I’m a secretary, and although I’ve never attended college, I have spent my entire adult life working on a campus of higher learning, contributing to the impact of our presence on the city of Indianapolis.
In the last 26 years, I have:
- Worked for the Bookstore, back in the day when people bought books
- Was a secretary in Nutrition and Dietetics, back when “secretary” was a respected title
- Was an event planner for Medical Education, and was introduced to a thing called the “World Wide Web”
- Was Assistant to the Director of the Natatorium, when it was a struggle to keep the place open for another day
- Was an event planner for the School of Music, when the Child Care Center was on the first floor of the Mary Cable Building
- Was the house manager for the Chancellor’s residence, when Cedar Crest was a home
- Went back to the Natatorium as the registration coordinator, when I couldn’t stand working so far from campus anymore
- Went to the School of Nursing and worked in the Office of Research Support because I thought I was going to be out of a job if I didn’t move
- And have ended up as the Assistant to the Chair of the Physical Therapy Department, because an opportunity presented itself when I needed it most
I know some people will look at my IUPUI path and think, “Holy cow! Can’t this girl stay in one place?” But what I see is a collection of amazing opportunities to learn and grow and see how IUPUI works from lots of perspectives.
As a staff member, I may be a tiny cog in the great wheel that is IUPUI, but I take great pride in the knowledge my small contributions here and there have made a difference.
Pamela Ross, Department of Physical Therapy Staff
I’ve worked with and supported amazing people who are dedicated teachers, researchers, leaders, and learners. People who contribute to what IUPUI has evolved into by advocating recycling, tending a garden, guarding a pool, playing in a band, hosting an event, conducting a continuing medical education workshop, securing donor dollars, teaching a future therapist and “curing” cancer by working to prevent it altogether! What a concept! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I saw the Bowers Building torn down to make room for the Campus Center; the Mary Cable Building left to accommodate a parking garage; the State Board of Health and Union Buildings destroyed and Eskenazi Hospital took shape; and of course the beloved AO Building torn down in 20 minutes and now there’s just grass there. Don’t feel too bad, the chancellor and his team live in a much nicer home at University Hall now. At the same time, history stubbornly hangs on as Ball Residence, Coleman Hall, and Long Hospital cling to life and still do their part to serve the IUPUI community. In 2016 I was nominated and won the Glenn W. Irwin, Jr. M.D. Experience Excellence Award. As I stood on the stage and had my picture taken with the chancellor, even I was amazed at all the “stuff” I’ve gotten to do. I’ve helped raise money for United Way and threw a block party to get instruments donated to a local middle school. I recruited students to create the IUPUI Pep Band when we transitioned to a NCAA division 1 school, said goodbye to the “Metros” and took on the new “Jaguars” persona.
I was there when we rolled out the new IUPUI Fight Song (and still know the words). In fact, I played with the band for the first 2 seasons. What fun! I started the “Concerts on the Canal” series with the Indiana Historical Society as an initiative to highlight the talent of IUPUI faculty and students.
There’s more, but I digress. The point is, I believe we can all do SOMETHING. All we have to do is use our gifts. As a staff member, I may be a tiny cog in the great wheel that is IUPUI, but I take great pride in the knowledge my small contributions here and there have made a difference.
Story courtesy of:
Pamela Ross
Department of Physical Therapy Staff
