"Ray is a top-flight employee," said Ryszard Dziadur, director of college operations for HHS. "A jack of all IT (information technology) trades, he always goes beyond the call of duty. He considers all faculty, staff and students to be valued customers and treats them as so. He is a true professional."

Kuan updates the HHS Web site, provides support for the software and hardware needs of the college, and works to move all of its various forms from paper to electronic format. Thanks to his efforts, everything from college travel forms to student pay vouchers can be filled out online, a step that eliminates problems caused by poor handwriting or miscalculations.

He is quick to deflect credit to the other members of his IT group and his fellow HHS employees.

"This STAR doesn't represent just me -- it represents the whole group," he said. "I really enjoy working with people in the college. They keep me motivated."

A San Francisco resident, Kuan earned dual undergraduate degrees -- mathematics and computer science -- at San Jose State University. He worked for a year at the Port of San Francisco before joining HHS two and a half years ago. It was a change he was happy to make.

"I always wanted to work in the academic area and serve students," he said. "For me, it's a bigger picture than the port. It helps the community more."

As befits one of the college's underlying philosophies, Kuan is an active person. He enjoys swimming and playing tennis and loves to ski. He skis 10 or more times each winter, usually at Northstar at Tahoe, and dreams of one day skiing Whistler Blackcomb, a world-class resort in Canada.

Please join us in congratulating Ray and thank him for making such a difference.