James Greenberg, November 8, 2022

Item

Title
James Greenberg, November 8, 2022
interviewee
James Greenberg
interviewer
Caydee Wightman
Date
2022-11-8
Subject
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Education
Finances
Information Technology (IT)
Digital Revolution
Microcomputers
Mosaic (web browser)
SPSS
Statistics
SUNY Oneonta
Supercomputing
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Centers (TLTC)
Technology
Upstate New York
Description
James Greenberg (Jim) was the former Director of the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC) at SUNY Oneonta. Jim was born in Suffern, New York on June 19th, 1957, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from SUNY Oneonta. First hired at the university in 1980 before the widespread adoption of digital technology, Jim was at the forefront of bringing technology into the educational realm. Throughout the digital revolution and into the modern era, Jim learned about, and helped implement, every wave of new technology onto SUNY Oneonta’s campus.

The digital revolution was the shift from mechanical or analog technology to digital. This shift primarily occurred towards the end of the twentieth century with the creation and widespread dissemination of personal computers. The digital revolution accelerated the “Information Age,” so called because of the easy access to information new technology has enabled. The main parts of this revolution were the invention of computers, microprocessors, cellphones, and the Internet.

Jim’s ample storytelling throughout the interview showcases his fascination with technology and passion when it comes to making education accessible to everyone. Jim’s memories of the events during his time at SUNY Oneonta range from specific stories regarding particular moments, like when he got his first microcomputer in his office, to broader moments regarding the development of the Internet and how that changed life on campus and around the world.

I interviewed Jim in the Milne Library on SUNY Oneonta’s campus. Throughout the interview, Jim would gesture to his iPhone, which sat on the table between us, as an example. He would also refer to the campus frequently with the term “here.” This interview took place on November 8th, or Election Day in the United States, which Jim references a few times towards the end of the interview.

Jim speaks quickly and frequently goes into the third person to refer to what people were thinking at certain moments in his stories. I have tried to reproduce these storytelling features within the transcript. I have also chosen to preserve some grammatical particularities. It is impossible, however, to accurately reproduce all of the details of Jim’s turns of phrase and therefore researchers are encouraged to consult the audio recordings.
Time Summary
Track 1, 4:45 - Educational Technology
Track 1, 15:07 - SUNY Oneonta Finances
Track 1, 27:21 - The Internet
Track 2, 10:38 - Teaching, Learning, and Technology Centers (TLTC)
Track 2, 19:53 - Life after the Digital Revolution
Creator
Caydee Wightman
Publisher
Cooperstown Graduate Program, State University of New York at Oneonta
Rights
Cooperstown Graduate Association, Cooperstown, NY
Language
en-US
Media
Greenberg_Photo_11-3-22