Tell us about yourself! What do you like to do in your free time?
I often wonder if people actually have free time! As for me, I have an active family who loves spending time outdoors and contributing to our community—I reside in Lemont alongside my husband, two children, and our standard poodle. My husband and I are currently functioning as taxi drivers for our kids’ extracurricular activities, including soccer, gymnastics, Cub Scouts, and skiing. Moreover, I currently serve as the Achievement Chair for Cub Scout Pack 67, which involves managing the awards and supporting the Blue and Gold Event for all the scouts, as well as overseeing the Cub Scouts’ Adopt-a-School program for this school year. Currently, I am experimenting with growing potatoes in our greenhouse and wondering if it will provide enough sunlight and warmth for them to thrive!
What does your day-to-day look like in the office?
I work closely with Assistant Vice Provosts and Directors at OPAIR throughout my day, providing administrative support for complex meetings and events such as the Data Summit. My responsibilities include ensuring team members have the correct equipment and software, facilitating onboarding meetings with IT, monitoring the OPAIR inbox, following purchasing procedures to maintain the office, and booking travel for team members. Additionally, I have created a SharePoint site and updated simple WordPress website pages. As a new member of Penn State, I am still learning about financial processes and procedures.
Given that you’re a new member of OPAIR, what led you to working with Penn State?
It might be better to ask why it took me so long! We’ve been living here for almost seven years, and every time we met a new family, they would ask which department of PSU I worked for—not what company. Now, I can finally answer that question! Penn State University is widely respected and has an excellent reputation and I wanted a change of pace and more flexibility from my previous job, and Penn State provided me with those opportunities. Many people I know also work at Penn State, and the University has several community outreach programs, which makes this a wonderful place to finally be!
Over the past three months, what have you learned since joining OPAIR?
I have already learned a lot, but I know there is still much more to discover. There are several complex systems like SIMBA, iTwo, Nuventive, Power BI, and Concur that I am just starting to explore; so far, I’ve found it fascinating to learn about OPAIR and its internal units as each unit appears distinct but still interconnected. I am just beginning to comprehend how OPAIR’s interactions impact the larger Penn State University, and I am eager to keep learning!
With the holiday season approaching, do you have any fun traditions you’re looking forward to?
Every year, I eagerly anticipate the tradition of selecting and cutting down our Christmas tree. The entire family dresses in clothes that can get dirty and sticky from the sap, and we all bring working gloves and a saw—even our dog joins us on this adventure! Finding the “perfect” tree is not an easy task, and it usually takes a long time to locate it. We spend a considerable amount of time walking all over the tree farm, examining different types and shapes of trees, until we finally agree on the one that we all love (or compromise for exhaustion’s sake). It’s always an exciting adventure for us and a tradition that brings my family closer together.