Introductions

The Awesome Technologies blog is authored by Jordan Weak, Marie Pistek, and Alex Maslyn. We are three students from the University of Northern Iowa studying Management Information Systems. Over the course of the following semester and possibly beyond we will be talking about various technological subjects that interest us. But first, a little more about ourselves:

Jordan 

Hi, my name is Jordan Weak. I am a senior year student here at the University of Northern Iowa. I currently work for John Deere as a Part Time Student Employee working on various Info Systems projects to support the Power Systems department. I first became interested in computers all the way back when MySpace was still cool. I searched high and low through Google to convert my "Top 8" to a "Top 12" list of friends. Seeing the way that simple piece of code worked like magic is what sparked my interests. My main focus in technology is database design and application development.

Alex

My name is Alex Maslyn. I am a senior at the University of Northern Iowa persuing a degree in Management Information Systems with a Minor in Computer Science, with my degree I will also achieve a Computer Applications Certificate. I am actively seeking a full-time position in the IT consulting field specifically in Application Development. 

In my prior jobs, I worked as a Visual Basic Developer and SharePoint administrator for John Deere; Where I have designed and developed an engine tracking application used worldwide by John Deere Original equipment engineers, and the EPA to monitor regulations. I have also had experience with IT Consulting Internship at McGladrey on an Application Development team, where I focused on programming custom applications for 9 different clients primarly in C#.  Both of these positions required that I complete tasks on schedule with great attention to detail.

Outside of working and class I am also the President in the Management Information Systems Association or MISA. Information Technology has always been a passion of mine, and I am excited to share my thoughts on this blog.

Marie

My name is Marie Pistek. I am a senior at the University of Northern Iowa double majoring in Real Estate and Management Information Systems. Currently I work at John Deere Power Systems in the OEM (Original Engine Manufacturing) Department. My position entails both ordering and shipping prototype parts for customers worldwide. Beyond that, two colleagues and I are responsible for data management. This includes development, population and maintenance of several Access databases used within our team. Through this I have gained a year’s experience working with SAP, Business Objects and Excel Macros to develop automated reports. Several of which are displayed for external customers. I have found the value and power in team working skills, the ability to network efficiently and a strong work ethic.