Santhosh Sivarajan

Change can be difficult, especially when technology is involved.  

But University of Houston-Victoria graduate student Santhosh Sivarajan is doing his part to ease one upcoming transition: the move from one Microsoft server to the next.  

Sivarajan, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems at UHV, recently published his first book, “Migrating from 2008 and 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2012.” The book comes with walk-through instructions, troubleshooting tips, system tricks and more.  

“It gives you an idea of how you can move from an old system into later technology,” he explained. “I wanted to demonstrate how to make the change easier.”  

For the tech-savvy Sivarajan, it’s more than a guide book; it’s a major accomplishment. Sivarajan has written many articles for Microsoft, but writing a whole book seemed a little far-fetched at first.  

“I don’t know how to express how excited I was,” he said. “This was my dream from the beginning. It’s hard to believe that it has happened.”  

Sivarajan, a Houston resident, said he’s maintained a love of the digital world for as long as he could remember. And his interests morphed as the technology did.  

While he began studying components – learning about small electronic devices – he later transitioned to computer science, where he remains firmly entrenched today.  

“Initially, electronics was the boom, but it changed to computer science,” he said. “Just like me. I followed that same path.”  

Sivarajan was born and raised in India, and later spent about five years in Kuwait. It was the available job opportunities that led him to relocate stateside in 2001.  

“I worked as a civilian contractor with the U.S. Army in Kuwait, but got a job with Lucent Technologies in Austin,” he said. “I’ve been in the U.S. ever since.”  

Sivarajan balances a full-time graduate school course load with full-time work as a Microsoft partner. He still managed to find time to write a book, calling the task “a labor of life.”  

Sivarajan said he enjoys what he’s doing and looks forward to continuing down his chosen path. One change lies in the immediate future, however: his book hits stores this month. Of course change doesn’t intimidate Sivarajan.  

“You have to change. Keep up with things,” he said. “Otherwise you’ll be out of this market.”

 I am a Jaguar is an online feature highlighting the exceptional students who attend the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a student, contact Paula Cobler, UHV interim director of marketing and communications, or call 361-570-4350.