs, I found myself improving processes and helping others learn computer applications. When I found Information Science in UNC’s Undergraduate Bulletin, I knew I’d found my major.

  I’m now a Lead UX Designer and work with clients and users to create delightful Web experiences. I had the pleasure of leading Capstrat’s redesign of UNC.edu. It was a job I was meant to do, powered by a love of Carolina and a strong education at SILS.

• Beth Sams: Technical Analyst

  

  Title: Technical Analyst
  Employer: Credit Suisse
  Degree: BSIS, 2011

  Beth Sams works at an investment bank as an application developer in the Technical Analyst program. She provides upkeep to internal Web sites using Microsoft's .NET framework, uses and maintains an Oracle database, and provides support for the investment bank's product controllers. In addition, Beth granta user privileges in order to maintain the greatest data security for the bank. She says she's had the opportunity to take many courses to further her business, banking and economic backgrounds.

  "My system analysis class really helped prepare me for this job," said Beth. "The class stressed being able to talk to users and watch them to see how they actually use the system. I've been able to use this type of analysis to figure out how the product controllers were actually using the websites and how to improve them. I think the ability to talk to users is a great skill that SILS has taught me. The research I have done with SILS has also had an impact on my work. Collaboration with others is extremely important in the corporate world, and unexpected events happen just as frequently. I think that my research experience has prepared me more for the real world than many classes. Another key skill that SILS has given me is the ability to understand and manipulate databases. I use my database knowledge every day at work."

• Jimmy Nguyen: Software Engineer

  

  Title: Software Engineer
  Employer: Credit Suisse
  Degree: BSIS, 2010

  After graduation in 2010, Jimmy Nguyen started working for Credit Suisse as a software engineer in the company's Technical Analyst program. The Technical Analyst program allowed him to take online and instructor-led courses to learn more about Investment Banking. Through this program, he saw the value that Credit Suisse put on information technology and how it partners with the business.

  "Pairing information technology, business and people in this global company was a skill I learned in SILS which I knew I could apply," Nguyen said. "I gained valuable experience in systems analysis and design that I continue to apply every day. Being able to communicate with other developers, project managers and business users is another important lesson I learned through SILS. Thanks to SILS, understanding information processes and having strong communication skills helped me stand out in this competitive job market."

• Mia Barnes: Management Program Analst

  

  Title: Management Program Analyst
  Employer: Federal Bureau of Investigation
  Degree: BSIS, 2009

  Mia Barnes is currently employed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the Operational Technology Division in the Forensic Support Unit as a management program analyst. She handles the budget for digital examiners and helps with the processing of evidence.

  "In my current job capacity I used many of the skills I learned while at SILS," Mia said. "I have helped develop databases and I build internal collaboration Web sites within my unit. Additionally, concepts learned in my 'Organizational Culture' class have really helped me navigate the unique culture at the FBI. The breadth and relevance of the coursework at SILS ensured that I would be able to work and excel in almost any field."