Q: Can you describe the work you do at the University of Chicago?

As the Assistant Director of HR and People Operations for the Division of Arts & Humanities, I oversee and support a wide range of human resources functions that span the entire employee lifecycle for our staff members. My day-to-day responsibilities include position and employee lifecycle management, overseeing recruitment, assisting with payroll, establishing best practices, developing staff engagement initiatives, and maintaining internal records. I definitely appreciate the dynamic and collaborative nature of my role!

Q: What led you to your current role as the HR and People Operations Administrator in the Humanities Dean’s Office?

Before joining UChicago, I worked in refugee foster care, supporting foster families who cared for unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families. This experience underscored my passion for building strong administrative processes and supporting people so that they feel valued in their work. That realization, along with discovering an interest in management during a college course, inspired me to transition into the HR field. I quickly found that I was able to combine my administrative strengths with my drive to foster positive, supportive work environments in the dean’s office.

Q: How has your role changed since you started?

My role has evolved significantly since I first joined the team. I started as the HR Administrator, where I focused primarily on supporting faculty onboarding and managing student and temporary staff hires. As the division’s needs shifted, my responsibilities did too. I moved to solely managing student and temp staff hiring, payroll administration, and a growing number of HR-related initiatives. Our team further expanded from there, especially with the addition of college and arts staff into the division, and I was promoted to Assistant Director, a role that now encompasses oversight of all areas of staff HR operations across the division.

Q: What motivates you to invest so much care into the staff experience within the Humanities Division?

We spend a significant portion of our lives at work, and I truly believe that everyone deserves to feel valued, empowered, and impactful in their role. The often unseen work of administrative staff is crucial to the University’s success, and I am passionate about ensuring our staff members are recognized and supported. Investing in their experience means investing in the success of our entire academic community.

Q: What has been most meaningful to you about helping build a stronger, more connected community in the Humanities at UChicago?

For me, the most rewarding aspect has been cultivating relationships across the division and across campus. I love getting to know the people I work with, and I find their backgrounds interesting and inspiring. I also find that when we take time to build connections, we also share knowledge, work more efficiently together, and create a stronger, more resilient community. It’s inspiring to see how these connections foster creativity and continuous improvement.

Q: What is a memorable experience you’ve had during your time at the University?

A memorable experience I've had at the University was launching the staff award program. The program is called the Arts and Humanities Staff Award Program and currently features two awards, the Outstanding Service Award, highlighting exceptional dedication and commitment to the division, and the Growth and Champion Award, which focuses on professional development and sharing knowledge. There is one winner per award per year. Students, staff, and faculty nominate staff members, and then a committee, including the Dean and Dean’s office leadership, agrees on the winners. The winners are announced internally and recognized at the Arts and Humanities Convocation.

Developing this program from scratch, pitching the idea, collaborating with the dean’s office leadership, reading through all the nominations, and selecting our inaugural winners was incredibly rewarding. I truly valued the opportunity to build a program that recognizes and celebrates the hard work of our divisional staff.

Q: You’ve had a great impact on the University. How has the University of Chicago impacted you?

UChicago has been instrumental in shaping my professional journey in HR. At UChicago, I discovered my passion for the field and gained a strong foundation in all its facets. The division has supported my growth, from encouraging me to pursue an HR certification to giving me space to develop projects like a staff awards program and cross-campus events for staff (recently, I organized a tour with the Facilities Team focused on campus landscape, which was an incredibly interesting and fun partnership). The encouragement and mentorship from my supervisor and colleagues have been invaluable and have inspired me to be innovative in driving staff engagement and retention.

Q: Beyond your role in HR and People Operations, how else do you like to spend your time?

After moving to Chicago, I signed up for a learn-to-row class at Lincoln Park Boat Club. Rowing has since become a passion, and I now row three times a week with the club. The community is amazing, and the exercise is simultaneously grueling and therapeutic! I also love biking along the lakeshore trail, taking frequent swims in the lake, and exploring new neighborhoods, bars, restaurants, and cafes throughout the city.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our UChicago community, such as a fun fact about yourself or a personal project?

In high school, I gave tours of the De Zwaan windmill, the only authentic Dutch windmill that still operates in the United States (in Holland, MI). I wore a Dutch costume, wooden shoes, six to eight pairs of socks, and performed Dutch dances at the top of every hour. It was maybe one of the most random high school jobs possible and was a ton of fun.

Q: Do you still remember the Dutch dances?

I do still remember the Dutch dances.