Peter Belk, Digital Media and Communications Manager
The first of our new role quickfire snapshot profiles! Pete has been with DPAG for 44 years, starting as a technician in the Department of Human Anatomy. He has worked a variety of roles across DPAG's core technical support and professional services teams, and now heads up the department's Digital Media production responsible for creating a strong visual identity to be seen by both the departmental community and the outside world.
Tell us a little about your career history at DPAG?
I joined the department way back in 1978 as an Electron Microscopy technician. I spent 12 years doing that before becoming a lab manager. This was in the days when workgroup and client/server computers were first being introduced, and my aptitude for developing this led to a period of working as part-time lab manager, part-time IT manager in the Anatomy department before I became IT manager for Anatomy. After the department merged with the Laboratory of Physiology to become DPAG in 2006, I became deputy IT Manager for the merged department, and then later IT manager. Five years ago, I became Digital Media and Communications manager, a role I still hold.
What does your role involve day to day?
As Digital Media and Communications Manager, I manage digital screen content and the Sherrington video wall situated in the main building foyer - which showcases our top news stories, major upcoming events and video highlights of our work across ten high resolution screens - as well as our departmental images, and the digital and physical departmental archive.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I most enjoy the image and video creation process - long periods of deep concentration where I have complete absorption in what I'm doing; although uncovering rare items for the archive is fun too!
What is the most challenging part of your job?
There are a huge variety of different jobs and competing priorities, so it can be challenging to manage the timeline of my to-do list. To manage expectations, I will make clear how long a task may take - the more notice the better is ideal to achieve the best result.