Kristin Benoodt

Can you share a bit about your background, and what led you to pursue a career in IT?

Honestly, my background is a bit nontraditional. I got my first job in high school working at a manufacturing company building/soldering components onto electrical boards and running around fixing people’s printers and email clients when they broke. From there I pursued and graduated with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from SUNY Oswego, which I always say really helps with my communication and people skills. I find that this degree also helps with being able to write various types of documentation and to use complete sentences and punctuation in emails. Not doing that is a pet peeve of mine, but I won’t digress here on that. After university I had a few jobs in entry level technical support, inside sales, project management, and even working on grant and research projects with human subjects. I decided to pursue some certifications in Microsoft Server 2008, SQL Server Administration, along with my CCNA about 22 years ago. These certs were instrumental in helping me to become a Network Administrator. Since then, I have worked as a Systems Administrator, Network Engineer, Systems and Network Engineer, IT Director, Deputy CIO, Network and Security Director, as a private consultant, and now as the Assistant Director Cybersecurity Program Manager for UB. All roads will lead to the right destination, and I’m glad my non-traditional career trajectory led me to the one that I’m on.

What excites you about working at the University at Buffalo and UBIT?

The work/life balance and benefits have been pretty life changing for me and my family. I really appreciate the ability to work remotely/hybrid on a schedule or in case something comes up. That was very appealing when I was looking to transition from my last role.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of work?

I really enjoy attending live events, such as music/bands and comedy shows. I also love to read, usually a few books at a time. Traveling is something I also generally enjoy, but I also like staying home and hanging out with my significant other and our cats.

What is a piece of advice you have received that has stuck with you over the years?

I have this quote on my wall, but it has been constantly applicable over my 20+ year career, “lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” It feels a bit pessimistic, but it’s not really when you think about what it represents. Which is (ideally) not worrying about what you cannot control and still trying to do your best. At least to me that is what I think it’s about, especially when I reference it.

If we run into you in the hall or before a meeting, what is one subject you are always ready to talk about?

My cats, reading, my niece and nephews, the Buffalo Bills, and the best sandwich you ever ate. I think mine was either a lobster roll with a lemon crab aioli from Maine in 2021, or a Cornish game hen cordon bleu from a Disney restaurant like 10+ years ago.

If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would it be, and why?  

Oh wow, this is a hard question! I think Vincent Van Gogh would be my top choice, as he had such a hard life but created such beautiful art from it. I might need to learn to speak Dutch or French though, to truly understand him. If you have the chance, read the book that is comprised of his letters to his brother Theo. It is tragic but fascinating, a real time-capsule of life during that period also. The book name is “Dear Theo.”

What is a talent that you have that most people don’t know about?

I can sing well, and I play the piano (not so well.) I was in choirs all through school and after. Let’s go alto section!

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