Meet Henal, AV & IT Support Officer in ISD TechOps, dedicated to making sure technology helps you, not hassles you. Co-chair of the Disability Equality Steering Group, Henal talks upcoming developments on driving inclusion at UCL and being a proud distributor of dad jokes!
What is your role and what does it involve?
I’m Henal, your go-to AV & IT Support Officer in the ISD TechOps team. My mission: Keep tech headaches away so you can stay productive. Big issue or tiny glitch, I’m on it!
One of the best parts of my job is meeting people from every corner of UCL. It’s like getting a backstage pass to everything happening across the university.
We have a really supportive and nurturing culture in the team which I am grateful to be a part of.
How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?
I joined UCL in July 2024 after spearheading IT services at London South Bank University’s brand-new Croydon Campus building everything IT from the ground up. Mission accomplished!
What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?
There are two achievements I am immensely proud of so far at UCL:
1. Building a script with the EMP team that made reporting issues super easy for TechOps. It went live within 6-8 months of me joining UCL.
2. Becoming co-chair of the Disability Equality Steering Group to help drive real inclusion and equity for staff with visible and invisible disabilities.
Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list
We’re launching a Disability Equality Steering Group Fund soon! Members can bid for seed funding for projects, research, or events around disability inclusion. Watch this space, exciting stuff ahead!
We’re also looking at the application process for being a DESG member, more info soon!
Lastly, I am working on more speaker-led events around disability and disabled people in the working world. We have a lot to share!
What is your favourite album, film and novel?
Album - Both of these albums made the soundtrack of my "twenteens"! J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hills Drive and Drake - Take Care (waiting for the Kendrick Lamar fans to Teams me with backlash!)
Film - If we’re talking Bollywood I have to go with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (absolute cringe classic), if we’re talking Hollywood - all’of the Mission: Impossible films!
Novel - The Giver by Lois Lowry
What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?
What do you call a sheep that can sing? Lady baa baa!
I’m sure my colleagues are sick of my dad jokes by now!
Who would be your dream dinner guests?
I really must sound cliché here but I have to start with Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, Denzel Washington, Akala, Barack Obama, and Shashi Tharoor.
The dinner would be hosted by me and my mum - who is absolutely the best cook!
Hot topics would be AI governance, society, and philosophy.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t stress and try to plan for every situation, trust yourself to handle life as it happens.
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I write poetry, make music, and love Victorian-era art.
What is your favourite place?
Cretya Restaurant & Social Club in Ubud, Bali. Rice fields, DJ, warm pool, and cocktails - what a vibe!
- University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT (0) 20 7679 2000
