We Are IT | Meet Alex Morales

Born and raised in Panama, Alex Morales moved to the United States after attending school there, beginning his college journey at Florida State University’s Panama Canal Branch before transferring to FSU’s main campus in 1996 to complete his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. During his senior project, he discovered a passion for systems management, which led him to a fulfilling career in technology. Currently, he is the Associate Director of Computing Technology Services at FSU, where he oversees five essential computing services teams that support the university's academic, research, and administrative needs. Outside of work, he is highly involved in his children’s school activities, particularly as a band booster parent and spending time with his wife, Danielle. 

Where are you from?  

I was born and raised in Panama.  I went to elementary, middle and high school in Panama before moving to the United States. 

Where did you attend school?  

Originally, I attended Florida State University Panama- Canal Branch, before transferring to FSU’s main campus in 1996. My bachelor’s degree is in electrical engineering, but I am not an engineer. When I was working on my senior project, I developed a liking for systems management and had the opportunity to do systems for the College of Engineering at Computing and Multimedia Services, and then from there I jumped to Academic Computing and Network Services, which was one of the precursors of ITS.  

Why did you choose to work in technology? 

I always like to say, I didn’t choose technology, but it chose me. My family is technology-focused with both my wife and sister working as engineers. I also like how technology is something where you can set a goal and accomplish it quickly while also having a high impact. 

How long have you been at FSU?  

I started as a student at FSU in 1994. However, as a full-time employee, I have been at ITS for around 22 years.  

What is your role at FSU?  

As the Associate Director of Computing Technology Services, I oversee five distinct computing services teams. The first is the software licensing team, responsible for managing contracts and purchasing high-impact software for research, academic, and staff purposes. The second team, Student Computing Services, provides computer support to students for their personal devices on issues that don’t require a screwdriver, such as antivirus installation and Microsoft 365 support. The third team is Departmental IT Support, an auxiliary service where clients subcontract with us to receive everything needed to work effectively on their computers. The fourth team, Advanced Technical Services, provides Tier 2/Tier 3 support to home teams with delegated technicians; for example, if delegated staff in an area need engineering support, we train them and provide the tools to support their team independently. Finally, the Workstation Management Services team supplies foundational computing resources to empower self-support across departments. Together, these teams are essential to ITS, and I am proud to oversee their work. 

What do you enjoy most about your job?  

My favorite part of my job is working with the people. On a normal day, you may find me starting my day at TSB and then going on campus to Westcott to interact with our campus partners. We want to make people comfortable with technology. 

What is the most rewarding project you have worked on at FSU?    

The most rewarding project I worked on at FSU was in 2005, when I helped migrate the academic classroom network to Active Directory services and single sign-on. This was the first time all academic-use computers were centrally connected to staff and student identities, creating a unified system. This project improved consistency in access across campus, allowing both staff and students to enjoy a streamlined experience through a single sign-on platform. While I’ve worked on many rewarding projects, this one was the first one that I really worked on and stands out to me after all these years.  

What is your favorite app?  

Anything that I can use to keep in touch with things I care about. Whether it’s using Teams for work or WhatsApp to communicate with family, anything that keeps me connected.  

If you were to invent one piece of technology, what would it be.  

Printing is one of the most challenging services to provide and critical to all, I would design an infallible printer that just knows when to magically print things that I need. 

What is a fun fact about you?     

I was born and raised in a country where it rains 70% of the time and I hate being wet by rain. I make sure to walk around with an umbrella, hat and raincoat because I do not like getting wet in the rain.  

Talk a little bit about your family. 

I am married to my lovely wife Danielle, and we have two sons, Carlos and Miguel. My wife and I met in college, and she currently works as a video engineer for Motorola. Carlos is 17 and plays the French horn and Miguel is 15 and plays the saxophone. They are both extremely involved in after-school activities, especially the band.  

What do you do in your free time? 

In my free time, I’m very involved in my children’s school activities, especially with the band, where I’m a booster parent. Supporting their interests and helping in the school community is something I really enjoy. And whenever I have time left over, I love to spend it dancing with Danielle.