Weibin Zhang, the Brown University School of Engineering Information Technology Systems Manager, has received the fourth annual Dean's Service Award. The award, established during the 2012-13 academic year, was created to recognize a non-managing employee who has made a specific contribution or provided outstanding service in the School of Engineering.
The award is an opportunity to recognize the performance of an individual who has been a positive instrument of change; made significant contributions; and who has provided outstanding service to our internal and external constituents.
Nominated by both faculty and staff members, Zhang distinguishes himself with his willingness to go the extra mile, ensuring engineering IT systems and users receive the best possible service. This extends from researching the most up-to-date technology for computing lab environments, to working with individual faculty on highly customized solutions for their research and teaching needs. The result of Zhang's work is a more agile IT system, with less manpower required to support it. This allows accommodation of additional new and special software requests from faculty, so that they can use the software they think is best for teaching when they want it. It allows students to work more flexibly, and it increases the number of students and breadth of applications that can be supported by the available Engineering resources, while increasing support of faculty in their research.
Zhang was presented with the award from Engineering Dean Larry Larson, and Director of Finance and Operations Nancy Carroll, at the School of Engineering's annual summer cookout.