Brenner, a video production engineer, played a pivotal role in bringing the fiber-connected “hub and spoke” production network model for video coverage of athletic competitions to Elon.
Quintin “Q” Brenner is the Office of Information Technology’s (IT) newest recipient of the Acorn Accolade Technology Award.
“It is an honor to be recognized,” Brenner said of the award, which is presented each month to an exceptional member of the IT team. “A lot of work has gone into managing the technology for our live events, particularly athletics broadcasts, so this recognition means a lot to me and those who have helped me in the success of those events.”
As a video production engineer, Brenner provides broadcast support for the School of Communications, athletics and a wide range of special events at Elon. Working closely with Chief Engineer Jeff James and a crew of student staff, he is a familiar sight at venues across campus where he manages a host of state-of-the-art equipment.
“In the relatively short time Quintin has been working full time at Elon, he has established himself as a hard worker and a creative problem solver,” said Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies Brent Smith, who supervises Brenner. “Q attacks every project with determination. He is quiet, deliberate and he gets the job done.”
Last summer, Brenner played a pivotal role in bringing the fiber-connected “hub and spoke” production network model for video coverage of Elon athletic competitions to fruition, Smith said. Beginning with football coverage last season, video broadcasts from all major sports venues are controlled from the Schar Center control room.
Though challenging, it was a project that Brenner is most proud of.
“Playing a part in getting our broadcast facilities networked back to a central control room and constantly improving on that workflow has been a point of pride for me,” he said. “That initiative has really expanded our broadcast capabilities to be on par with prolific universities like those in the ACC and SEC.”
Brian Dudiak, assistant athletic director for facilities and event management, often works with Brenner to coordinate sports-related broadcasts.
“Perhaps his best attribute is the passion he exudes for his work,” Dudiak said. “It’s easy to tell he really enjoys what he does, and I don’t know if Q ever stops. If he isn’t solving a problem, he’s looking for ways to improve things. He’s extremely creative, hard-working and dedicated.”
Brenner, a 2014 Elon graduate, has been a member of IT’s Teaching and Learning Technologies team for nearly three years. In addition to day-to-day tasks, he enjoys mentoring students and looks forward to his continued growth in the field.
“I really enjoy being able to consistently learn about and use new broadcast and networking technologies in this job,” he said.
Visit the Technology blog to see Brenner featured in a recent episode of Elon IT Decoded.