Tech whisperer

It’s Monday morning, and your computer is not cooperating. Before reading further, try restarting it …

If that doesn’t work, help is a call or click away. The first point of contact is the ITS Help Desk, which can assist with simple functional questions and many technical matters. These can range from application issues and software or hardware glitches to mobile device problems, NetID troubles, performance hiccups, log-on challenges, and system outages.

When the Help Desk team can’t resolve an issue, it gets escalated via electronic ticket to a partner IT group for further investigation. In most cases, that triggers a request to an IT Deskside Support Provider (DSP), who works directly with the client to diagnose and resolve problems either in person or remotely.

For the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) and a smattering of other university departments, that’s where Dan Staffieri and members of his SEAS Technology team come in. As an IT Support Technician (aka DSP), Staffieri brings specialized knowledge and advanced troubleshooting skills to the personalized service he provides SEAS faculty and staff.

“The Help Desk handles initial diagnostics, and if the problem is too complex or requires specialized expertise, it is forwarded to a DSP. It can be as simple as restarting someone’s computer to diagnosing problems with more intricate lab equipment, such as a 3D printer,” he said. “I’m here to hopefully solve the unsolvable through recognizing and resolving subtle issues that others might miss.”

Each day, Staffieri monitors a queue of electronic requests, prioritizing the most critical issues, like malfunctioning laptops needed for classes, over less urgent requests, such as printer setups.

His role spans a wide range of support activities: new or replacement computer recommendations and setups, application installations and updates, troubleshooting printers and other accessories, solving hardware and software issues, helping with login issues and system performance, addressing connectivity issues with specialized lab equipment, and tackling complex technical challenges escalated from the ITS Help Desk.

“I’m never bored. Every day is different, and the community is truly appreciative of the support that my colleagues and I provide,” Staffieri said. “It runs the gamut from docking station issues to more unique fixes like recovering software programs from obsolete equipment that was often developed by companies no longer in business.”

While responding to tickets that describe specific problems, Staffieri frequently finds that conversations with clients reveal more detailed information. “Very often, and it’s kind of a joke within our team, what reads or appears to be a simple problem is really much more complex,” he said.

Staffieri first came to Yale shortly after graduating from college in 2000 working as a systems administrator at the School of Architecture before transferring to Yale Law School. He left in 2017, and after a six-year absence, during which time he worked as an IT director for a family business and then operated his own computing company, he returned to the university.

Today, he responds to about 50 tickets each month, and while he has a CompTIA A+ certification, Staffieri is self-taught in networking infrastructure, server administration, automated script writing, and hardware diagnostics and repair. He stays ahead of trends and new technologies by reading a variety of tech websites and hopes to integrate AI into the team’s workflow.

“Dan does the job of two people,” said Rachel Feinmesser, interim IT associate director. “It is a testament to his work ethic that when he decided to come back to Yale, he was sought after by several departments.”

“I feel very fortunate to work with so many intelligent and talented people,” said Staffieri. “We share the responsibilities as a team and lean on each other for support, which is comforting. Yale’s leadership does an excellent job of safeguarding staff from external forces, so I don’t have to worry about those outside matters and can concentrate on doing my job — helping faculty teach and conduct research and helping staff get their work done.”