Our People

This month the spotlight shines on Drarelle Blassingame! Drarelle joining OTDI in July 2024 as a Senior Data Engineer for the Enterprise Applications team. Balancing his technical responsibilities and passion for collaboration, he’s truly grateful for the chance to work with his diverse and talented colleagues. This Buckeye for Life is a proud Ohio State alum and jack of all trades, with past accomplishments ranging from “collegiate rugby player” to “first chair violinist.” When he’s not troubleshooting Raspberry Pi projects or moonlighting as a musician, you can find him exploring state parks, spending time with his wife and their fur babies, or planning his dream trip to New Zealand.Learn more

Get to know Mel Sweigart! This Buckeye for Life took their first job in IT during their senior year in college and, luckily for us, they never looked back. Mel keeps the university community connected as an email and Microsoft 365 subject matter expert on the IT Service Desk team. Off the clock, Mel stays busy with a daughter in first grade and hobbies like knitting, crocheting and baking! Mel dreams of traveling to Germany one day to the town where their father emigrated from, so if you have travel tips for Mössingen, let Mel know!Learn more

This month the spotlight shines on Jane Farago, Senior Manager of Customer Experience on the Desktop Support team! Jane and her tight-knit team of techs face new and interesting challenges every day as they provide device support to Ohio State's Columbus campus, including the Office of the President! Jane is a jack of all trades, balancing her full-time job at Ohio State with her other full-time job as a mom and professional chauffeur to two busy teens. When she’s off the clock, she is either traveling with her family or working on projects around the house, so you can add “DIYer” to her list of accolades. Learn more

Meet Kaylee Buzard! While marine biologist and medical examiner were top career contenders, Kaylee found that her creativity and problem-solving skills were put to best use in the Information Security and Risk Management realm. Kaylee is up and at ‘em at 3:30 a.m. (you read that right), hitting the gym, catching up on the news, and enjoying a cup of joe, and snuggling with her pups. Kaylee enjoys keeping her hands and mind busy – from crafting and gardening to studying for the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) exam. We’re lucky to have this go-getter on our team!Learn more

Meet Madhuri Marry, this month’s OTDI employee spotlight team member. Madhuri has spent over ten years at Ohio State working to continuously improve and enhance our systems, providing her expertise specifically on the PeopleSoft and Workday projects. Madhuri stays busy outside of work spending time with her family and enjoying the outdoors. Her newfound passion for swimming will come in handy at her dream vacation destination—anywhere with a beach! Back on dry land, you can catch Madhuri enjoying fresh meals from some of Columbus' best farm-to-table restaurants.Learn more

This month the spotlight shines on Irina Owens! This student intern turned full-timer has been supporting the business and data integration side of IT for over 11 years at Ohio State. Irina’s work on the so called “Fin-Fam” is rarely the same so she enjoys the new challenges that each project presents. Even though we would have loved to see Irina compete at the Olympics as a professional ice skater (her childhood dream job), we’re very glad she found her calling in OTDI. When she’s not at work, Irina and her husband have their hands full with a dog (who thinks he’s their child) and three-year-old son (who thinks he’s their boss). Learn more

This month, the spotlight shines on Meghan Swisher, who leads the Enterprise Content Services team. She enjoys working with her colleagues in OTDI to update, improve and automate essential university tools. An architect and/or art professor wannabe, she ultimately built a career streamlining cumbersome business processes. She loves to travel, so if you catch her OOO message, she could be in Maine, Glacier National Park, or hopefully Scotland some day.Learn more

This month, the spotlight shines on Jake Sutter, an app developer in our service management team. He was always interested in technology, from programming math equations on a TI-83 to developing essential applications in OTDI. He started as a student employee and is still growing his career and his knowledge with Ohio State. Outside of work, he’s passionate about video games, photography and music. If you see his OOO reply, he might be jet-setting off to Japan or just picking up some sushi around town.Learn more

This month we’re shining the spotlight on Portia LaMarr. She started her Ohio State career in the Registrar’s office but then made her way to the Web and Mobile team in OTDI. She loves working with a creative and innovative team and has a passion for DEIJ work. This mother of three doesn’t have many hobbies of her own, besides supporting all of her children’s activities! When she’s off the clock, you can listen to her on the H.E.A.R.D podcast (Higher Education and Real Diversity).Learn more

This month, get to know Tracey Richardson. This senior director of the OTDI Service Management Office is a Buckeye For Life—from student, to student employee, to temp employee to full-timer. Her mom encouraged her to “get into computers,” and we’re so glad she took her mom’s advice! This former snow cone scooper enjoys meeting talented people across the university and working with her team to turn ideas into successful services. If Tracey is OOO for an extended period of time, she might be making a return trip to sunny CA or trekking across the world to learn more about her ancestry.Learn more

Meet Annie, this month’s spotlight employee. She’s a communicator focused on student success—everything from getting technology kits to students during a pandemic to supporting mental health with the Wellness app and fostering creativity with the Adobe suite. She originally wanted to be a vet, and then a journalist, now a communicator, but perhaps a florist in the future. This trivia pro loves learning new things, especially in the kitchen. When she’s OOO, she may be jet-setting to Italy for handmade pasta or enjoying BIG family time.Learn more

Get to know Sravani from the eLearning Systems Development team. Her group in OTDI supports major teaching and learning tools like CarmenCanvas, CarmenZoom, Mediasite, Top Hat, LabArchives…the list goes on! Sravani started at Ohio State as a toothbrush salesperson while working on her Master’s degree, but found her way to OTDI in 2015. Originally from a “pothole town” in India, she aspired to be a Buckeye—and has now been at the university for over 20 years! Off the clock, you will likely find Sravani at the park with her husband and daughter or hitting up Brassica for a tasty meal.Learn more

Meet Radhika, a member of our Access Management team who is regularly onboarding and offboarding users to university systems. She enjoys cross-functional teamwork and working to improve the user experience. Originally from India, this Buckeye is living her dream serving others and working in the education field. After hours, you may find her enjoying her beautiful garden or decorating her house to bring the beauty inside.Learn more

This month, the spotlight falls on Will Mills, a relationship manager and DEIJ culture builder. A former student athlete at THE Ohio State University, Will is always looking for ways to pay it forward to current students. His favorite projects tend to be those that have the biggest impact on young Buckeyes! Will is thankful for the people he has the opportunity to work with, as well as the flexibility the university provides. When he’s not dressed for success on campus, this father of two can be found spending time with family and trying new things.Learn more

Say hello to Chris Baker, a lead analyst working on the implementation and continuous improvement of Workday. This former corn detasseler and rockstar-wannabe found his way to Ohio State for work and TBDBITL—and he’s been with us for over two decades! Chris enjoys collaborating with others and thinking outside the box to solve complex problems. When he’s off the clock, you will likely find him spending time with family, if he can pull his son away from Minecraft.Learn more

Meet Aimee, who went from student cook to Fiscal Officer in her 16 years at Ohio State. She balances the books as part of the shared services team, allowing her to work with every part of our organization. When she’s not approving purchase and travel requests, she’s likely gaming or enjoying time at home with her husband and furbabies. You might even catch her in Gerlach Hall on a Saturday, working towards her MBA (and avoiding yard work).Learn more

Meet John, a Buckeye for Life that graduated from Ohio State and immediately wanted to come back to start his career. In over a decade with the university, he worked his share of major projects and now manages three different teams. This father of four enjoys working with a variety of people and building relationships with his colleagues. When he’s not on campus or on Zoom, you might catch him spending time with his family on a beach or planning a European excursion.Learn more

Meet Katelyn, an interior designer for classroom spaces around Ohio State. This former ice cream scooper is now shaping the way students and instructors learn and teach through her inspired layouts. She always dreamt of being an interior designer, and an internship with Student Life sparked her interest in a career in higher education. When the weather warms up, you might catch her at a local brewery or jetting off to Ireland to immerse herself in her family’s heritage.Learn more

Meet Jacob, an application analyst who’s creating new solutions for our MITS partners. Former “food champion” and member of the Geek Squad, he was swayed by other Ohio State employees to join the university. This Mansfield native is a music enthusiast and proud husband and father of two [fur babies]. Outside of work, you might catch him at Rock City, Condado Tacos or escaping to Colorado for some fresh scenery.Learn more

Meet Marvin, a training developer who’s been with our unit for a decade and counting. He originally came to Ohio State’s Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center. He knew the university would be a great place to continue to grow and develop his communication, training and technology skills. Family and religion are top priorities, as well as sports and exploring the great outdoors. Outside of Mount Hall, you might find Marvin stopping in at Hyde Park for date night or escaping to an island for a family vacation.Learn more

Meet Bob Muhn, the new CAO working with shared services for OTDI. This ‘design thinking’ innovator likes to be sure human needs lead technology improvements, and he’s thrilled for the opportunity to innovate at Ohio State. Bob isn’t quite sure what he wants to be when he grows up—making a college campus the perfect fit! This former sailing instructor is now an avid golfer and family man. When he’s not in your Zoom meeting, you might find him and his family on a nature walk, or daydreaming about the next time they can hit up The Avenue in Grandview.Learn more