Computer Science-Psychology Major Victor Cavendish Góes '06 Makes IT Work for Hydro International
UMF graduate Victor Cavendish Góes, the lone information-technology systems engineer and programmer for Hydro International's North American operations, based in Portland, Maine, provides network and computer systems solutions for 50 U.S.-based engineers, designers, and salespeople.
Whether he's programming in C# computer language, video conferencing with his counterparts in the company's United Kingdom office, or supporting CAD-software-using engineers just down the hall, he relies on fluency in both computer science and psychology (his majors at UMF) to keep information technology working at Hydro International.
"By the time I graduated, I liked software development and cognitive development," says Cavendish Góes, who attended UMF as an international student from Brazil. "Now, I have to be a generalist. If something here plugs into a wall, I'm responsible for it."
Put another way, what Cavendish Góes knows must be a mile wide and nearly as deep. His typical day involves network server configuration, customizing off-the-shelf software through its application programming interface, and supporting remote users in the company's Oregon branch. He deftly handles everything, with an understanding of people and the programs they use.
Cavendish Góes says his UMF coursework involving network administration, programming in C#, and 3-D computer modeling figures in his success at Hydro International. What came as a surprise to him is how his senior-year Research Methods in Psychology course has helped.
"Research Methods applies the scientific process to investigate a problem, and some of the same concepts apply to IT troubleshooting and discovery," he says. "And the computer science curriculum at UMF encouraged researching new technology to keep abreast of new things. That's important to my work. I have to learn to adapt to new technology quickly."
Skills aside, he says he has the UMF network to thank for his job in network administration. During his senior year, Gail Lange, UMF professor of mathematics and computer science, was contacted by Sean Williams, who majored in computer science and was, at that time, Hydro International's U.S.-based IT systems engineer and programmer.
"Sean asked Dr. Lange if anyone might be interested in a position, and she mentioned it to me," he says.
