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I’ve worked at AU for 25 years. Before that, I was an art historian at Rice University.

My job is to help students apply for nationally competitive scholarships. A typical day might include advising students, interviewing applicants, and assembling and running faculty panels. I also write letters of endorsement for several competitions. My office is on the fifth floor of Butler Pavilion.

Campus is at its prettiest when it snows. My favorite place on campus to steal a quiet moment has changed. I used to swim during lunch, and I’ve always loved the basement of Bender Library. Now I’m usually outdoors somewhere in a garden. My favorite day of the workweek is Friday, when I set aside unstructured time to plan and think about the bigger picture. My go-to lunch spot is Bistro Aracosia on MacArthur Boulevard. My go-to order at the Dav or the Bridge is a cappuccino.

I show my AU spirit by sharing about AU with counterparts at other universities through the National Association of Fellowships Advisors. The person who helped show me the ropes is Katherine Stahl, who was director of the Career Center when I came here. She was super supportive, and she was also new in her job, so we learned together. My current supervisor, Gihan Fernando, is also wonderful. I found my community at AU by working with students from all majors and programs, which introduced me to faculty and staff across campus.

My work-from-home rituals include starting my day with 15-minute interactive lessons in French, German, and Italian to wake up my brain. When I’m not at work, I take language lessons on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after work. I started studying foreign languages during the pandemic to feel less isolated. I also live near AU and love taking a walk in Glover Archbold Park. My hobbies include going to art museums. I’ve also slowly built a mineral and fossil collection.

The most famous face I’ve seen on campus is Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent for NPR’s Washington desk and an SPA professorial lecturer and executive in residence. He has helped my office a lot by mentoring applicants and participating in mock interview panels.

The last great book I listened to was David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. The last great show I watched was an Austrian comedy called Walking on Sunshine. The last great meal I ate was an amazing tortellini dish with a saffron cream sauce when I went to Bologna, Italy, last summer.

My most Washington moment was working as a lecturer at the National Gallery of Art during graduate school. I got to go into the galleries at times when members of the public weren’t allowed in. Being with all those amazing paintings first thing in the morning was incredible.

If I wasn’t senior director of the Office of Merit Awards, I’d be an archaeologist or a paleontologist. But my job at AU is best because I get to give students space to think about their goals. When students apply for these scholarships, it encourages them to be a little bit loftier about their aspirations, and I think that’s a really good process.