Tree of Science, January 31

Today, just a quick tip of the hat to Patricia Hurlbut, a custodian, here, in the Science Quad.

Pat is one of the hardest working people on campus.  Pat and her colleagues not only take care of the science buildings proper, but are often seen shoveling and deicing the walks around the Tree of Science.  They clean dorms after students (often ungracefully) abandon them at the end of the year.  They are often in early and work on weekends to make life easier for students, faculty, and other staff.

With the economic downturn of 2008, the college dramatically reduced the staff who work behind the scenes to make this one of the best places to work.  For many years I worked at a state university that had, as far as I could tell, no one responsible for upkeep on buildings. As a graduate student I helped others to keep the Computer Science hallways well swept and graduate offices painted.  The staff at Williams—including Pat—have been doing more with less...even while administration has grown.

Thank you, Pat, for all your hard work.