In a Jam, You Can Count on Ellis

With hundreds of copiers on campus, Cornella Ellis is like a fish in water.

Ellis is a copier technician who operates out of Tartan Ink in the basement of the Cohon University Center. He studied electronics at Gateway Technical Institute and has more than 20 years of experience working with copiers. His customers reach him by opening a ticket through the Tartan Ink website.

Ellis travels from one end of campus to the other to troubleshoot problems, replace equipment parts and remove paper jams, and helps to provide new solutions for the university’s everchanging needs.

“I really enjoy sharing what I know about the equipment with my customers in all of the different departments,” he said. “Sometimes I will get a request for a copier upgrade, so I will meet with the customer to discuss the footprint of their space, the type of machine they want, the specific qualities of the various machines, and what would be a good fit for their needs.  Other times, it’s as simple as a paper jam, or a copier is out of toner.”

While he’s on the job, Ellis sees a variety of events on campus. He particularly enjoys getting a glimpse of the Buggy races, a CMU tradition during Spring Carnival.

“I really like the atmosphere of the university,” Ellis said. “It’s energizing.”

When he is not at work, Ellis splits his time between exercising at the gym and caring for the tropical fish he has managed to breed in his 55-gallon freshwater aquarium.

“Right now, I have nine African cichlids. The most rewarding aspect is the ability to maintain a balanced, natural environment for them that replicates their native waters of Lake Malawi,” he said. “It has taken me years of patience to discover just how to accomplish this.”

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