The phone is ringing again. This must be the Help Desk at HSPH, where staff field between 50 and 70 queries each day from desperate callers needing everything from software upgrades to help in saving a dying computer.

Drew Pearson is the new manager of the Help Desk and Desktop Operations in Information Technology (IT). A former computer technician at HSPH, Pearson is replacing Kathi Bell, who left last year.

Pearson oversees a staff of four people: Alex Garcia-Rangel, David Shelton and two Northeastern co-op students, Laurie Constant and Sara Greenwood. Together, they support approximately 1,500 people dispersed among the main HSPH buildings and 17 remote locations, including offices in Cambridge.

Pearson said that his major goals are to continue offering same-day service as much as possible and to create an even friendlier, customer service-oriented feel to the Help Desk.

"We at the Help Desk interact so much with the HSPH community that we really want people to enjoy working with us," said Pearson.

The Help Desk troubleshoots desktop problems, upgrades software, oversees three computer laboratories and offers advice on purchases. Shelton, the Help Desk coordinator, also redirects calls about servers; the Help Desk does not maintain the servers but sends the calls to the appropriate IT staff.

Pearson said his biggest challenge has been the installation and maintenance of computers for the 240 HSPH members who moved to the Landmark Center on Park Drive last fall. IT as a whole was involved in the move.

HSPH members may call the Help Desk at 617-432-HELP or send an e-mail to HelpDesk@hsph.harvard.edu. In emergencies or in cases outside of normal business hours, HSPH members may page a technician from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays by calling 617-432-HELP.

Football fans may be interested to learn that Drew Pearson of the Help Desk is the nephew of former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson, a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro player who is best known for a 50-yard winning reception in a 1975 divisional playoff game at Minnesota. The talent runs throughout the family. Our Drew’s father is Samuel Pearson, a former cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals. And when Drew Pearson is not fielding calls at the Help Desk, he is playing as a free safety for the Randolph Oilers in the semi-pro Eastern Football League.