Jake McVey thrives on investigative work. He enjoys digging into a problem and finding a simple solution that addresses a large problem. As an ERP analyst III and student application services lead for the financial side, he puts his skills to work addressing time-sensitive production issues and introducing enhancements within FSU student systems. Outside of work, he puts his analytical skills to the test playing strategy games—PC games, board games, card games—you name it.

Where are you from?

I was born in San Diego, California, but raised in Tallahassee Florida.

Where did you attend school?

I went to the University of Florida and earned a criminology degree. I am still a Nole fan though!

Why did you choose to work in technology?

After four or five years working in customer service at FSU Student Business Services, I was given the opportunity to work as a data analyst. I've always liked data analytics, both in school and professionally, so moving into that role felt right. My current role has a lot of data analytical work as well. Working with numbers has always been fun for me. As a bonus to moving over to ITS and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) team, I got to keep working with my colleagues over at Student Business Services as their ERP representative.

How long have you been at FSU?
11 years

What is your role at FSU?

I am a student application services lead for the financials side. I support both Student Business Services and the Office of Financial Aid in their processes.

I address production issues and things that are not working correctly. A big part of what I support is the financial aid disbursement process. With that, a lot of the issues are timing intensive—as soon as something breaks, we need to fix it immediately.

I also introduce enhancements and oversee upgrades to the student systems. We are working on lots of online forms for both Student Business Services and the Office of Financial Aid. And there are some interesting changes to the FAFSA application that will be introduced later this year by the federal government. That's the project my team and I are focusing on right now.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Alongside liking data analytical work, I like investigative work. I always like the feeling of digging into a problem and finding a simple solution that addresses a large problem.

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

One of the first big projects I had after moving to the Enterprise Resource Planning team was the Campus Solutions upgrade to version 9.2. It was a very large project with the whole team involved, so it helped me feel like a part of the team.

What is your favorite app?

DoorDash and Instacart, with Amazon a close third. I love the convenience of online shopping, especially for food!

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

Pie in the sky … I'd love it if teleportation devices were a thing. It would make traveling so much easier!

What is a fun fact about you?

I'm kind of obsessed with penguins. Penguin clothing, plushies, figurines, posters ... I even have an 'adopted' penguin that I get updates for. Her name is Vivi, after one of my favorite video game characters.

Talk a little bit about your family.

My mom and stepdad worked for FSU for many years as well. My mom was a CPA and eventually the controller. My stepdad worked as an assistant director for Student Business Services, as the lead over the accounting section. They both retired as of a few years ago.

What do you do in your free time?

I'm a big gamer. PC games, Switch games, PlayStation games, board games, card games—all types. Though strategy games are my favorite genre of games.