Meet Dave Wood “The Web Guy”

Dave’s U of G Journey  

Dave’s U of G journey began when he started his undergraduate degree here, majoring in biochemistry. Also having a passion for computers, Dave switched gears after graduation, joining the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) IT team in 1999. After many years with OVC, he joined CCS in 2017 on a secondment as an Analyst III with Web & Development Solutions, joining the team full time in 2019.

Some may know Dave as the “Web Guy,” a name that he jokingly added to his profile years ago and, since the migration to Microsoft 365, can no longer be undone!  So, if you look up “Web Guy” in Outlook, you’ll find Dave Wood’s profile. Good thing he is on the web team!

A Day in the Working Life of Dave Wood

Work varies day to day on the web team, with different projects on the go and puzzles to be solved. At the time of writing, Dave is the ticket lead for his team, providing client support via Footprints. His work is primarily focused on resolving SharePoint support requests and finding solutions for clients. He enjoys working with people and providing the best solutions for their needs.

“Working directly with clients reminds me why I love doing this work. At the end of the day, this is why we are all here in IT, to help people.” 
– Dave Wood 

SharePoint is a key player in the development of the next generation of U of G web platforms, which will help build a modern U of G intranet as outlined in the IT Strategy. SharePoint has become an important tool at U of G to share internal information and automate administrative processes.

Outside of providing SharePoint support, Dave supports his team with many other project priorities. One of the current initiatives is a partnership with Communications & Marketing to develop a comprehensive plan for the use of Google Analytics at the University.

Project Highlight: The Success of the Collections of Vaccinations Working Group

In preparation for the return to in-person work in fall 2021, the University was given only a few weeks’ notice by the provincial government to implement COVID-19 vaccine compliance records for all students, staff and faculty. The Collection of Vaccinations Working Group* was quickly formed and tasked with designing a system for vaccine compliance and daily screening to be used when folks were physically present on campus. The design team had to start from scratch to meet the provincial requirements, with no precedent for this type of system at the U of G.

Dave was instrumental in successfully designing this complex system under very tight timelines. His expertise in Qualtrics (U of G’s data collection and survey platform), learned through his previous role with OVC, added tremendous value to the working group. He built the daily COVID-19 screening survey in Qualtrics and maintained these surveys throughout the data collection period.

“Building a system like this would typically take six months, but this dedicated team accomplished it in a matter of weeks, thanks to efficient collaboration and prioritization.”
– Ann Cesar, Data Strategy Program Manager, Institutional Research and Planning

For these reasons and more, CCS is incredibly lucky to have Dave Wood on our team. 

“Aside from his technical contributions, Dave models CCS' core values as a wonderful teammate and as a mentor to co-op students, and he brings a valuable perspective from having worked so closely with the academic and research communities. We're a better team and organization with Dave in it.”
– Craig Hyatt, Manager, CCS Web & Development Solutions

*Several units came together to form the Collection of Vaccinations Working Group, including Athletics, Computing & Communications Services, Communications & Marketing, Diversity & Human Rights, Faculty & Academic Staff Relations, Human Resources, Institutional Research & Planning, Office of Legal Counsel, Office of Quality Assurance, Open Learning & Educational Support, Ridgetown Campus, Student Wellness, Student Housing Services and the University Secretariat. 

To nominate a colleague or member from your team to be feature in an IT Spotlight please reach out to ccscomms@uoguelph.ca