#SoCaltech: David Gardner

"My first job at Caltech was actually at JPL. I was still attending junior college at PCC when I was hired as an assistant in the lab's Applied Mechanics Technology section. In the early '80s, I had a chance to learn state-of-the-art technology like the Wang word processer, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a new IBM PC with two 5¼-inch floppies, and then one with a 5 MB hard drive! After earning my BS, then my MBA through JPL’s tuition support program, and with almost 20 years of business and tech experience, I took a position on campus. That came with some trepidation as the lab had become so comfortable, but for many years I had been curious about working on campus. Since starting at Caltech, technology and automation have moved at quite a clip. The IMSS [Information Management Systems & Services] department has been an integral part of that automation, from maintaining your own personal data, to having one place to log in to your applications, to registering and paying for parking and enrolling in class, to accessing one’s pay slip and W-2 online. Back in 2000, when I first transferred to campus, working from home for any reason, much less a pandemic, would have been a much greater challenge than it is today."

David Gardner is a project, testing, and documentation manager in Caltech in Caltech’s IMSS department. He was honored at this year's Staff Service & Impact Awards ceremony for his 40 years of service to the Institute. 

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.