Eric Tannehill
Sr HPC Systems Administrator
As a Sr System Administrator, Eric is responsible for keeping the underlying systems running smoothly and helping to guide processes, procedures, and technologies to further Research Computing’s goal of enabling Northeastern’s researchers. Eric brings over 20 years of industry experience in enterprise IT and research computing, providing valuable insights into modern practices.
The Research Computing team welcomed Eric Tannehill, our new Senior HPC Systems Administrator in August, and we are excited to share more about Eric with the RC community.
Eric started his career in tech support for a dial-up ISP in the 90s. There, he learned Linux and fell in love, leading to his passion for HPC and higher education. Eric loves working in higher education, especially because of its proximity to research and the opportunity to learn about new developments in HPC and science overall. Eric is excited to be working on bringing major upgrades to the data center infrastructure and also implementing improvements to handling regulated data. Eric explains, “It’s too early to get into specifics, but big things are coming to NU and RC! As someone who has made a career in IT, being able to steer the direction of such large critical projects is always the dream.”
In his personal time, Eric spends a great deal of time caring for foster cats and kittens. Eric and his family have cared for over 80 cats since 2020, somehow managing up to 11 cats at one time. Eric answered a few fun questions to help us get to know him even more.
Do you have a go-to karaoke song? If yes, what is it, if no what would you choose to be your personal walk-up song every time you entered a room?
“Mississippi Squirrel Revival” by Ray Stevens. In my right vocal range, silly, and lots of fun for anyone who is forced to hear my singing.
Have you read a book recently that you would recommend everyone read?
Most of my current books are political, which I prefer to keep away from work. If you want something just for fun though, Vernor Vinge wrote a number of great books, in particular “A Fire Upon the Deep” and “A Deepness in the Sky”
What skill do you think everyone should have?
Knowing how to change a tire on a freeway is invaluable to everyone.
What was your first screenname?
I don’t remember anymore, I started out BBS war dialing in the late 80’s as a tween. The first internet handle I remember using was MrDo! in a nod to the video game. Current handles I keep secret 😉
