IT Communication and Engagement (ITCE)

• Gather information about student, faculty and staff needs and priorities through annual surveys (e.g., the UBIT Student Experience Survey) and report back to UBIT leadership
• Help facilitate conversations between UBIT and the broader campus community through workshops, orientations and the UB Tech Talk original video podcast.
• Publish UB Information Technology News, available online and as an email newsletter, The Monthly Download.
• Use social media to keep the UB community informed about IT services through strategic partnerships with other campus social media channels, and maintaining active X, Instagram and YouTube accounts

• Maintain documentation for dozens of IT services on the UBIT website
• Develop instructional “how-to” videos for UBIT services
• Design instructional signage for teaching stations and IT spaces
• Collect and publish Key Performance Indicators of IT services, collected from departments across UBIT

• Help ensure UBIT Web applications meet state accessibility criteria (Section 508 compliance) for document structure, color contrast, navigation and more
• Review applications for appropriate UBIT terminology, clarity and simplicity
• Conduct usability testing to evaluate existing and proposed UIs
• Apply approved UB branding to third-party and homegrown applications

Diana joined UB in 2012 and holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in English Writing and History from the University of Pittsburgh. Diana has over 20 years of marketing, communications, public relations and journalism experience. She was named IT Communications Officer in 2017 and Director of IT Communications in 2023.

Outside of UB, Diana is a children's fiction author and active horse/animal rescue volunteer.

Michael joined UB in January 2023 as an IT Communications Specialist for UBIT. A former newspaper reporter with a background in higher ed communication, Michael is also a volunteer firefighter. 

When he’s not writing or learning about all things UBIT, Michael likes to spend time with his wife and two English bulldogs. 

Valerie joined UBIT as a documentation specialist in 1997, where she led the transformation from a limited number of printed help documents to a robust collection of online help pages. She holds a Master of Library Science from UB.

When not writing and editing help pages for UBIT, she enjoys gardening, rowing on the Buffalo River, and spending time with her husband and her Scottish Terrier.

Dennis joined UBIT in 2011. He holds a Master of Arts in English literature from Buffalo State College, where he also taught composition and rhetoric as an adjunct professor. His work in ITCE primarily involves designing a wide range of materials, from web pages to vehicle wraps. Information architecture and web accessibility are two other key areas of his work.

In his free time, Dennis enjoys painting, reading, and playing roots music.

Sarah joined UB in January 2023 as an IT Communications Specialist for UBIT. Prior to UB, she spent over a decade in the television news industry as a Director/Producer. She holds a Bachelors degree in Communications, with a film and video concentration from Canisius University. 

 A Buffalo native, Sarah enjoys spending time in Western New York with her family and friends. She also enjoys traveling, bowling, and the occasional round of golf.