Robyn Marquez Wood

I initially started out in my career to be an educator because I have a teacher's heart, always have. When I was in the classroom, I noticed technology was taking over, specifically in high school, and I realized I needed to figure out more about it. I saw an advertisement at my alma mater for IT technicians and decided to pursue it even though I didn't have a full technical background. My career has shaped my deep commitment through education and empowering students through technology, ensuring that innovation in higher education really serves people equitably. I'm a member of the AHAC board in this region and serve on my alma mater's advisory boards, which all have interconnecting pieces that help support students in this area and provide outreach and resources. I was able to obtain a competitive scholarship through AAUW, a local chapter, and that's what got me interested in supporting women in women's programming. After COVID, when that chapter went away, I decided to co-lead with an amazing group of women for the Women in Technology community group for Educause, and from there we've been able to create really good national programming, advocate, and amplify women's voices. We use that platform for creating opportunities, especially for early career and mid-level career women and their talents and all the different innovative ways they're able to support the higher ed space.