Many technological requests—and several of them urgent—at the George Washington University go to a small team occupying space a good 20 feet underground in the dark depths of Rome Hall. It might seem like a fitting space for a group of people tasked with managing and maintaining computer systems.
But contrary to popular belief, the job is not super technical or abstract such as physics or rocket science. Information technology—an industry known by its more widely recognized name as IT—today is more about relationships, understanding needs and creating solutions.
Alaerembo Grace Agiobenebo heads one of those people-facing efforts at GW, where she serves as the supervisor of the Administrative Pod of the Tech Support Center at GWIT. Her team supports all the administrative and executive offices, plus the entire Mount Vernon campus. Communication and coordination are big parts of the job, and empathy is a hidden ingredient to a strong IT team.
“A lot of times, people don’t know how to explain what’s wrong—they just know something isn’t working,” Agiobenebo said. “I try to put myself in their shoes and really understand what they’re trying to say. Patience is important, too. You can’t take frustration personally. A user might say their computer ‘crashed,’ but maybe it’s just a pop-up window. You have to listen and read between the lines.”
She says the problems get solved faster when empathy is reciprocated from those calling to ask for help, as it’s important to remember that the person on the other end is genuinely trying to assist.
On a typical day, Agiobenebo is checking emails and ticket reports to see what is urgent. She runs a daily 30-minute meeting for her and her team to prioritize, highlight issues and plan out the day. She’ll follow up on active projects and respond to escalations.
“A lot of my day is spent talking to people who need something resolved urgently, so I stay flexible and ready to pivot as needed,” she said.
Her team regularly sets up the technology for events such as Board of Trustees meetings. Agiobenebo, who grew up in Nigeria, discovered a passion for computer science a little later in life when she attended college in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). After working as an IT analyst in the UAE for three years, she moved to the United States, where she worked nearly six years for NuAxis Innovations and eventually led a team of about 50 people.
At GW since March 2021, Agiobenebo has been enamored with the culture at the university.
“At GW, I was given the freedom to build a new team and create new processes,” said Agiobenebo, who enjoys spending time with her family, as well as cooking, outside of work. “I was trusted to lead. That kind of support makes a huge difference.”
So, here is the person behind some of the IT ticket requests on campus. Without further ado, meet Alaerembo Grace Agiobenebo:
This series will tell the stories, experiences and accomplishments of staff and recognize their daily impact on GW. Please enjoy the opportunity to get to know staff from across the university.
