Paul Edwards Email and Phone Number

As the Information Technology Director for the Penn State Ross & Carol Nese College of Nursing, I am committed to delivering strategic IT leadership and ensuring the effective integration of technology solutions that support the college's mission and vision. Collaborating closely with faculty and staff, I strive to create a technology-driven environment that enhances teaching, learning, and research outcomes. My inclusive approach to project management fosters open communication and teamwork, enabling me to work effectively with diverse groups of colleagues. By actively seeking input and feedback from staff members, I ensure that all perspectives are considered and that our collective expertise contributes to the successful completion of projects.My role includes proficiently managing IT resources, infrastructure, and cybersecurity and fostering strong partnerships with the broader Penn State IT community to facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies and best practices. In all aspects of my work, I am dedicated to promoting a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and excellence within the College of Nursing's IT ecosystem.

As the IT Lead for The Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS), I provide comprehensive IT expertise to UPPS staff across the Commonwealth. As the University's go-to expert on police-related technology requirements and solutions, I actively strive to keep our organization at the forefront of technological advancements.Serving as the primary liaison between UPPS leadership and Penn State IT leadership, I facilitate open communication and collaboration to address the unique technological needs of our unit. Working hand-in-hand with Penn State IT, I play a crucial role in rolling out state-of-the-art University-wide IT initiatives that help make our community safer and more secure.

Lead IT strategies and infrastructure that directly support business initiatives and priorities in areas including security, backup systems, fiber and wireless WAN, help desk, and others. Guides the IT department in executing IT projects across multiple areas. Continuously research and implement technology solutions that drive business performance while simultaneously building and maintaining key relationships with external vendors. Key Projects• Coordinated a 20 site WAN upgrade that covers an area of approximately 9,000 square miles in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia while keeping within existing budgets. • Increased internal communications and data sharing with a successful company-wide migration to Google Apps for Work, which included staff development and training.• Spearheaded new procedures for Help Desk documentation, enabling the development of a comprehensive knowledge base of common issues and solutions to improve Help Desk efficiency.• Coordinated with advertising team and web developers to design, implement and maintain an e-commence platform.• Migrating all switching and wireless infrastructure to Cisco Meraki solutions. • Completed VMware upgrade to version 6.5 along with installation of a Dell FX2 chassis & blades to support the updated virtualization environment.

Maintained key business applications and technology systems while simultaneously partnering with executive leadership to guide both short and long-range planning and projects. Planned and effectively managed diverse network, hardware, and software upgrades to meet evolving and changing priorities. Closely collaborated with district leadership to present and adopt new technologies and initiatives. Key Projects• Played a key role as a technology project lead for 3 million dollar E-Fund grant that paved the way to deliver high-speed network connectivity, educational content and tools to 50+ school districts in central Pennsylvania.• Successfully worked on a team that expanded statewide WAN projects into one large Pennsylvania statewide educational network, PAIUnet.• Presented new technologies and Pennsylvania Department of Education technology initiatives to district leadership.• Spearheaded a program for IT staff that saved districts about $150,000 in professional development costs. These trainings included Microsoft Server, Cisco Networking and Red Hat Linux.• Slashed telecommunications costs by 55% by coordinating the federal E-Rate program.

In my role as an instructor for evening adult education classes, I had the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and QuarkXPress. It was a rewarding experience to guide people in mastering these powerful design tools and watching them utilize these skills in their respective careers.

Layout and design of the Harrisburg Real Estate Weekly

Managed all pre-press work involved in producing various printed materials including, handbooks, stationary, annual reports, posters, newsletters, etc.