Show Your Appreciation
Each month, Staff Council will feature a classified staff employee to show appreciation for all the work they are doing at WVU.
May 2026
Dan Servian, a geographic information systems analyst for Planning, Design and Construction, is being featured for the May Staff Council Classified staff Showcase.
Serving in his role for 15 years, the West Chester, Pennsylvania, native, has built a career helping others better understand the campus and what surrounds them.
“I wear many hats at WVU, but my main mission is keeping our geospatial data organized,” Servian said. “I use GIS to build maps that help people understand our campus.”
“I’ve been in the GIS world long enough to remember when it was a niche, specialized field that lived in the corners of research labs. Seeing it transition into an essential tool that people use every day to understand the world around them has been interesting to experience,” he added.
Servian manages and organizes the University’s geospatial data, creating both digital and paper maps that support everything from infrastructure planning to daily navigation. His work includes tracking utilities, fire hydrants, sidewalks and parking lots, as well as maintaining the interactive campus map that has thousands of visitors each year.
“Most people at WVU don’t realize my role exists, but I’m behind the scenes building the data and layers that make our maps and analysis work,” he said. “There are probably a dozen ways I could help make someone’s job easier if we connected.
”Servian arrived at WVU as a student in 1999, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in recreation, park and tourism resources. He joined the workforce following graduation, returning to the University in 2012 in his current capacity.
Throughout his career, Servian has adapted to major technological shifts, including the evolution from desktop-based GIS systems to cloud-based platforms. He credits continued learning with allowing him to transform complex data into tools that benefit the campus community.
“Continuing my education in my field has allowed me to turn complex data into a product that helps people at WVU,” Servian said. “From publishing student and staff proximity data to maintaining the interactive campus map, I know my work is reaching a lot of people."
One of his most meaningful experiences has been mentoring student interns and helping them build confidence in a highly technical field.
“In a technical field like GIS, it’s great to help guide someone who is just starting out and watch them gain the confidence to handle complex spatial data on their own,” he said. “While it’s great to have extra help for a project, it’s better seeing students move on in their careers."
Outside of work, Servian enjoys spending time with his family, along with hiking, photography, travel and cooking — interests that reflect both his appreciation for the outdoors and his creative side.
Each month, the University will acknowledge the valuable efforts and hard work of a Classified Staff employee with the Classified Staff Showcase.
