WashU - TechDen

Next is our outstanding full-time employee Mark Wilensky!

📺️When did you start working for TechDen/WashU?
August 2023

📺️What is your TechDen role/what do you do?
As a Business Alignment Specialist, I foster strategic partnerships across WU departments to support collaboration and innovation. 💪 I am dedicated to designing and delivering engaging, technology-enhanced experiences that add value to the student experience and strengthen our campus community.

📺️How has your experience been working for TechDen?
Working for Tech Den has been great and it’s been a wonderful experience collaborating with the Office of Sustainability. 🌎️🌎️🌎️ Our partnership has led to the development of two impactful, tech-driven engagement initiatives: a hands-on carbon intensity education program reaching 50 students, and an ongoing, multi-semester hydroponic and sustainable agriculture education initiative designed to promote student engagement and learning. 📖

📺️What is your favorite tech tip for students?
Set an automation on your iPhone to turn on low power mode first thing in the morning. ⚡️ It will make your battery last much longer with only a minor hit to performance! Also use lower brightness. 🔆🔆

Our next Friday Faces spotlight is on the excellent Jianshu Wang!

📺️What do you study (Major)? What year do you graduate?
Masters of Cybersecurity Engineering, graduating 2025

📺️What do you like to do in your free time (hobbies)?
Surfing on the Internet, especially reading blogposts. 🧑‍💻🛜

📺️When did you start working for TechDen/WashU?
October 2023

📺️What is your TechDen role/what do you do?
I'm a developer and project lead at DevSTAC.

📺️How has your experience been working for TechDen?
It feels great and refreshing to work with fellow brilliant minds! 🧠🧠🧠

📺️What is your favorite tech tip for students?
Use a password manager and grab a hardware security key. It makes your life easier!

📺️Go-to TV show or movie?
BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!

Next up is the awesome Jade Gutierrez!

📺️What do you study (Major)? What year do you graduate?
Double majoring in Computer Science and Computer Engineering with a minor in Electrical Engineering, graduating 2026

📺️What do you like to do in your free time (hobbies)?
Stay in + takeout + movie 😋🥡

📺️When did you start working for TechDen/WashU?
I started working at DevSTAC spring of 2024.

📺️What is your TechDen role/what do you do?
I'm a DevSTAC Team Lead Software Developer specializing in Front-End and Design. I focus on creating an intuitive user interface for client apps, websites, and even games. 🎮️ I work closely with clients to make their visions come to life!

📺️How has your experience been working for TechDen?
It's been so fruitful to work at TechDen‼️ I've learned more from all the experience I gained as a developer than all the semesters of classes I've taken at WashU combined.

📺️What is your favorite tech tip for students?
You have no idea how many times I've had errors starting up a simulator and the fix was to just restart my environment. It's always worth a try.

📺️Go-to TV show or movie?
Friends or Modern Family! My favorite show of all time is My Mister, and my favorite movies are Halloween (2018) and Tenet (I'm a sucker for soundtracks). 🥳🥳🥳