The ‘Dad’ of the Graduate School

This story is part of Georgetown Faces, a storytelling seriesthat celebrates the beloved figures, unsung heroes and dedicated Hoyas who make our campus special.

Rick Pike is the associate director of information technology, facilities, resources and operations in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Rick Pike is the associate director of information technology, facilities, resources and operations in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. He has a simpler title for it though.

"I sometimes feel like I'm the dad of the Graduate School," he said.

Pike is a steady presence in the Graduate School's Car Barn headquarters. A self-described jack of all trades, he works behind the scenes to ensure the school runs smoothly.

He provides information technology and computer support to new employees, works closely with admissions, academic affairs and the deans to develop IT and administrative systems, and oversees the school's data security. He even organizes students for their procession into commencement - which makes him feel like "a proud parent," he said.

"Most folks, when they see me, might think I am stressed out trying to resolve the crisis du jour, but watching our brilliant students grow and become more confident fills me with so much pride," he said.

Pike joined Georgetown in 1999 after working for over a decade as a biomedical science government contractor.

After earning his bachelor's in biology from St. Mary's College of Maryland, he conducted cancer research in biomedical research labs in Washington, DC, and Houston, Texas, and published several papers in peer-reviewed journals. In 1984, he felt the pull to return to DC and worked as a contractor for the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, providing support for information technology and information systems.

He was ready for a change of pace from the life of a government contractor, and joined the Dean's Office in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in January 1999. Pike has been integral in several major developments the school has experienced in the years following, like the Office of Graduate Admissions' transition from processing paper applications to online applications and credentials in the early 2000s to moving the school's offices from the Intercultural Center to the Car Barn building in 2011.

This past spring, Pike received the HR Service Award for 25 years of service to Georgetown.

Learn more about Pike's early days on the job at Georgetown, his love for travel and what brings him joy coming into work every day.

I decided to work at Georgetown:Because I thought it was something I wanted to try that was different from working with the government. It was a very different environment compared to past roles. After my two-hour interview with the Graduate School deans and others, I sat on a bench outside Copley and White-Gravenor to reflect about whether I wanted to work here. Watching the students and professors walk by on a beautiful crisp fall day, surrounded by the ornate stone buildings, I remember thinking, yes, I do want to be here.

My first day on the job:I was very excited! I started at Georgetown in January 1999, the sweet spot in the school calendar just after New Year's and before the start of classes. I met the office administrator, got the keys to my office and walked down a corridor stacked 8-feet high with mail bins filled with paper admissions applications that needed to be processed by the team. I knew one of my first projects would be to figure out a way to convert these applications into a modern digital system, and this was just before the frantic year of Y2K preparations, so I knew if I didn't quit then, I would probably stay. I stayed.

If I had to briefly describe my role:I would say that I manage information systems, data security, operations and logistics. Essentially, doing all the things that keep the Graduate School running, which allows the deans and others to do what they need to do in their daily roles.

What has changed at Georgetown since 2000:The development of the south side of campus. The leadership across campus has become more integrated and coordinated. We've also embraced technology and done so in a caring way. When I first started, many graduate students did not feel seen or heard in campus social life, and now there's much greater social involvement across programs and schools for this large graduate population - which outnumbers our undergraduate students!

My most memorable experience at Georgetown:In addition to all the graduate students I've known and worked with over the years, and interactions with many international visitors and speakers, the richness and beauty of our campus is what truly stand out as memorable. One for me, as a child of the Space Age, was several years ago, when on a bright and sunny day, NASA flew the last Space Shuttle around Washington, DC, atop a 747, and it came close enough and low enough to almost touch as it floated past the Car Barn and over Key Bridge on its ceremonial goodbye to Washington. That was very memorable - not only for me but for lots of others.

Something I wish everyone knew about me: I absolutely love working in this challenging academic environment. Most folks, when they see me, might think I am stressed out trying to resolve the crisis du jour, but watching our brilliant students grow and become more confident fills me with so much pride. Particularly at commencement, I feel like a drill sergeant at times wrangling students and faculty into place on Red Square, but as soon as I send them off with the registrar to march down toward Healy Lawn, I get teary-eyed and think this must be how a proud parent feels.

Outside of work:I love to travel, go to new places and experience new cultures. I love learning, and I get to experience that a little bit each day at Georgetown because the people I work with are from all over the world, both faculty and students alike. Personally, I also love the outdoors, having grown up by the Chesapeake Bay, so I often like to sit by the water, go fishing or have a small crab and shrimp feast with friends.

What brings me joy in my day:One: I get to see students out on the Car Barn patio, enjoying the space that was once barren and empty now filled with flowers, benches and chairs that make it so much more inviting. Two: getting brand new computers for others! It's a lot of work behind the scenes to get a computer prepared and ready to issue to an employee, and I enjoy being able to fill that vital operational need. And three: knowing our staff can do their jobs without worrying about the myriad operational issues that need solving. I sometimes feel like I'm the dad of the Graduate School. Every single day is different and rewarding.

My favorite place on campus:Red Square, particularly when it's filled with vendors, faculty and students on farmer's market days. It's like a small crossroads of the world, and sometimes I like to just sit on a bench nearby and take it all in.

One word that comes to mind when I think of Georgetown is: dedication. From the university president to our faculty, administrative staff and down the line to our custodial teams, everyone here is working toward providing quality and excellence in their respective fields to our students in the classroom. It is this same dedication that keeps me here and still going after 25 years.