Paul Zagarella, CST ’14, is marking 25 years of using his expertise in information technology to be of service to others. 

“I have been with Temple for 25 years and what I am most proud of is helping people all this time,” said Zagarella, who hails from Oaklyn, New Jersey. 

“I have been able to help students get a better education and help faculty and staff be able to do their jobs.” 

Zagarella was honored during the 72nd annual 20-Year Club Inductions Recognition Program and Reception held on June 21. 

The club celebrates Temple employees who have completed 20 years of continuous full-time service. Zagarella was first recognized for marking 20 years in 2019. He was recently honored for 25 years of service. 

“It is really a privilege and a pleasure,” Zagarella says of the honor. “It really means a lot that the university would put on a recognition like this for their employees.” 

He started at Temple University Hospital in 1999 as a contractor for RHI staffing, where he worked on ensuring that our computer systems continued functioning after 2000. When that project ended in 2000, Zagarella was placed in a full-time position at Temple University’s Computer Services, which is now known as Information Technology Services. He has worked in various areas throughout the years and is currently a director of information technology in the Infrastructure Engineering Team of Information Technology Services. 

Until recently, Zagarella managed the evening and weekend Help Desk staff for the past eight years. His team assisted students and staff with technical problems on their computers, changing their passwords and connecting to Wi-Fi. Zagarella recently moved to the Infrastructure Engineering Team to focus on promoting and advancing TUhelp, the ITS ticketing system and the Genesys Cloud phone system. 

While working in information technology, Zagarella has had the opportunity to meet amazing people such as Haason Reddick, CLA ’17, a linebacker for the New York Jets. Reddick played college football while attending Temple and was employed at Information Technology Services as a student worker. 

A 1995 graduate of Rutgers University with a bachelor’s degree in music and a disc jockey on the side, Zagarella has tapped into his appreciation for music during his years Temple. In 2012, Zagarella joined the Temple University Night Owls Campus Community Band, which is open to community members, Temple alumni, faculty and students. 

“I take a lot of pride in playing in that band because it’s part of Temple,” said Zagarella, who plays the tuba. 

When Zagarella performs in the Night Owls annual concert, he wears a red baseball cap in honor of his late friend, trombonist and band member Richard Townsend, who died in 2019. The two friends used to sit next to each other during performances 

“He always wore a red cap, so I wear it for him,” Zagarella said. 

Zagarella also enjoys being invited to play with the Temple University Diamond Marching Band alumni during football games. 

“I wasn’t in the actual Diamond Marching Band, but I get to run out there and pretend for a little bit,” Zagarella says of that experience. 

And while Zagarella has experienced high points in his lengthy career at Temple, he also faced the challenge of juggling a full-time job and classes for four years while pursuing his master’s degree in information science and technology. 

“Being a student and working a full-time job is a lot and that’s something that I take pride in,” Zagarella said. “I’ve had other challenges but that is probably the biggest one.”