Sitting right at the entrance of the Dean’s Circle is the Guam NSF EPSCoR Admin Office, where grant assistant Glenn Meno and financial analyst Annalyn Bansil claim to be their home away from home.
Meno and Bansil make up the dynamic duo, the Guam NSF EPSCoR admin team, which helps keep the organization running and the research going. Their day-to-day includes a plethora of administrative duties from procurement to timekeeping, which is a no-brainer for two folks with decades of combined experience.
However, while both of them have plenty of experience in their respective positions, they both agree that they have had to learn a lot to keep Guam NSF EPSCoR running smoothly. Due to the nature of the organization, their jobs require them to be aware of the intricacies of scientific research.
When the researchers need special supplies such as microscopes, scanners, or even a flume tank from Japan, the admin team gets those to Guam. When samples or specimens are being sent to laboratories off-island to assist with research, the admin team ensures to get it there as quickly as possible. They operate as a unit with each task and rely on each other to keep up with the work, almost as if in a synchronized dance.
“We know all the work,” said Meno, noting that despite their different positions, having everyone on top of each task means nothing is lost in the process. “From step one to the end, we already know the work. So if anyone takes leave, we will take over.”
When they’re not keeping the organization functioning, they have hobbies that keep them almost as busy.
For Meno, he spends time tending to his garden, where he has begun growing tomatoes, peppers, and even calamansi. Bansil, on the other hand, has a hobby fitting for a financial analyst: she likes to memorize retail prices. Are you looking for a good deal for shoes or a coffee maker? Call Ms. Lyn; she’ll tell you exactly where they cost at different locations. It’s no wonder she has a talent for procuring supplies.
For the past five years, both Bansil and Meno have come to enjoy working with the Guam NSF EPSCoR team and look forward to many more. Even with the busyness of the load, when it’s time to return to the office they have no complaints about their work at Guam NSF EPSCoR.
Bansil’s family has even pointed out how much happier she has been since starting the position, finding that she never has to unload the day’s stress when she gets home.
“That’s how you know you’re happy with your work,” says Bansil. “You’re not going to talk about your work because you’re already satisfied. I go home and I (can) just be me.”