Brian Reese, lecturer in information technology, right, works with students in Penn State Wilkes-Barre's cybersecurity lab.
DALLAS, Pa. — Students, staff and faculty all bring unique experiences and knowledge to the Penn State Wilkes-Barre community. Brian Reese, who now serves as a faculty member in information technology, has held all three roles. He began as a student and was later hired as a staff member. He also owns his own business, bringing industry experience to his teaching.
Reese said he appreciates the background he gained from his prior experiences at the campus. And his fluency at multitasking and ability to understand the life situations of working students are key in what makes him relatable to students as an instructor today.
He first came to Penn State Wilkes-Barre as a transfer student from Luzerne County Community College with the goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree, saying, “I wanted to get a four-year degree at a reasonable price with experienced instructors. I found that at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.”
While Reese was pursuing his degree in information sciences technology (now information technology), he launched his own business doing consulting in information technology (IT). He was also working part time with a computer company based in Kingston, which he began when he was 15. Reese completed several internships, including one with the federal government at a data operations center for the Social Security Administration. He said he was told his application for that internship was selected because he was the only Eagle Scout — the top rank in Scouting America — out of the pool of applicants.
“Between work, internships and doing my own consulting on the side, I was sometimes working four different jobs a week to pay for school,” Reese said. “Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I had work. Tuesday and Thursday were school. Saturday was paperwork from work and Sunday was homework. And repeat each week. That was my life,” he said.
After graduating from Penn State Wilkes-Barre, he took a position in Pittsburgh for about a year. Then Reese received a call from Frouke de Quillettes, retired associate teaching professor of information technology, who suggested that he apply for a staff opening at the Wilkes-Barre campus.
He was hired for the position and worked in the campus IT department for seven years, advancing from IT support specialist to systems administrator. Reese began teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the fall of 2018 and was named to his role as lecturer in information technology in January 2021, completing his transition from staff to faculty.
“The number one request from employers is for students to have more practical knowledge and the ability to implement said knowledge. Employers keep asking for that, more and more,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the educational space to help with that real-world translation. I knew I could help students move beyond book knowledge to learn how they can put that knowledge into place.”
He brings those skills with him from his history of working in the field, in addition to the work he does with his business, Reese Networking. His company provides IT support and services and managed services in cybersecurity for small businesses.
Reese’s students are able to learn from his experiences working with not only small businesses, but also the federal government, local governments, Fortune 50 companies and local chambers of commerce. He said his experience helps him understand what the industry is looking for in college graduates. Reese plans his material and lectures to focus his students’ skill development on what the industry is seeking.
“Every time I lecture, I always tailor it to what I am seeing or what I have seen,” he said. “That could be a small business issue or an enterprise issue. Because of my experience, I can share what I’ve learned, how technology has changed and what we can do as IT professionals to best serve our clients.”
Reese said he understands the challenges of IT as a quickly changing field, with technology constantly changing and new technologies being adapted. He stressed the importance of teaching concepts that apply across different interfaces.
IT students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre complete some of their classwork in a cybersecurity lab, building hardware and software using modern computer systems. Reese said his students enjoy hands-on learning and appreciate being able to understand how they can put their skills to use in a variety of positions after earning their degree.
“My students are inquisitive with a desire to learn and also implement that knowledge,” Reese said. “That matches well with how I teach. I don’t believe in simulations or learning just to learn something. I believe in learning to implement and do what you’re going to encounter in the real world. My students want to be involved and see what a situation will look like when they go into the industry. That’s what I want to help them with.”
Reese brings in industry experts to speak to his students — and often, those experts are graduates of the IT program, just like he is.
He said the Penn State Wilkes-Barre IT program has become known among local employers for the skilled, knowledgeable graduates it produces.
“I have had employers ask for student resumes and hire our graduates without ever advertising the position,” Reese said. “That shows that we are doing what the industry wants. We are creating great candidates and valuable workers.”
