Putting people at the core of everything we do is paramount at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. We are committed to ensuring our people — those who make BCIT distinct, are developing while feeling valued, supported, and connected.
BCIT is a people-first organization. We aim to celebrate our employees by sharing their stories through the Our People series. The series features BCIT’s extraordinary employees who share a strong sense of pride and ambition for the Institute and make up our diverse community.
Get to know Jeff Piva, Manager, Security Systems (SSEM). Jeff has been with BCIT for 15 years, 9 of those years as a Systerms Administrator. Jeff designs CCTV and card access systems for new buildings and renovated spaces, ensuring the community stays safe and secure.
What has been your most memorable moment working at BCIT?
Building a global disaster monitoring display using open-sourced platforms to collect information on earthquakes, fires, floods, and other events that could be impacting our staff and students locally or abroad.
What do you enjoy the most about working in post-secondary education?
Walking through the door every day is always a new set of challenges to adapt to.
What are projects or initiatives that you have completed at the Institute that you are proud of?
Every new building construction or renovation project from every campus has crossed my desk. One of the largest projects was replacing all the magstripe card readers to smart cards, and designing the emergency lockdown system.
Share with us what you are passionate about outside of work. Do you have any hobbies?
I run a home datacentre with enterprise switches and servers. Thankfully my brother is an electrician and ran a few dedicated circuits for me otherwise I would have melted the existing wiring in the home. A second favorite hobby is general learning – I’m going to be starting a third row of certificates, diplomas, and degrees on my office wall soon.