Editor’s note: Duck of the Week is a section in Around the O Workplace that highlights UO employees and their work, and to help build community by learning more about our coworkers. Each story features an interview with one employee, in his or her own words, with light editing for clarity and length.

This interview was conducted during spring term.

How long have you worked at the UO?

I joined the UO on July 1, 2012. 

Tell us about your work:

I feel like my work changes every day, especially during the last year with us trying to provide support wherever needed. In general, my focus is to provide support and leadership to occupancy efforts related to our residence halls, family housing and university apartments. The process begins when the students start their housing registration process – which follows the recruitment part – and ends with the students submitting their completed application. I also work with the team that does the room assignments as well as move-in and move-out events. That also applies to family housing. This past year we added a few more pieces to that process which provides support for COVID testing efforts and in-person services on campus.

What does your typical day look like?

A typical day would mean that I start here in the office around 8 a.m. and then leave around 5 p.m. I’m also on call so I can be reached after hours. My responsibilities then include working with students and answering questions from families. I also provide support to staff as needed in the areas they oversee. That could be the service centers, package centers and things of that nature.

We provide a lot of virtual support through email, chat and phone as well as for students who come to our desk for support in an in-person capacity.

What do you like about working at the UO?

I enjoy the people that I work with, and like working with students because that was kind of where my career path has landed. I really appreciate getting to know the different kinds of students that attend the University of Oregon. The diversity of experiences that students are bringing in is great. It’s what keeps me going and what gets me to show up each day.

What keeps you motivated?

I think what keeps me motivated has been the resilience and innovation that we have developed this past year. Over the last year, we’ve all had a shared experience, so we’ve been able to share our resilience together and support each other through that. The resilience in our students, families and staff is incredible, and I am inspired by the fact that we’ve been able to continue. The hope that the coming year will be different from this one also motivates me.

What is something people may not know about you?

I have a craft studio that I’ve been hibernating in over the past year. That’s been my coping mechanism throughout the pandemic, and I’ve been spending a lot of time in there. I tend to be very operationally minded in terms of linear steps and procedures, but when I go home I will treasure the time I spend in my studio. Recently, it’s been making masks, painting and just anything I can do to be creative and work on something.

Silvina Sousa-Ransford is part of University Housing.

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