Tim Hill
By Matthew Laurrie
Features Assignment Editor
Nestled in a crowded room full of cords, computers and compact disks in the basement of Plassmann Hall sits Tim Hill, ‘95 — one of Bonaventure’s technological geniuses.
Hill has worked at Bonaventure for almost two decades as the campus media specialist and audio visual (AV) technician. Prior to his tenure at Bona’s, Hill attended Herkimer Community College where he studied television and radio. After graduating from the two-year school, he worked in radio for 15 years before attending Bonaventure as a student pursuing a degree in elementary education.
During his first year as a teacher, Hill said his wife, who worked in the School of Business, saw a newspaper advertisement seeking a media specialist on campus.
“(My wife) said, ‘You should come down and apply for this job that’s in the paper,’” he said. “It was for a media specialist. I had no idea what that meant, but I came down, and I got the job. That’s where I’ve been ever since.”
Hill said his main focus on campus over the past five or six years has been overseeing the installation of projectors, computers and other technological equipment in classrooms. He supervises all AV technology setup and maintenance for every building on campus.
“I’m pretty much responsible for the entire campus as far as any AV equipment goes,” Hill said. “It’s been my job since the beginning to supply teachers, staff and students with whatever AV needs they have and set that up in any particular space.”
Chances are students and faculty members have seen Hill lugging his AV cart across campus to accommodate a meeting or solve a problem. Whether it’s a malfunctioning projector or a broken cable cord, Hill is an expert when it comes to solving technological snafus.
“It’s become a problem solving job, (with) repairs and upkeep of the equipment that’s out there already,” Hill said. “A bulb will blow in the projector, and I find this out ten minutes before class, so I’ve got to respond immediately. That’s what the job has evolved in to.”
According to a coworker passing by, Hill’s friendly demeanor and positive attitude makes him the ideal person for the job. He applauded Hill, saying, “He’s our unsung hero every week!”
Despite the hectic and demanding nature of his job, Hill said he absolutely loves working at Bonaventure and truly appreciates the support he receives from the campus community.
“I love it,” he said. “You couldn’t find a better job.”
“Bonaventure’s unsung heroes” will profile extraordinary faculty, staff and administrators throughout the semester.
