Dear colleagues, 

This week, our university celebrates Staff Fest 2024, an annual recognition event to thank Emory University staff members for your hard work throughout the academic year. During this time, I am reminded that the heart of any institution lies in its people, and this sentiment resonates profoundly within our school community. The contributions of our SOM staff touch the lives of our learners, faculty, patients and the wider community in ways both profound and lasting.

So, to our valued staff: Whether it's your unwavering commitment to excellence in education, groundbreaking research endeavors or compassionate clinical care, your efforts embody the very spirit of excellence that defines us. Thank you!

Since its inception in 2021, the Staff Recognitions and Engagement Committee (SREC) has been instrumental in fostering a culture of appreciation and belonging. The introduction of the Team Emory Medicine newsletter in 2022 has served as a platform to highlight and celebrate your achievements month after month. And in 2023, we proudly held the inaugural SOM Staff Awards, shining a spotlight on the remarkable contributions of seven individuals and two teams. 

This week, we will celebrate Staff Appreciation Week with appreciation stations offering complimentary snacks at various locations listed below. Be sure to stop by for a token of appreciation and take time to connect with your colleagues. The festivities will culminate in the university's annual Staff Fest this Friday on the Quad, which I strongly encourage you attend.

Your dedication, passion and hard work are instrumental to our SOM mission, and for that, I extend my deepest appreciation to each and every one of you.

Sandra  

Sandra L. Wong, MD, MS
Dean, Emory School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare

Lot Bercasio
Associate Director of Finance
Division of Animal Resources 

Emory is a research-intensive, centered and focused university and I love that I get to play a behind-the-scenes role, while minuscule, in supporting biomedical research that saves lives. I’m thankful for the blessing of working with the best group of people I’ve ever worked with in my long career. The Division of Animal Resources’ (DAR) passionate leadership is second to none. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a more supportive manager with a wider breadth of knowledge, a better support staff that makes our small team shine, and more dedicated peers who bring energy and excitement to the workplace with their drive, passion and commitment to achieve our DAR mission.

Throughout my tenure at Emory/DAR, my position has evolved a bit but my passion for what I do remains constant. I find joy in every aspect of my role, even during the demanding winter/spring budget season and summer year-end close activities.

When I came on board, we had a cost accounting methodology that required many man- hours and utilized a few different systems, not to mention paperwork and timesheets. With the support of the SOM Finance Leadership, our DAR Finance Team was able to overhaul the process completely, resulting in a streamlined and more efficient approach while yielding the same accurate results. 

I wish others knew that building and managing a budget and forecasting financials take a lot of coordination with different units and people, with many unknowns and assumptions to consider, and that targets and dependent and independent variables constantly shift. Sometimes, my job feels like that of a meteorologist—I can only build a financial forecast based on how the wind has blown and is blowing and which direction best suggests it’s headed. I cannot account for changes in the higher-most atmospheres that cannot be seen from the ground’s vantage point or can predict when thunder and lightning from the far east may be about to brew and head our way. Yet when all is said and done, storms pass and clouds eventually ease their way out, giving way to clear blue calm skies for a while, sometimes a long while, until the next storm. And then it’s wash, rinse and repeat 😊

From Lynne Morelock-Roy, Division Administrator, Division of Animal Resources
"Lot brings positivity and enthusiasm to every project she undertakes and everyone she meets! This is a person who glows with internal confidence in herself and in the good of mankind. She demonstrates through her actions and her beliefs that every person can make a difference – in the workplace – in our communities – in the lives of others. We, in the School of Medicine and the Division of Animal Resources, are fortunate to have her on our team. Lot's positive engagement encourages her team to be creative, to look for new ways to provide financial support and analysis, to contribute in new and broader ways without fear of reprisal. She cares tremendously about all of our team members and bolsters confidence across our internal units by expressing respect and humanity in many small ways. Her thoughtfulness and careful stewardship of our resources provides leadership with answers to perplexing issues and extends our abilities to pivot and meet the needs of research."

Want to self- or peer-nominate a Staff Shoutout in a future Team Emory Medicine monthly newsletter? Submit here.