Inside DELTA: 5 Questions with Tim Hinds

Tim Hinds provides audio-visual engineering support and expertise for NC State and considers himself fortunate to be part of the DELTA team.

Hinds attended college for three years, switching his major from psychology to ranch management and everything in between while searching for a program that best suited his interests. Unable to find a good fit, Hinds decided he needed to do something different and joined the U.S. Air Force. He worked as a television engineer in the Air Force for 11 years, spending time at bases in Nevada, California, Germany and Italy.

He joined DELTA in 2003 as a networking analyst, driving from California to live and work in Raleigh.

In his 14 years at DELTA, Hinds has seen the organization and its technology grow and evolve significantly. “When I started working here everything was analog and we were delivering distance education classes on VHS,” said Hinds. “We went from VHS to Real Player files on CDs to DVDs and now via Mediasite. It is pretty amazing. The students have access to the classes within minutes as opposed to waiting for a VHS tape in the mail.”

One major project he was responsible for involved transitioning every Video Communication Services (VCS) classroom from analog to digital technology. “I was a part of moving the operator control for the classrooms from adjacent to the classroom to the Central Control Room (CCR) in the Ricks Hall Annex,” said Hinds.

Hinds was also a Pride of the Wolfpack award recipient in 2006, recognizing his unique contributions to DELTA and the NC State community.

How would you describe your position to someone unfamiliar with DELTA?

“I am a part of classroom infrastructure support,” said Hinds. “I work on the technical design and upgrades of the VCS classrooms, CCR, mini studios, conference rooms and television studio. I work with our integrators and contractors to make sure DELTA and VCS receive the desired products and outcomes. I am also responsible for keeping the equipment working properly as well as managing the equipment inventory.”

What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

“My day-to-day responsibilities include responding to and resolving ServiceNow submissions concerning the VCS classrooms and being able to effectively use the software programs used to access and manage the various pieces of equipment we use in our classrooms,” said Hinds. He is currently training a part-time assistant as well.

For Hinds, some of his favorite parts of the job are interacting with other DELTA staff members and being able to implement constantly evolving technology into classrooms to provide students with the best learning experience.

Working with technology that continually changes can be tough to adapt to, but Hinds is up for the challenge. “The troubleshooting aspect of it has definitely become more difficult because of the complexities involved, but that just makes it more fun for me,” he said. “It’s like solving a mystery. You have clues to the problem and you have to follow them to resolve the issue.”

How is NC State’s Online and Distance Education (ODE) technology important to you?

ODE has had a significant impact on Hinds’ personal life and education. “I was a single parent working full-time, and if it weren’t for online and distance education I would not have been able to get my information technology bachelor’s degree,” said Hinds. His studies concentrated on multimedia and visual communication.

DELTA is more than just a career to Hinds and has given him a sense of fulfillment. “It has made me feel like I’m making a difference in the lives and futures of the students that take advantage of our services,” he said.

What is something about yourself that people may not readily know?

“I don’t think a lot of people know about where and how I grew up,” said Hinds. “I grew up in a very small community in Oklahoma. It was about 20 miles one way to the K-12 school I went to. My graduating class was only 32 people. I grew up riding and training horses and competing in rodeos. My life is very different now.”

What do you like to do outside of work?

“My favorite thing is spending time with my two basset hounds, Clyde and Annie,” said Hinds. He got Clyde when he was two years old and has had him for about five years and Annie for over eight years. He got Annie as a puppy from Oklahoma while visiting his family. They are both playful but also spend a lot of time napping.

“They both can be so goofy and sometimes it seems like they do things just to get a laugh,” Hinds said.

“I also like spending time with my friends and learning how to do new things,” he added.

“I recently built myself a farmhouse-style coffee table and end tables. I’m pretty proud of how they turned out,” he said. Hinds also enjoys camping and being outdoors.