Mary “Penni” French has worked as an academic office coordinator for the computer science department since 1995—nearly as long as the existence of the program. During her tenure she has gracefully navigated the transition from analog to digital, from an IBM selectric typewriter (“I still have it somewhere,” she says) to a laptop, from a bookkeepers’ ledger to Microsoft Excel.
Through it all she has, according to one of her many fans in the department, served as “the epitome of a humble but hardworking, exacting professional.” When asked what motivates her to come to work in the morning, her answer is simply, “I love to help people.”
She’s been doing that for nearly 30 years, solving problems for generations of students and faculty members along the way.
Penni (the nickname dates from her childhood) grew up in Jericho, Vermont, attended Mt. Mansfield High School and graduated from Champlain College. She now lives in Jeffersonville, close to her five grandchildren. During off hours, Penni loves to read, garden and exercise. “I love living in Vermont—the change of seasons. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Her career at ̽̽ began in 1990, starting out as a records specialist in the Office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity (now the Office of Equal Opportunity) before moving on to CEMS.
She admits it can be intimidating working with brilliant young computer scientists, but it’s usually her colleagues coming to her for advice and guidance. She takes care of the complex systems that make an efficient department work: overseeing department expenditures, making sure student workers are hired and paid, managing department travel, and generally smoothing out administrative wrinkles that can crop up any time.
“I get all sorts of questions,” Penni says, “but I really enjoy working in an academic environment, supporting the students as well as faculty. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Working in academia also means she never stops learning. Since December, she’s been adjusting to a new role, supporting graduate and research activities for the computer science, physics, math and complex systems departments.
Her long devotion to the computer science program was recognized earlier this year when she was named as a staff recipient of the President’s Our Common Ground Staff Awards.
“When I found out I was nominated I was totally shocked,” she said.
She might be the only one in her building to share that sentiment.
As one colleague put it, “Penni is the epitome of a team player and represents the best of ̽̽.”