ISC Units

Information Systems and Computing (ISC) provides computing infrastructure to the Penn community -- including data, voice, video, and many of the University's central business systems. ISC also provides data administration and security services, offers services for local providers of computing support, and with the Penn community, develops hardware and software standards. ISC's senior staff, the Administrative Systems Project Office, the Administrative Systems Tools and Technologies unit, and the Information Security Office report directly to Robin Beck, Vice President of ISC.

Office of Information Systems and Computing
University of Pennsylvania
265C, 3401 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104/6228
215.898.3028
Robin Beck, Vice President, vpiscweb@isc.upenn.edu
See ISC's organizational chart.

The following units make up Information Systems and Computing. Select a unit to the right, or scroll through the page for more information.

Administrative Information Technologies and Communications (AIT)

265C, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215/898-6300
Jeanne Curtis, Executive Director, curtis@isc.upenn.edu
See Administrative Information Technologies's organizational chart

Administrative Information Technologies (AIT) works with University clients to plan, acquire, develop, and maintain core business and student support systems. It consults with University clients on the re-design of business processes and the application of technology to facilitate business change and meet business requirements. It works with University clients to enable exchange of data between school-based or department-based systems and core University systems, and works to appropriately permit access to University data. 

• Administrative Systems - Installed Base
  265C, 3401 Walnut Street/6228
  Jim Cunningham, IT Director, jcunnin@pobox.upenn.edu, 215.898.5790
  Rosey Nissley, IT Director, nissleyr@isc.upenn.edu, 215.898.2801
  Dan Shapiro, IT Director, shapiro@isc.upenn.edu, 215.746.3237
  
  The Administrative Systems group provides support and maintenance for the installed portfolio of university-wide business and student systems. Support responsibilities include day-to-day operational activities, projects, and implementation of major administrative system upgrades and enhancements. Client support teams partner with process owners to leverage information technology opportunities with the goal of providing effective, cost efficient administrative processes.
  

• Resource Planning and Management
  265C, 3401Walnut Street/6228, 215.573.8242
  Jacqueline Raynor, Sr. IT Project Leader, koury@pobox.upenn.edu
  
  Resource Planning and Management identifies staffing requirements and associated funding strategies in Administrative Information Technologies. This group manages the recruitment of new staff and contractors, and provides management direction for staff assigned to new development projects. The group is also responsible for identifying employee training requirements and for managing tools that support the planning and tracking of administrative information system tasks and resources.
  
  
• Quality Assurance and Internal Administrative Systems Initiatives
  265C, 3401Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.4687
  Elaine Rymsza, Senior Project Leader, rymsza@isc.upenn.edu
  
  This group provides quality assurance in collaboration with, and support of, AIT teams. It monitors procedures and processes that bring quality and performance, based on sound practices, training, analytical tools, and the distribution of knowledge of "best practices," throughout AIT. The group also provides project management of internal administrative systems projects, such as operating system and hardware upgrades.
  
  
• Data Administration
  265C, 3401Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.2173
  James Johnson, IT Technical Director, johnsonj@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Data Administration manages data as a University resource so members of the Penn community have the information they need when they need it and in the form in which they need it.  It manages the University Data Warehouse, conducts data analysis for administrative systems, and provides integration and arbitration services for users of administration data.
  
  

• Communications Group
  305 Sansom Place West, 3650 Chestnut/6107, 215.898.1786
  Edda Katz, Director, katz@isc.upenn.edu
  
  The Communications Group contributes to ISC projects by informing clients and the community about new services, designing friendly and usable applications and web sites, documenting products, and providing editorial expertise. The Communications Group also produces and manages Penn’s Computing Web and supports Computing Web information providers.
  

  

Administrative Systems Project Office

265 C, 3401 Walnut Street/6228
215.898.1985
Marion Campbell, Technical Director, marion@pobox.upenn.edu
See Administrative Systems Project's organizational chart

The Administrative Systems Project Office provides project management leadership required for all phases of administrative application development and integration, including the definition, acquisition, design, development, and implementation of transformational applications. It also partners with University offices to create products and services to ensure effective and maximum use of project resources. This includes developing strategies, processes, standard methodologies and techniques; creating budgets and schedules; defining project governance; and collaborating on resource planning and monitoring.

Administrative Systems Tools and Technologies (ASTT)

265C, 3401 Walnut Street/6228
215.898.4709
James Choate, Technical Director, choate@isc.upenn.edu
See the Administrative Systems Tools and Technologies's organizational chart.

Administrative Systems Tools and Technologies (ASTT) is responsible for the development tools, architectures, standards, and programming frameworks for core administrative systems. ASTT works closely with Administrative Information Technologies (AIT) to evaluate, pilot, and assimilate new technology for the development of core administrative systems.

Finance and Planning

230A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228
215.573.4428
Gary Delson, Executive Director, gdelson@isc.upenn.edu
See Finance and Planning's organizational chart

Finance and Planning provides decision support and operations support to ISC. It also assists ISC in defining and implementing its business plan and goals to support the strategy and goals of the University. Decision support efforts include financial planning and analysis, cost analysis, pricing, and trending analysis. Operations support includes processing of payroll, purchasing transactions, and billing transactions for charges to clients. Planning includes ensuring (1) alignment between key IT decisions, the organizations mission, and the business plan and (2) integration of all work performed across ISC units. The organization works with central Penn organizations and supports the ISC leadership team to develop the multiyear budget and the annual business plan.

Human Resources and Administration

230A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228
215.898.8602
Open, Director
See Human Resources's organizational chart

Human Resources and Administration manages employment and human resources generalist functions for ISC. It also oversees general administration, including facilities management.

Information Security

230A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228
215.898.2172
David Millar, Information Security Officer, millar@isc.upenn.edu
See Information Security's organizational chart, web site

Information Security provides services that protect Penn's information assets, limit liability, and prevent legal and copyright violations. Such services include training, issuance of policies and technical guidelines, recommendation of software and hardware solutions to security issues, security incident response, incident advisories, proactive network security scans, risk analyses, and investigative and consultative services in the event of system compromise.

Networking and Telecommunications

Networking and Telecommunications provides integrated data, voice, and video communications services for the Penn community. Networking and Telecommunications operates PennNet; its Internet and Internet2 gateways; the campus voice networks; and Penn Video Services (video production, streaming video, videoconferencing, and the Penn Video Network); and installs data, voice, and video connections. It also provides network services, including Penn's World Wide Web server, the Online Directory, Classlists, voice messaging, and call center technologies.

• Infrastructure, Projects and Planning
  337A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.573.4455
  Greg Hartley, Sr. IT Project Leader, ghartley@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Infrastructure, Projects and Planning manages the design and installation of all data, voice, and video cabling projects on Penn's campus as well as planning and implementing the Next Generation PennNet project (greatly increasing the network's reliability). The Infrastructure group also maintains and provides documentation for the University's communication cabling, underground ductbanks, manholes, and aerial pathways. The group works closely with the University Facility Services department.
  
  
• Internet2/MAGPI Services
  221A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.0918
  Greg Palmer, Technical Director, gpalmer@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Penn provides Internet2 connectivity to its faculty, staff, students, and researchers in conjunction with PennNet commodity Internet service. MAGPI operates the research and education network of the regional Internet2 GigaPoP run by Networking and Telecommunications.
  
  
• Network Engineering and Services (NES)
  221A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.9293
  Deke Kassabian, Senior Technical Director, deke@isc.upenn.edu
  
  NES provides the design, deployment, and operation of production systems and services supporting PennNet. NES also includes Network Management and the Video organizations of Networking and Telecommunications, including the Penn Video Network.
  
  
• Network and Telecommunications Operations
  337A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.9664
  Mark Wehrle, Technical Director, wehrle@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Network Operations monitors the daily performance of the PennNet routing core, wide area links to remote campuses, and voice operations. It also installs and maintains all PennNet and voice wiring and closet electronics in most buildings across campus, including the College Houses and the Greek Houses.
  
  
• Telecommunications Operations
  221A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.578-2290
  Reni Roberts, Sr. IT Project Leader, reni@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Telecommunications Operations manages Penn's 25,000-line campus-wide voice network. In also delivers voice services for students on and off campus through Student Telephone Services.
  
  
• Telecommunications System Design and Consulting
  337A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.9664
  Mark Wehrle, Technical Director, wehrle@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Telecommunications System Design and Consulting advises campus customers as to which voice services will best meet their needs. These services may include departmental voice systems, voice messaging, automatic call distribution, interactive voice response, automated attendant, and operator services.
  

  

Systems Engineering/Operations (SEO)

Systems Engineering and Operations is responsible for the deployment and maintenance of the technical infrastructure and for providing production monitoring and support for the University's core business systems.

• Systems Engineering
  850, 3600 Market Street/2653, 215.573.4178
  Bill Ramirez, Technical Director, Technical Services, ramirezw@isc.upenn.edu
  Dan Sheehan, Technical Director, Database Administration, sheehan@isc.upenn.edu
  Tom Unger, Program Manager, Business Continuity, unger@isc.upenn.edu
  Technical Director (Open), Projects and Strategy
  Systems Engineering provides system and database administration services for the University's enterprise servers and database systems.  It also provides business continuity and access control services for systems and data.
  
  
• Operations
  265C, 3401 Walnut Street/6228, 215.898.1099
  Donna Manley, Senior Director, manleydm@isc.upenn.edu
  
  Operations provides production scheduling and processing and support services for university-wide administrative systems.  It also provides a variety of facilities managed services for schools and administrative departments.

  

Technology Support Services (TSS)

Technology Support Services coordinates an overall program of ISC services for campus providers of computing support, and provides direct support services for clients on a contract basis. It brokers support and facilitates communication across Penn through user groups and other channels. It collaborates with other ISC units and with colleagues in schools and centers to maintain Penn's desktop recommendations and supported products and to address specific issues of interest to IT staff on campus. It provides leadership for the university in the area of local area network technologies. It supports classroom technology design, maintains technology in central pool classrooms, and coordinates activities to advance the effective use of new media in instruction.

• Classroom Technology Services (CTS)
  221 Sansom Place West, 3650 Chestnut/6107, 215.573.9794
  Jeff Douthett, Manager, douthett@isc.upenn.edu
  See Classroom Technology Services's web site
  
  Classroom Technology Services (CTS) provides technical support for technology in central pool classrooms. CTS coordinates the design and installation of new technology systems in classrooms renovated by the Provost's Classroom Committee, maintains equipment used in central pool classrooms, prepares written instructions for faculty users, provides training and technical information to school-based support providers, and assists in coordination of end-user support provided by the schools.
  
  

• Client Services Group
  202 Sansom Place West, 3650 Chestnut/6107, 215.573.4778)
  Michael Lazenka, Operations Manager, lazenka@isc.upenn.edu
  See Client Services Group's web site
  
  The Client Services Group serves as the primary support provider for undergraduates living off campus and in the Greek houses, and for graduate and professional students. It also serves as a single point of contact for Local Support Providers (LSPs) on campus needing assistance with supported products or central computing services, and for faculty and staff referrals to their LSPs or other computing services. The Computing Resource Center (CRC) distributes the PennConnect CD, which includes Penn's supported network and anti-virus software.
  
  
• LAN Technology Services
  219 Sansom Place West, 3650 Chestnut/6107, 215.898.2184
Magida Phillips, Senior IT Project Leader, magida@isc.upenn.edu See LAN Technology Service's web site.

LAN Technology Services provides leadership for the university in the area of local area network technologies and facilitates information sharing among LAN administrators on campus through user groups and campus teams. In addition, it offers LAN consulting services, shared call tracking and escalation services for Help Desks on campus (PennTIPS), and enterprise calendaring services (Meeting Maker) on a cost recovery basis.


• Support-on-Site
  302 Sansom Place West, 3650 Chestnut/6107, 215.898.1785
  Kristin Nelson, Senior IT Project Leader, knelson@isc.upenn.edu
  See Support-on-Site's web site
  
  ISC provides a variety of fee-based local support services for University schools, departments, and administrative offices. ISC Dispatch provides a full range of desktop support services (system installation, configuration, and troubleshooting) as well as assistance with special projects, computing needs analysis, and technology planning. ISC Support-on-Site also places full-time computing support staff in University offices; these "distributed" staff take direction from the local unit but are managed centrally by ISC.
  
  
• Technology Training Services (TTS)
  206 Sansom Place West, 3650 Chestnut/6107 (215.898.1785)
  Kristin Nelson, Sr. IT Project Leader, knelson@isc.upenn.edu
  See Technology Training Services's web site
  
  Technology Training Services (TTS) provides IT provider support training specific to the University of Pennsylvania, as well as information on discounted end-user and advanced computer training provided by external vendors. TTS also supports two state-of-the-art PC classrooms that are available for rent by the half-day, day, week, or longer.