Name: Andy Donato

Major: Mechanical Engineering with a Mathematics minor

Past THON Experience
THON 2018 Rules & Regulations Committee Member
THON 2019 Technology Captain (Dash Developer)
THON 2020 Technology Captain (Dash Project Manager)

Name an interesting, weird, or quirky fact about yourself:

I’m a big fan of road trips!

What made you want to apply for the Technology Director position for THON 2021?

Prior to THON 2021, I served as a Technology captain for two years. I spent
those observing how the committee fit into THON’s mission and picking up
the technical skills required to impact change on the committee. I thrived in an environment where I could use my passion and skillset to make a positive impact on the entire THON community. By the end of THON 2020, I decided I wanted to apply for Director to fulfill my vision for the committee I’d built over the last two years. I wanted to devote my last year at Penn State to this organization, guiding a committee of my own to further THON’s mission in our own special way.

What are your responsibilities as the Technology Director?

The Technology Committee is responsible for developing and maintaining
most of THON’s online footprint. As Technology Director, I oversee six
software development teams — Dash, THINK, Special Projects, User
Experience, THON.org, and Systems. Together, the teams are responsible
for the development and administration of websites and systems used by
thousands across the community each year – THON.org, the THON Store,
THINK, and Dash, to name a few. While I lead a few larger initiatives myself, my captains handle the vast majority of the technical work. My responsibilities are mostly non-technical; my primary role is to supply the overarching vision as well as provide support to each captain to keep every team on track for success.

What do you want to implement in your position this year that’s unique and differs from years past?

One of the most exciting initiatives I undertook earlier this year was
centralizing THON’s email newsletter and solicitation efforts. Email is a huge portion of THON’s digital footprint – we send millions of emails each year to volunteers, donors, families, and supporters alike. Until this year, THON’s many sources of mass email operated largely independent of each other. The Technology Committee adapted an open-source marketing platform called Mailtrain to serve as a new connection point, allowing us to brand and message our mission over email from the same place.

What makes the Technology Committee so cool, fun, and/or important?

The Technology Committee is a force multiplier for the rest of the THON
community. Though only a committee of 24 captains, the work we do amplifies the efforts of all other volunteers. It is a huge honor and privilege to know our work reaches thousands across the other end of the computer
screen each year. The Technology Committee thrives off the THON
Community’s desire to innovate and we use our technical skill sets to turn
others’ initiatives into realities.

What are the overall goals you hope to reach with your committee for THON 2021?

One big goal I had with the Technology Committee this year was to formalize our professional relationships with both internal and external stakeholders across the THON community. The Technology Committee is regularly approached by every other committee in THON for solutions that can vary in scope and complexity. In my years as a captain, I noticed how hectic the entire process was at all levels and how easily things could get lost in the shuffle. As Director, I worked to organize the project lifecycle for each of my teams, from request to delivery.

Another goal I had coming into THON 2021 was to expedite year-to-year knowledge transfer within the committee. The learning curve for Technology captains can be particularly steep the committee – captains often spend large portions of their one-year role learning the ins and outs of the systems they are tasked to maintain. I’ve made a huge push to create both external internal documentation of our systems this year because every second saved could be better spent working on a project to further our mission.

Why do you THON?

I THON because I truly believe in the power of our community. It never
ceases to amaze me what a group of individuals can accomplish with a
common mission in mind. In the last three years, THON has given me a reason to strive to become my best self. My proudest accomplishments as a college student are my contributions to THON. On the Technology Committee, I found a niche where I could meld my technical and interpersonal skill set to guide the cause from behind the scenes. The time and effort I’ve dedicated to THON have given my college years direction as well as my finest memories.

What’s your favorite THON memory?

During THON weekend my sophomore year, I had the privilege of doing a
THON Explorers program with a Four Diamonds family. We spent the afternoon together meeting the football team and bonding over Playa Bowls. It was my first chance to step away from my role as a Technology captain and spend extended time with a Four Diamonds family. In the wake of our busy day-to-day lives, it’s often easy to lose sight of the mission – the afternoon I spent during THON Explorers was an incredible opportunity to re-center and remember who we fight for.

Per Onward State tradition, if you could be any dinosaur, which one would you be and why?

Definitely a velociraptor. Flying is cool and all, but I think being able to run
that fast would be awesome.