Team members at ASU Enterprise Technology head back to school

Jake Garcia

August 21, 2024

The start of the fall semester has arrived, and as Arizona State University (ASU) welcomes Sun Devils to a new academic year, so does the team at Enterprise Technology.

Many staff members from the Enterprise Technology department are also students, pursuing higher education degrees to help further their personal and professional aspirations.

“Here at ASU, we believe in learning across our lifetimes,” said Lev Gonick, ASU’s chief information officer. “Realizing that vision starts right here with our teams.”

Their decision to balance the rigors of classwork and full-time employment underscores ASU’s commitment to empowering individuals to pursue learning across their lifetimes.

Different stages, same goal

Enterprise Technology team members are at various stages of attaining their desired degree.

Some are nearing the completion of their programs, while others are preparing for the start of new academic pursuits.

Itzel Morales Lizarraga, director of web and user experience, is starting her journey to earn a PhD in human systems engineering. She said Thursday’s first day of classes at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering will mark the beginning of a five- to seven-year process.

“I want to focus my degree on crafting and building more accessible, inclusive and diverse technical systems,” she said.

Morales Lizarraga is also building on an already impressive resume. She has a bachelor’s degree in new media design, as well as two master’s degrees, one of which she earned from ASU in December. Lifelong learning has become her passion and purpose.

“The more I know, the more I study, the more I realize that I don’t know anything. There’s just so much to learn,” she said. “I’m excited about absorbing everything that I can. I like to learn because I constantly feel like there’s so much of the world I don’t know. It makes me feel better.”

Martin Denis, meanwhile, is almost at the finish line.

Denis, an information security specialist at Enterprise Technology, will complete his bachelor’s degree in information technology with an emphasis on security in December.

While Denis said the skills he has learned are directly applicable to his full-time job, his true motivation is family. As a single father, he hopes his pursuit of higher education paves a better future for his children.

“I’m very proud to be able to share this opportunity with them because once I’m walking and once I’m graduating, they’ll be able to see that, ‘Hey your dad can do this.’ Parents can still get degrees and accomplish their goals,” he said.

Skills for the future, working for today

Perhaps the most popular degree program for Enterprise Technology employees is the Master of Science in Information Systems Management (MS-ISM) from the W.P. Carey School of Business.

A total of 11 team members are enrolled to start this fall semester. They include Alexis Pumel, Lucas Kauffman, Xavier McDonald, Torey Takahashi, Melvin Torres Pereira, David Trumbo, Stephen Garcia, Nicolas Martinez, Kahlea Cranford, Joshua Quintana and Lane Riola.

The degree offers innovative specialization tracks that help develop skills in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity and data analytics. It is a 12-month evening program that allows students to hold full-time employment simultaneously.

Alexis Pumel, a data success lead at Enterprise Technology who also holds marketing and business data analytics degrees from ASU, said she’s grateful to work in an environment that fosters educational opportunities.

“It means a lot to work for a company that supports its employees’ not only professional goals, but educational goals and wants to be a great support system for achieving both things,” she said. “I’m very grateful to ASU and Enterprise Technology for encouraging its employees to go back to school.”

Paul Alvarado shares that same sentiment. He is a first-generation college graduate and has experienced the value of education first hand.

As an AI program manager for AI Acceleration, he is pursuing a master’s degree in artificial intelligence in business and is excited about incorporating his learning into his profession.

“It’s a meta type approach. I work in AI and I’m going to school for AI,” he said.

The dozens of team members across roles and leaderships enrolled in classes and pursuing higher education opportunities at ASU include:

Senior System Support Analyst James Lagnese is pursuing a Bachelor of Science, Psychology

UX Research Aide Katelyn Dang is pursuing a Master of Science, User Experience:

“As a graduate student, it can be challenging to fully immerse yourself in campus life. However, balancing the roles of both staff and student at Arizona State University has given me a unique perspective. I've had the opportunity to engage with the university on multiple levels, and it's made me feel deeply connected to this dynamic community.”

Director of Strategic Communications Corinna Busciglio is pursuing a Master of Arts, Communication

Director of Information Technology Gigi Speaks and Senior Director Digital Infrastructure Jorge De Cossio are both pursing their Doctor of Professional Practice, Global Leadership and Management:

“The decision to pursue my degree came from the desire for growth, both personally and professionally. At the same time it was the belief in the power of education to transform not just my career, but my life,” said Jorge De Cossio.

Digital Credential Specialist Javier Motta-Mena is pursuing a Master of Education, Learning Design and Technologies:

“I think that in today's world, we'll be shortchanging ourselves if we don't seek out opportunities to continuously learn because technology, industry, and education itself moves at such a fast pace.”

Software Engineer Alexander Persky is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy:

“I believe philosophy will enlighten me to the human thinking process, in which I can compare to the machine's thinking process. If I can identify our differences in how we handle logic extracted from language, this will reduce the margin of error in the communications between man and machine.”

Program Manager Terri Campos is pursuing a Master of Project Management:

“It took me 34 years to finish my bachelor’s degree and I knew I wanted to continue my education. I wasn’t sure what to do next. Then this new master’s program was created and I felt like it was a good fit with both my desire to enhance my learning and career.”

Information Security Analyst Ali Abdel-Fattah is pursuing a PhD in Innovation in Global Development

“Continuing to pursue learning opportunities throughout life is what makes life worth living. The world is a large and complex system. The more we uncover, the more we realize we don't know.”