By Apryl Motley – Communications Consultant, MS-CC
Editor’s Note: This Q&A continues off our series of short interviews spotlighting members of the MS-CC community. Be on the lookout for additional interviews each month, and email Apryl Motley if there’s an MS-CC community member you like us to spotlight in the future or if you would like to be in the spotlight yourself. We appreciate community members and all they do to move our mission forward.
Donna Hayden is a senior IT advisor at Alcorn State University, in Lorman, Miss. She’s been on staff at the university for almost four decades. The best part of her current role? She helps teams across the campus identify solutions to their technological problems.
“I appreciate the chance to focus on a smaller area and collaborate with different teams on campus to assist them in solving complicated technological problems and provide creative ideas that are created via ongoing teamwork,” she said.
Hayden currently serves on the MS-CC Consortium Leadership Board. Read on to learn more about her participation in the MS-CC.
More About Donna G. Hayden
Her Personal Motto: Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Best Advice She Ever Received (& from whom): Listen twice and speak once, which allows an individual to fully understand other perspectives, leading to better relationships and solutions (from my son).
How does participation in the MS-CC help you in your current role?
Participation in MS-CC has been highly beneficial for me in my role as a Senior IT Advisor at Alcorn State University. The networking opportunities and resource sharing have provided me with information to pass on to the faculty and staff at Alcorn State University. The MS-CC family is concerned about the impact of campus-level IT capabilities and research programs that affect HBCU and TCU communities’ abilities to be impactful on campus.
How did you first become involved with the MS-CC?
When I was asked to present on a panel discussion at a workshop sponsored by MS-CC, I had my first experience with MS-CC. Several TCUs and HBCUs were present, and they all had ongoing issues with cyberinfrastructure (CI). Following additional presentations, it became evident that the objectives of this organization aligned with supporting the growth of cyberinfrastructure, advanced technology research, and resource sharing to enhance campus-level IT capabilities for data-intensive research and educational initiatives.
What would you say to encourage other institutions to participate in the MS-CC?
By joining MS-CC, one can hear the testimonies of other participating schools, participate in some of the workshops, subscribe to the email list, and join the communities. Excellent examples of the consistent opportunities available through participation in MS-CC include instructors and students who have taken advantage of grant opportunities or internships, hearing from people who are looking for some of the same resources or who have mastered certain CI problems.