Brett Walters, HASTAC Web Maestro: Good Luck and Thank you, Brett!

Brett Walters, the webmaster for HASTAC since the beginning, has accepted a wonderful opportunity within Arts & Sciences Information Science and Technology (A&SIST), as a Senior Web Analyst. Brett will become part of a new development team charged with "redesigning the entire web environment for Trinity College and Arts & Sciences (TCAS), the end result of which will be the creation of a sustainable and scalable web infrastructure, with an associated support model to maintain the services and a high level of customer support".

Wow. HASTAC without Brett! That's a hard one to imagine. He has kept us Drupally up-to-date, open source, state-of-the-art. He's overseen the HASTAC on YouTube. Has stayed up all night tending servers for the Digital Media and Learning Competition. He's photographed our events, and on and on and on.

Within the Duke system, Brett's promotion is huge . . . leaps and bounds, a recognition of his excellence. We are all so proud of him. And we will miss him profoundly.

We've been announcing the HASTAC Website redesign to a more 2.0 interactive design for a few months now but, once Brett's new position was a possibility, we had to put the total reconceptualization of the site on hold.  Brett (of course, it's the kind of guy he is) oversaw the Drupal upgrade of the site necessary to keep us running.  We'll be doing some "bandaid" treatment to make the site more expansive to accommodate really exciting forums, and conversations, and blogs from our new HASTAC Scholars.  And, with that in mind, Brett even did an organizational plan and site map for the new site that his successor will be guiding.  But we'll have to wait on a new HASTAC Webmaster for the actual new design . . . delayed, but for a great reason:  this is an exciting new opportunity for Brett and we are very proud and happy for him (even as we're sad to be losing him).

Do we sound ambivalent?  We are!  We hate losing people. We love it when our friends succeed. BRETT, THANK YOU FROM EVERYONE AT HASTAC. And, on a personal note: to Brett and Jennifer, who are expecting their first baby any week now, our fondest hopes and best wishes to you and your budding new family.  May you thrive, forever and everywhere!