Who's Who at the Computing Center: Dennis Vosika

Meet a new member of our staff…

The latest addition to our Network Services staff is an energetic Oregon native who was born and raised in Medford, in an area still rural enough to inspire a lifelong love of the great outdoors.

Dennis Vosika might still be in his home town working as a contract electrician were it not for a series of events that began more than 20 years ago, when he married his wife Karen. Although Dennis and Karen had virtually grown up together, their relationship didn't really begin until long after their graduation from Medford High.

Dennis Vosika
Network Technician
Network Services

In what can truly be described as a "happy accident," the couple became reacquainted after Dennis was injured in a serious motorcycle wreck. It took over six months for him to fully recover, and toward the end of his convalescence he called a cable company to order service. Coincidentally, it was Karen who answered the phone. The two quickly renewed their relationship and have been together ever since.Dennis continued to work as an electrician to support his growing family, which soon included sons Trevor and Deven, but he was eventually lured north by the offer of more stable employment with UO Facilities Services, and the Vosikas relocated to the Eugene area in 1989.

Last winter, Dennis was persuaded to transfer his skills to the network arena, and he joined Network Services on December 1, 2002. Making the leap from electrical systems to network systems has required some adjustment, but Dennis is quickly getting up to speed.

His first project was helping to update a Klamath science lab's network infrastructure, installing jacks and newer, faster cable. He's also worked on projects in Johnson Hall and is currently helping to get the network connections in the new Lillis Business Center ready for use next year.

For the past 14 years, Dennis and his family have lived the country life on 1.5 acres in Veneta with their "amazingly mellow" dog Will, a heeler/chow/lab mix, and cats Otter, Tippie, and Smokey. Trevor (now 20) and Deven (18) share their father's love of the outdoors, and hunting trips to Eastern Oregon are an annual father-son event. Once Dennis builds his new 1200 square-foot shop, the boys may also join him in his all-consuming hobby: restoring old cars. Recent restoration projects include a 1967 Malibu convertible and 1973 Chevy Nova. He's also busy collecting parts for a '62 Chevy pickup and has accumulated a grand total of five trucks thus far.