Get to know us!

Students and instructors alike have wondered about the unidentified technical writers that answer student emails and help students to craft awesome repair guides. Are they robots? Elves? Highly trained marmosets? At great personal peril, we broke into the classified personnel files to find you some answers. We hope these details help provide some insight into our technical writing staff, as our security clearance has probably been revoked.

Marty Rippens
Code Name: Martypants
Marty Rippens: Educator, Cyclist, Idol of Millions
Marty is EDU's Director of Education Services. Marty is a bike buff, experienced educator, and tagmemics tackler. When he's not busy teaching teachers to teach, he spends his time sharing his excitement for sustainability through tap dancing and inspiring the team with pep talks.



Superpower: Classy chromatic socks
Arch Nemesis: Ennui
Favorite Guide: Bike Maintenance



“Living breathing email.” 


Kristen Gismondi
Code Name: Photobomb
Kristen Gismondi: Shutterbug, Musicologist, Technical Writer
Kristen is EDU’s master photographer. Nobody knows their way around Photoshop or a digital camera better than she does. Kristen is quick to provide student teams with the best advice for shooting the perfect guide images. When she’s not looking through a lens, Kristen cultivates her profound love for red pandas, vinyl records, and terrible movies.



Superpower: Thrift Shopping
Arch nemesis: Bad pizza
Favorite Guide: MacBook Pro 13” Retina Display Late 2012 because kittens!



“Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus or just a really cool opatamus?”


Sarah Westberg
Code Name: Rock n' Roll
Sarah Westberg: Educator, Rockhound, Volunteer
Sarah is EDU’s empathy expert. Sarah approaches students and her colleagues with a mindset of patience and compassion. Always eager to lend a helping hand, Sarah has an uncanny ability to embrace the unfamiliar and learn all there is to know about a subject. Before you know it, she’s up to speed and ready to rock and roll. When she’s not guiding students through the finer points of technical writing, Sarah enjoys rockhounding, volunteering for social organizations that are close to her heart, traveling the world, and learning about her Swedish ancestry.



Superpower: Antiquing
Arch Nemesis: Magma
Favorite Guide: Antique Lamp Lampshade Support Replacement



“What’s the difference between Mick Jagger and a jade roller? One’s a Rolling Stone and the other is a stone roller.” 


Richard Suovanen
Code Name: Super Trooper
Richard Suovanen: Educator, Gamer, Detail Dominator
Richard is EDU’s device master and detail dominator. Richard catches and corrals everything from errant devices to dislocated connectors. If you need to know how to remove the whatsit from the thingy, he’s the one to ask (especially if you need to know their actual names). You might catch him cruising around on his motorcycle, playing video games, or snapping photos around town, but definitely not at the same time.



Superpower: Wielding the Triforce
Arch Nemesis: People who color outside the lines
Favorite Guide: Lightsaber Teardown



“There are doughnuts on your desk.” 


Connor Bassolino
Code Name: Happy Camper
Connor Bassolino: Writer, Emcee, Thrill-seeker
Connor is EDU’s legendary littérateur and resident wordsmith. That rare breed of technical communicator who’s equally adept at parsing a tricky procedure as he is at crafting a profound poetic verse, Connor thrills at the challenge of introducing young minds to the wonders of repair and sustainable living. When he’s not engaged in witty repartee or debating political philosophy, you can find Connor hosting pub trivia nights, scaling majestic peaks, or cultivating elaborate aquascapes.



Superpower: Thrill-seeking
Arch Nemesis: Writer's block
Favorite Guide: Katadyne Hiker Water Filter Cleaning



"So I was snowshoeing outside Gunnison when my phone battery died..."