Monica Rosenberg

MIMS 2012
Program Manager Microsoft

My background

I worked for the National Parks Conservation Association, helping to build their intranet. I focused on content and document management, site architecture, workflow and process improvement, collaboration, and other enterprise 2.0 concepts. I also have a B.S. from the University of Virginia, where I studied business, Spanish, IT, and astronomy.

Why information

I loved my work with NPCA, but I lacked formal IT training. As I dug into the details of my front-end system work, I realized how closely it related to the back end. Although I learned a lot working closely with the IT department, I was missing concepts and training essential to understanding the big picture. It was a hard choice, but when I found the I School, I chose to quit my dream job to go to my dream school so I could develop a broader and deeper foundation for my IT work.

Why the I School

For a long time, I thought I wanted to go to business school and focus in IT, but for some reason I kept putting it off. One night I was browsing business schools online and found a link to the I School's site through a joint project. I scoured the course listings and found I was interested in every class. The very next day, I signed up for my GRE and started the application process. 

What stands out in my I School experience

There are so many things to love about the I School: the variety of classes; the diverse, smart, and fun student body; the supportive staff; the enthusiastic professors. One favorite feature that surprised me, though, was simply the building, South Hall. The oldest building on campus, of course it's architecturally beautiful, but to have a building to call our own — really a second home — makes all the difference for the I School community. I can't count the number of times I've stepped out of the I School after a long day's work, exhausted, only to be energized by the view of the Campanile glowing in the light of the setting sun. 

Path-shaping advice

An I School alum strongly recommended I quit my job before coming to the I School. I was so glad I followed that advice. I found so many projects I wanted to join, classes to take, and events to attend. If I'd had a job, I would have missed out on so many of the academic, professional, and social opportunities that are now shaping my I School experience.

Favorite things about the I School

I love the conversations that happen after hours, in the hallway or over a meal or drinks. People have such innovative ideas and are always interested in input and contributions. The environment is collaborative, not competitive. We're all on the same team.

A moment that changed my thinking

I like the idea of the T-shaped professional that Morten Hansen and a few other professors refer to. Students should drill down (vertically) on a particular interest to develop solid skills in that field, as well as work to develop a high-level, broad (horizontal) understanding of a variety of disciplines. This approach gives us the expertise to do high-quality, detailed work, while understanding how a particular job may fit into the big picture.

Information issue that intrigues me

I'm interested in the implementation of effective knowledge management and collaboration systems. I'd like to learn more about innovative technology platforms but, more important, I'd like to understand how to manage change while implementing these new systems. I think the key to a successful rollout is getting the interest and buy-in necessary to support user adoption.

Trends I’m watching

The IT field is moving so fast, I'm sure we'll be leaps and bounds from where we are now in a variety of different fields, from law and security, to design and user experience. But I'm most interested in seeing the trends and innovations that will affect the way we collaborate. Will geographically dispersed/remote workplaces continue to increase, facilitated by instant messaging, video conferencing, online workspaces, etc.? What can social networking tools in the enterprise do to help develop online relationships and trust when face-to-face exchange isn't possible? How will organizing systems evolve as people become more comfortable with metadata and user-administered IT systems? I think that the enterprise 2.0 revolution is just beginning, and it'll be fascinating to see which tools shake out as the winners and which don't quite make it.