Patrick Pluscht: Bringing eye for detail, dedication to his 'dream job' at UNT

		Many things keep Patrick Pluscht, associate director of the Center for Distributed Learning, busy outside of his work at UNT. He is an avid traveler, water sports enthusiast, music lover and father of two daughters, ages 4 and 10 months.oma City bombing site

Patrick Pluscht says he works a dream job.

The associate director of the Center for Distributed Learning came to UNT in 1997 and immediately fit in to his new position.

"I enjoy being an administrator, a collaborator," he says. "I have a great boss, incredible co-workers. It's never boring. It's something different every day."

Pluscht oversees the operations and strategic planning for UNT's 18-site videoconference network and collaborates with the academic departments that develop courses and programs for delivery on the network.

Pluscht — who was raised in Elberta, Ala., a German community known for its annual sausage festival — graduated from the University of Alabama in 1991 with a degree in telecommunication and film studies.

Four years later he earned his master's degree there in the same field, using his talent for videography to help finance his education.

Philip Turner, dean of the UNT School of Library and Information Sciences and associate vice president for academic affairs for distance education, knew Pluscht when they both worked at the University of Alabama and says he is very organized.

"Patrick brings an eye for detail to the Center for Distributed Learning. His dedication is extraordinary," Turner says.

"I hear stories repeatedly about how he has gone beyond the call of duty to make sure that a videoconference comes off successfully."

Pluscht also uses his talents as a member of the Texas Distributed Learning Association. He has been active in the association for six years and is currently serving a three-year term as chair of the board.

"I need new problems, new challenges," he says. "I love to problem solve and sometimes dive into helping others solve their problems."

Pluscht's career isn't his only passion; he is also an avid traveler.

"I love road trips," he says.

He has driven to Canada and the Smoky Mountains and has found several favorite spots in California on the Pacific Coast Highway and in the Bay Area and Napa Valley.

He has also been to Cancun, and he and his wife, Christine, took a self-guided tour of Europe.

"I have never made it to New York City," he says, expressing his desire to visit the Big Apple.

The Pluschts travel less frequently now that they have two daughters, Lydia Clare, who is 4, and 10-month-old Caroline Grace.

Reared only miles from Alabama's Gulf Coast, Pluscht says he enjoys water activities, including skiing and scuba diving. Other regular activities run the gamut from riding bicycles and playing racquetball with co-workers to playing acoustic guitar at home.

He also enjoys listening to live music and, when he moved to Texas, he quickly discovered the variety.

"I love the music scene and culture we have in Denton," he says.

BY ROBIN FLETCHER ucmedit1@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Regents grant emeritus status to seven faculty
• Mean Green to revisit New Orleans Bowl
• Nearly 2,000 students to graduate Dec. 13
• UNT System names Footer to counsel post
• SECC drive tops $151,000
• Faculty concerns heard at senate meeting
• UNT deans Davis and Turner stepping down; search under way for replacements
• Dangerous winter weather brings possibility for closures
• Murphy Enterprise Center awards prizes
• Getty: You can have dessert, just don't eat too much of it

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