“I also felt needed, because of the nature of the work and my role. I provided support and excellence in my customer service to people who desperately needed help. I became their hero and their go-to person. It is a great feeling when you can tell people, ‘Don’t worry, you can count on me. I won’t let you down.'”
– Bobby Zavieh, Retired Workstation Support Lead, IT Division
Bobby (Babak) Zavieh, IT Workstation Support Lead, officially retires on June 26, 2023, after 20 years at Berkeley Lab. Well-known for supporting the Lab community with computer workstation requests (and woes), Bobby is described by his colleagues as friendly, funny, highly knowledgeable, and reliable. In his role, Bobby supervised over a dozen staff and interns at any time while managing a broad array of hardware and technology and resolving technical issues to facilitate scientific work across the Lab.
Why did you enjoy working at Berkeley Lab?
I had no idea about the Lab’s prestigious global reputation when I first joined. I found myself among talented people from all over the world, of many different backgrounds and ethnicities. I found people that were like me, foreigners in a strange country, and was even able to practice my Farsi, my French, and improve my English. I felt at home.
I also felt needed, because of the nature of the work and my role. I provided support and excellence in my customer service to people who desperately needed help. I became their hero and their go-to person. It is a great feeling when you can tell people, “Don’t worry, you can count on me. I won’t let you down.”
Connecting with new friends and colleagues who are supportive and caring is another bonus to working at the Lab. Tammy Campbell, my immediate supervisor and mentor, has been the greatest influence on my career. Working with Tammy isn’t always easy because she pushes us to achieve our personal best. She is always looking for ways to support others and provide growth opportunities to her staff. Tammy shaped my management role as the lead for Workstation Support. Her guidance helped me become a better person, a better colleague to my teammates, and provided me with all the necessary resources and training to be successful in my job.
Do you have any favorite Lab stories or anecdotes to share?
Several years ago, I had one of the most bizarre and amazing experiences while I was on-site near the former location of Building 7. Once my assignment was completed, I exited from the back entrance of the building where I parked the Gem (electric vehicle). It was a beautiful day so I took a minute to stretch and walk around. The surrounding area seemed quite wild and untouched. It was sunny with a cool, gentle breeze. In the distance I could see the city of Berkeley, San Francisco, and Oakland. As I was contemplating the view, I felt a presence to my left—it was a deer passing right by me, just a few feet away. I didn’t budge nor was I scared; I was in the zone just enjoying the moment. The deer looked at me and trotted away, quickly followed by a raccoon, then finally trailed by a fox, as if they were all traveling together! I thought to myself, “What’s next, a mountain lion?” I’m used to seeing deer and raccoons in the Berkeley Hills but seeing a fox nearby was a very special moment and seeing all three together definitely made for a precious memory.
How did you achieve growth in your career journey?
I started as an intern with the Mac/PC Support Group (MPSG) back in January of 2003. We were located at the old Bevatron Building 51, now replaced by the new Building 91. While working as an intern I obtained two associate degrees from Diablo Valley College from 2003 to 2006, which allowed me to gain a position within the MPSG as a Desktop Support level 1 technician.
To better position myself within the team, I obtained both Apple and Dell technician certifications, which allowed me to process all Apple and Dell computer repairs for the entire Lab on-site. This new role granted me an out-of-class assignment with a promotion to a Desktop Support level 2 role.
After Tammy became the Workstation Support team lead, some of her responsibilities were delegated to senior technicians as a growth opportunity. I jumped at the chance to take on the Operation Desktop Support (ODS) program. Later on, I was also given the task of managing the Custom Computer orders, the Salvage program, and the Repurposed Computer program. I was basically managing the computer inventory for all of the Operations Area and our team.
Once I became a career employee, I continued my education at Cal State East Bay to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Computer Management. I was able to obtain my BA in 2016 with the help of the Lab’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Soon after graduating, I was offered a lateral move from Desktop Support to a Computer System Engineer level two. In 2020, right before the shelter-in-place orders, there was a shift in the management team roles, where Ian Vaino became the new department head and Tammy became the new IT Support Services group lead, which then led to an opportunity where I was promoted to my final position as the Workstation Support team lead.
What projects or career milestones are you most proud of?
Managing my team through the COVID-19 pandemic while procuring the necessary computer equipment to everyone off-site was an enormous challenge to overcome. My team supported both Operations and Research Divisions staff who started working off-site seemingly overnight, and I’m very proud of our success.
The effort, organization, and planning during the pandemic was a natural extension of Operation Desktop Support (ODS), the most significant program I ran throughout my career at the Lab. The ODS program deploys computers and peripherals to all twelve Divisions within the Operations Area, ensuring integral support for Lab scientists. My role consisted of keeping up with the latest computer hardware and peripherals along with selecting the most cost effective solutions to conduct essential computing tasks across the organization.
The Custom Computer program is another impactful management project, where I determined computer hardware configurations for various high-end computing needs and promoted the models recommended by IT. You can learn more on the IT FAQ Computer Request page. Order new or repurposed machines using the standard form or request a custom computer using the non-standard form.
Last but not least, mentorship has been a big part of my professional development at the Lab. I’m a participant of the 2021 Stewardship Summit cohort, which helped develop the skills I needed to focus on for my role as a supervisor. I have also been involved in the mentorship and training of our IT Support Services interns for many years, helping them build the soft and technical skills necessary to excel at the Lab and in their future jobs. Volunteering for the IT Elementary School program is another fun experience and I’m glad we were able to restart the outreach event before I retired. It’s very rewarding to pass on knowledge to the next generation and watch them develop and flourish.
How do you plan on spending your time in retirement?
My short term goals are to go on a few trips and enjoy life with my family and friends. We’re planning a cruise to Alaska with my wife’s aunt as her last long trip with the family while she can still get around. I’m also looking forward to a road trip with my wife, my sister, and my brother-in-law which includes stops in Las Vegas in Nevada, Sedona and the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and San Diego in Southern California.
My longer term goals include selling our apartment by the end of the year and moving to San Diego in early 2024. We’re also looking at property in France to spend more time overseas. Beyond that, I’m hoping to focus on exploring my hobbies and interests. I want to take metal forging courses to learn how to make knives and swords and continue making jewelry. Relearning how to speak Spanish would be fantastic so I’ll definitely take a Spanish language course at some point. I love fly fishing, locally or around the world, so it will be fun to find new spots too.
Retirement Resources
- Berkeley Lab Retiree Honor Roll
- Retiree Honor Roll Form
- Preparing for Retirement at Berkeley Lab
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab Retiree Association (EX-Ls) | Retirement Center
IT Staff Spotlights
- Meet another IT retiree: Susan Brand, IT Graphic Designer
- IT Staff Spotlight: Jenny Brown
- IT Staff Spotlight: Tammy Campbell
- IT Staff Spotlight: Jimmy Mai
- IT Staff Spotlight: Susan Brand
- Miles Green Receives 2022 Director’s IDEA Award
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