Longtime employee Deb Cushing has been named the SNRE Employee
of the Quarter for July to September.
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| Deb Cushing |
When she started working in 1996 for the School of Agriculture
and Land Resources Management (now SNRE), Fred Husby served as the dean. Cushing’s
jobs have included administrative assistant, grant writer and grant proposals
coordinator for 15 years. She remains
the point of contact for researcher questions on grant proposals, including federal
Hatch and McIntire-Stennis proposal projects and on Hatch Multistate research
projects.
Most recently, she also became the program assistant for the
Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, and she works with Research Director
Milan Shipka and with Steven Seefeldt on event coordination and fundraising for
the Georgeson Botanical Garden. And, she waters plants in the O’Neill Building!
Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, and she works with Research Director
Milan Shipka and with Steven Seefeldt on event coordination and fundraising for
the Georgeson Botanical Garden. And, she waters plants in the O’Neill Building!
A nominating letter
for Cushing notes, “Deb has worked extensively to cover several jobs at once
while we are without an academic program assistant. She has worked hard to
learn many skills beyond what had been required previously, all in an effort to
serve the faculty, staff and students of SNRE. Beyond that, Deb is well liked by her coworkers
and is seen as an asset for accomplishing our jobs and as a friend to many of
us in SNRE/AFES.”
for Cushing notes, “Deb has worked extensively to cover several jobs at once
while we are without an academic program assistant. She has worked hard to
learn many skills beyond what had been required previously, all in an effort to
serve the faculty, staff and students of SNRE. Beyond that, Deb is well liked by her coworkers
and is seen as an asset for accomplishing our jobs and as a friend to many of
us in SNRE/AFES.”
Her work on the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Plan
of Work and Annual Report, which is tied to SNRE federal funding, has been key.
Several of the impact stories written by Cushing have been highlighted by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also has helped academic faculty with
numerous logistics, including the NRM field trip this past spring.
of Work and Annual Report, which is tied to SNRE federal funding, has been key.
Several of the impact stories written by Cushing have been highlighted by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also has helped academic faculty with
numerous logistics, including the NRM field trip this past spring.
Cushing grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla., and in Maryland,
where her family moved when she was in
high school. Her father is a Pentecostal minister and she says she was raised as
a “preacher’s kid.” She received a
bachelor’s degree in Biblical literature at Northwest College in Kirkland,
Wash. She lived in Kotzebue for six years before working with the United Campus
Ministries at UAF in a support and fund-raising role.
where her family moved when she was in
high school. Her father is a Pentecostal minister and she says she was raised as
a “preacher’s kid.” She received a
bachelor’s degree in Biblical literature at Northwest College in Kirkland,
Wash. She lived in Kotzebue for six years before working with the United Campus
Ministries at UAF in a support and fund-raising role.
Cushing says she has stayed with the school for 20 years because
she believes in its work, including research on important natural resource
topics and in educating students in natural resources management, including
agriculture and forestry.
she believes in its work, including research on important natural resource
topics and in educating students in natural resources management, including
agriculture and forestry.
Besides, she says, “I liked the people.”
Her interests include gardening, knitting, crocheting, spending
time with three grandchildren, ages 8, 6 and nearly 1. Another favorite activity,
she jokes, is writing murder mysteries in her mind, some of which involve former
faculty.
time with three grandchildren, ages 8, 6 and nearly 1. Another favorite activity,
she jokes, is writing murder mysteries in her mind, some of which involve former
faculty.
Retired Dean Carol Lewis once gave her a sweatshirt that
says, “Watch out or you’ll wind up in my novel.”
says, “Watch out or you’ll wind up in my novel.”
