By Anna Jones, Arts & Life Editor
You’ve all seen their names in your inbox, but do you really know what they do or who they are? Check out these Q&As to learn more about the people who email you all the time!
Polly Doyle
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: Academic Assistant in the Mathematics Department.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: 11 years
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: [I’m] not sure how I feel and why so many people receive emails from me, but my department is quite large therefore [there is a] high number of emails. If I’m famous for representing the Mathematics Department, that is very cool. On the other hand, I apologize if there are too many emails from pdoyle and you are tired of seeing my address across your screen.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: Gardening, cooking, hiking, working out (Laurel rocks!), raising my kids (one more heading to college), Sunday Giant’s games with my husband, getting out of town now and then with my family, summer down at the shore, enjoying dinner with friends, concerts, and watching some really great TV/Netflix.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about being in Lewisburg and the college community?
A: Lewisburg is truly one of the prettiest places to live. It’s a gorgeous, thriving town on the water, [with] wonderful art and culture. [It’s] a very caring and close community, but more important, it is the University and the students that brings the energy and life to this bucolic area. You can just feel it.
Melissa Weber
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: Associate Registrar.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: It will be 16 years in November.
Q: How did you get into your field of work?
A: I moved here from Pittsburgh, Pa. when my husband started a new job in a neighboring town. My background is in developmental psychology and I worked in childcare before coming here. My first job was as a temporary employee filling in while the previous assistant registrar was on maternity leave. I remember in the interview telling them the separation issues for infants and parents aren’t much different for 18-year-olds.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I don’t know about being famous, but I get a similar reaction from faculty too, where people only know me from my email. I’ve joked with some that ‘maweber’ is actually monitored by a bunch of people and it’s not really one person. I guess this is blowing my cover.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: I am a big sports fan. I‘m a season ticket holder to my alma mater’s (University of Pittsburgh) football team. I spend a lot of time in the fall traveling home for games. I love tailgating with friends and family. Being from Pittsburgh, Pa. I’m also a fan of the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. In addition to sports, I enjoy traveling. I’ve been told I’m an excellent vacation planner. I really enjoy researching potential vacation spots.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about being in Lewisburg and the college community?
A: I enjoy the pace of our town, but also the fact that Bucknell helps bring so many great events to the area. I think we have the best of both worlds, a small town feel, with some big city amenities.
Judy Mickanis
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: Executive Director, Events Management.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: Working and communicating with the Bucknell community. There are so many great people on campus to interact with.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: Almost 29 years.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I’m not comfortable with the ‘famous’ part, but the campus alerts is a good, workable system to alert the Bucknell community of not only traffic and road challenges, but serious weather-related incidents as well. I’ve had nice e-mail conversations with students in clarifying a particular alert to help them. And I’ve met students because of the alerts connection that I may not have necessarily met.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: Being the best grandmother there is to five grandkids!
Emily Dietrich
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: I am the Program Director of the Externship Program at the Career Development Center. The Externship Program matches sophomores to one to two day job shadowing experiences over Winter Break.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: I enjoy the variety my job offers. Not only do I manage a program, I interact with students through career counseling appointments, and recruit alumni, parents and employers to host students.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: I began my career at Bucknell’s Career Development Center in 2002.
Q: How did you get into your field of work?
A: After working in a corporate human resources department in the consumer products/manufacturing industry, I recognized that I needed a position that spoke more to my values. My position at the Career Development Center allows me to use the skills and experience I learned from recruiting, interviewing and training employees, and to assist students as they explore their own interests and prepare for their first career opportunity.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I don’t know about famous, but I certainly recognize that we all receive a lot of emails. As the Career Development Center’s point person for the sophomore class, I send out weekly emails to the Class of 2016 to help keep them informed about all the programs and services the CDC has to offer. The Class of 2016 also receives additional emails from me about the Externship Program.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: When I’m not in the office, I am enjoying time with my family. I love to discover new recipes, travel as time allows, and stay connected with friends near and far.
Denise Lewis
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: I am the Academic Assistant for the Department of English.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: There is never a dull moment, and there’s always something new to get involved in. It also helps to be surrounded by so many fun, and caring individuals. This department is the best!
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: I have worked at Bucknell for 12 years.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I really don’t think I am ‘famous.’ And who knows how many of those emails are actually read?
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: I work in my flower gardens, cook, bake, check out flea markets/antique shops, spend time with my family and friends, and take care of my foster Shar Pei, Passion. I also volunteer for a dog rescue transport group, the Rescue Road Warriors.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about being in Lewisburg and the college community?
A: I have met a lot of great people here at Bucknell, many people whom I hope to remain friends with for years to come.
Jen Hnatuck
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: I am the Game Operations Assistant & Marketing Coordinator in the Athletics Department, so basically I am at most of the home athletic events to make sure everything goes well operationally and I also do my best to promote the sporting events.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: My favorite part of my job is seeing an event successfully come together. We have different promotions at athletic events and when everything falls into place and we get a great turnout, it’s very rewarding.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: This is my third year at Bucknell.
Q: How did you get into your field of work?
A: In college I decided I wanted to work in sports marketing at the collegiate level. I took the classes for it and completed internships during college. This was my first job out of school.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I’m sure I’m not ‘famous’ to most students. Annoyed would probably more accurately describe how they feel when they see another email from me in their inbox. I just hope that some of the students actually read my emails.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: I enjoy traveling and hope to explore that more. This past summer I went overseas for the first time to Italy and loved it. I now have a major travel bug!
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about being in Lewisburg and the college community?
A: I really like the close-knit, community feeling you get being here in Lewisburg. I am from a smaller town and went to a small liberal arts college, so I am used to the ‘everybody knows you’ vibe. It’s a comforting feeling.
Linda Godfrey
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: Religious Life Assistant in the Office of Chaplains. Specifically, I work in the Berelson Center for Campus Jewish Life.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: Getting to know some of the students, especially making challah with students, and meeting our wonderful guest speakers.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: 10 years
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: This isn’t what I expected fame to be. Honestly, I am happy to know that someone has seen my emails.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: Read, write poetry, walk, hike, and cook.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about being in Lewisburg and the college community?
A: I think this is a really beautiful area and the pace of life suits me. Overall, people at Bucknell are kind and caring and truly dedicated to doing a great job.
Beth Bouchard
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: Director of New Student Orientation and Student Leadership Programs.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: The night before the new class arrives in August. There is so much preparation and planning that goes into the beginning of each school year and by the night before Arrival Day, the Orientation Assistants (OAs) and Orientation Leaders (OLs) are extremely excited to see the new students arrive. My weekly late-night OL meetings are also dear to my heart … This is where we review the past year and generate new ideas for the upcoming year. And, if you’ve never spent 10 p.m. to midnight with 14 students highly invested in Orientation, you’re missing something delightful.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: Just over three years.
Q: How did you get into your field of work?
A: A lot of Orientation professionals choose this field either because they had an amazing first-year experience or a miserable one. I was the latter … I returned to graduate school with the sole purpose of gaining a position in first-year programming because I believe that the transition into your first year of college is both extremely challenging and a crucial foundation for your college experience.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I’m not sure. I guess that depends on people’s reaction when they see my name in their inbox yet again.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: The Rail Trail and Ricketts Glen are two of my favorite outdoor destinations. I also read quite a bit, play volleyball, and enjoy FaceTiming with my sister and nephew who live on the West Coast.
Rob Guissanie
Q: What is your job at the University?
A: My official job title is Senior Technology Support Specialist. I work with Tech Support in Library and IT. I spend most of my time answering questions, resolving issues, and communicating information to the campus. I do send a fair amount of emails.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: My favorite part of the job is getting to know people from all over campus. Technology touches every part of Bucknell, so there’s a lot of variety in the work that we do.
Q: How long have you worked at the University?
A: I have worked at Bucknell for 13 years this November.
Q: How does it feel to know that you’re famous on campus thanks to all of your emails?
A: I think ‘famous’ might be overstating things a bit. I will say I feel grateful that people acknowledge the emails I send. Anymore, it can be challenging to effectively communicate and rise above the level of ‘spam.’
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: When I’m not working I spend a great deal of time as a volunteer coach for the cross-country and track teams here at Bucknell. While I occasionally run with the men’s team, I most often train with the women’s team. (I’m the guy with gray hair running with people half my age.) Beyond that, I’m actively involved with my church and my family’s activities.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about being in Lewisburg and the college community?
A: In my opinion, the best part about being in Lewisburg and the Bucknell community is the personal growth I’ve experienced during my time here. It’s a great place to raise a family. I tell my sons (Kyle, 16 and Derek, 13) that no matter where they end up living, Lewisburg is a place they will always be proud to call home.
