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An ostrich talePrasant always had great traveling stories to share. My favorite was his story about riding an ostrich. I laughed so hard when he said it is the dumbest animal in the world! He said as long as its eyes were covered, you could ride it like a horse, but if the covers came off, you’d be in for it because it would run like crazy to throw you off its back! He makes work fun. Sometimes you need that after looking at a calendar all day and rearranging meeting after meeting. Thanks for the laughs, Prasant! Angie Al brecht

Thanks!This special version of the Insider collects appreciations from people throughout IET about Prasant’s year as interim CIO and vice provost. They’re followed by a caricature drawn by ace ATS illustrator Steve Dana.

If we were to summarize the sentiments, they’d add up to this: Thanks, Prasant! You have moved IET forward.

08/18/2014: Changing of the guard 8 a.m., Viji Murali takes helm, IET

Five ‘don’ts’ when off-boarding your CIO Turnover (think a handshake and a going-away party, not a delicious flaky pastry) is an unavoidable part of every operation, and IET is no exception, even at the very top of our org chart. With that inevitability in mind, the BOU presents these five tips about what not to do when off-boarding a CIO:

1) Don’t turn off all his connectivity two weeks early (seriously, we’ll try to avoid this next time).

2) Don’t let him take his talented assistant with him (we’ll miss you, Trina!).

3) Don’t sign the going-away card “happy birthday.” The note on the outside of the folder is there for a reason.

4) Don’t leave Post-it notes claiming his office furniture before he moves out. No one needs a credenza in a cubicle.

5) Don’t forget to let them know how awesome they are, and how much they’ll be missed!

Oh, and P.S.: Don’t forget to get the biggest cake available for the going-away party!

A NOTE ABOUT PRASANT

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

BOU

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The re-launch of a generalistWhat a pleasure to have worked with Prasant Mohapatra! He came to us a mere professor. Sure, he had chaired programs, edited journals, and earned awards for his research and for his innovation. But had he ever wrestled with IET budgets? Had he ever answered emails from disgruntled music and math professors? Had he ever had an executive assistant parse his ever-changing schedule into 15-minute intervals? These trials and many more have clearly prepared Prasant for administrative elevation to associate chancellor. Why is he ready for new and important challenges at UC Davis? Because Prasant is a generalist. As we say bon voyage to our interim CIO, let’s fondly remember the words of Robert A. Heinlein, the dean of science fiction writers, a man who had to imagine worlds as challenging as the one that Prasant is about to enter. Heinlein believed that, like Prasant, the best of us are the bridge-builders, the jacks-of-all-trades, the generalists:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

Congratulations, Prasant, and thank you for your service to IET. Andy Jones

Prasant Mohapatra receives the Outstanding Engineering Mid-Career Faculty Award in 2011 from College of Engineering Dean Enrique J. Lavernia

Some of Prasant’s extracurricular activities include: Playing the guitar and keyboard ...

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Customers, communication, and taking risksThank you for your focus on customer service, communication, and taking risks. Your approach has enabled us to explore new opportunities for delivering service to the campus community, and contributed greatly to the Client Services team’s success. Anita Nichols

‘I learned a great deal’After 15 years of working directly with IET leaders, I figured I could adapt to different styles, personalities, schedules, and agendas. What could the sixth and latest IT leader bring throughout his interim year that I had not experienced before? Plenty, as it turns out! There was the good humor, of course, as well as the generous delegation of tasks, the constant juggling of research, faculty and CIO responsibilities, and your uncanny ability to make us forget you often were miles away in a different time zone. But the anecdote I will remember most fondly is when we would sit down at the conference table with an idea you wanted to explore, or an assignment you had just received from the P or the C. These discussions were intellectually intriguing and fun. They often felt like graduate seminars, with you at the whiteboard framing the questions, drafting diagrams, capturing options, and with input from everyone, methodically zeroing in on the hypothesis we would spend the next few weeks developing. I appreciated these opportunities to challenge ourselves and to approach things differently. I learned a great deal during this yearlong seminar, Prasant, and for that I’m grateful. Thank you. Babette Schmitt

Some of Prasant’s extracurricular activities include: Playing tennis and doing yoga ...

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Small examples of big valuesAs part of the small group that produces the Insider, I’d like to highlight two details: First, Prasant always sent his item for each newsletter in time for us to meet our every-other-Thursday release schedule. Wherever he was in the world, whatever else he was doing, he met the deadline. He wrote the items himself, too.

Second, when a few readers of the Insider asked last winter for a new casual photo of Prasant, to use with his articles and to better match the informal tone of the newsletter, Prasant respected the request and made it easy to fulfill. Ahna Heller and I simply scheduled an appointment with him at his office in Surge II. We chatted about traveling while I snapped some photos outside, Prasant chose one, and we were done.

These small examples of reliability, commitment, friendly access and efficiency help explain why IET has come so far in the past year. We could count on him to come through. Bil l Buchanan

A model for how to be openPrasant, your openness and transparency while leading IET speak volumes about you. It should be a model for all of us. Thank you for your outstanding leadership. Joe Kel ley

Some of Prasant’s other achievements:

Played guitar for Swami Sivananda’s birthday in Sri Lanka in May 2000 ...

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You met your goals and improved our reputationPrasant, I vividly recall the first time you addressed all of us at your first IET staff meeting, where you laid out your two primary objectives. You said that we needed to improve communications, both internal and external, and to improve our customer service. Over the course of one, seemingly short year, I have seen evidence across the organization where we have made great strides in both areas.

Our internal communications have improved primarily because of the “openness” you have fostered, which simply wasn’t present before your arrival. Two good examples: Our staff meetings are now far more engaging and participatory than before, and with the creation of the Insider, updates and information across groups are traveling at a far more efficient rate.

External communications have certainly increased and improved between IET and departments across campus, which has led to the formation of new partnerships and relationships that will serve us well in the future.

Lastly, our increased focus on customer service has been felt throughout Mrak Hall and campus with IT Express and ITPS taking on technical support for their IT systems. Four months after the transition, I continue to hear individuals state that they are experiencing higher degrees of customer support than they typically receive from many private-sector companies.

Congratulations on accomplishing your goals, and for leaving IET in much better standing with the campus. For that, I thank you.

Hampton Sublett

Some of Prasant’s other achievements:

Played guitar for the International Doctors Conference in Chennai in 2001 ...

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Connecting over chocolateUpon coming to IET, I had heard many great things about Prasant and was very excited about working with and for him and getting to know him. Little did I know we would have one major thing in common ... our love of chocolate! I can’t help but wonder if my candy jar was a catalyst in my move with him into his new role as associate chancellor.

Trina Giardino

‘You made a big difference in a student’s life’Prasant, I wish you hearty congratulations as you embark on your new role as associate chancellor! You are one of the most visionary and able campus leaders I have known. Your good humor, kindness and your openness and accessibility to staff members have been admirable. We all remember the sense of collaboration and teamwork that you have established here at IET. On a personal note, I sincerely appreciate your support and guidance while I was navigating through the UC system in an effort to get a Guardian Scholar student back on the graduation path. You made a big difference in a student’s life. I wish you and your family all the best in the next chapter of your stellar career. V iji Kumar

Some of Prasant’s other achievements:

Won prizes in solo instrumental and group instrumental music in school- and college-level competitions ...

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Focus, and the courage to break with conventionThanks for taking the past year in our department to focus your attention on the routine IT functions that the rest of the university frequently takes for granted. I’m sure others could have acted adequately as interim CIO, but you brought energy and motivation that I believe raised expectations, standards, and morale.

For example, you used your contacts at a startup focused on advanced threat protection to pitch a collaborative effort, and we worked with your postdoc to analyze millions of attempted network attacks. Neither opportunity was required of an interim CIO, but you freely offered.

You also demonstrated professional courage to break with conventional practice and take action when you recognized the unnecessary risks that orphaned Windows XP computers cause the university community. This leadership by example is a hallmark of a true educator. Tye Stal lard

A pleasant case of deja vuPrasant and I met in my last position at Kemper Hall while I worked in Computer Science. Upon the announcement of my current assignment in IET, Prasant sent me a warm welcome and stated he looked forward to meeting me. When I responded I knew him from CS, he exclaimed, “That’s why your name sounded so familiar!” At UCD, it’s such a small world.... Patricia C lark

Some of Prasant’s other achievements*: Played tournament-level tennis in college.

*Information taken from website of Amrita University, a research university in India: www.amrita.edu/faculty/prasant-mohapatra

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Thanks, Prasant! You have moved IET forward.