A familiar face has returned to IT: Catherine (Gurinsky) Hoffman has accepted the position of network infrastructure and security engineer. Many will remember her enthusiasm as a technology assistant and Help Desk manager when she was a student. Fresh from a year position as senior CIA—that's a Counter Intelligence Agent with the Geek Squad (service counter!), she is anxious to turn in her black tie and polyester pants and return to Valpo.

"Part of the reason I applied is to learn a new area of technology," Hoffman said, also adding, "It's exciting to be a coworker to many who had served as mentors over the years." Another attraction for her is "serving the greater good" since the Geek Squad tech service is ultimately sales. Her work will provide her with certifications related to network security as she receives training. Working with IT Fellows and service requests will also be part of her responsibilities.

Like several others in IT, her major shows her interest in humanities. She majored in Chinese and Japanese studies and has begun her MALS with a focus on East Asian Studies. She looks forward to assisting Jennifer Prough in a contemporary Japan course in the spring. However, her technology know-how developed early. "Since I wanted a better paying job in college, I attended a tech high school as well as took AP honors," she said. This certainly paid off at Valpo since she was a part of the student staff for nearly four years. Her facility with technology spills over into her hobby of photography where she specializes in weddings.