Purdue Profiles: Maggie Grogan
October 7, 2013
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Maggie Grogan, administrative assistant in the Office of the President. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons) |
Maggie Grogan greets all visitors to the Office of the President in Hovde Hall with a smile and a warm, helpful attitude.
Whether they're faculty or staff members, parents of prospective students, or local or national leaders, Grogan loves making a good impression. An administrative assistant in the Office of the President, Grogan knows she is often the first person folks encounter when they visit Purdue -- and embodying the Boilermaker spirit of friendliness and resourcefulness is one of her top priorities.
What are your job duties?
My first and foremost duty is to meet and greet the president’s guests that come to the office. I do that in person and over the phone. When folks come to visit in person, I make sure they're comfortable, answer any questions they might have about campus and generally help them feel at ease before their meeting with the president, if that's why they're here. If they're campus visitors looking for directions or general information, I help them with that the best I can. On the phone, I hear folks' concerns, answer their questions and generally make sure to be a great representative of Purdue.
I offer support to the special assistant to the president, the president’s executive assistant and the administrative manager on various office responsibilities. For example, the president personally replies to a lot of emails and letters he receives, and when he does, we scan each item he writes and give it a tracking number. This system helps us keep track of all correspondence so the president can quickly know where it stands.
Who are some of the visitors to the Office of the President?
The variety of folks who visit in person is huge. The president's meetings often involve Purdue students, faculty, staff and community members. We've had corporate executives and officials from other universities come in for appointments. On the phone, I've spoken with everyone from astronauts to presidents of other countries.
It's a lot of fun coming in every day knowing that I have the opportunity to represent Purdue to these fine people. For a lot of folks, I'm the first person they meet when they get to Purdue's campus. It's very important to me to provide them with a great experience so that they have positive memories about Purdue going forward.
What is your background at Purdue?
Even though I've only worked in the Office of the President for about a year and a half, I've worked at Purdue in some capacity for a total of 16 years. In the 1970s, I worked as a receptionist in Personnel Services, which is now called Human Resources. After that, I took some time off to raise my family, and then I returned to Purdue as a teller in the Bursar's Office. Later, I was a secretary/receptionist in the dean's office at the College of Engineering.
Over the years, I've made some great memories at Purdue. For example, when I worked at the College of Engineering, I saw Neil Armstrong and other Purdue alumni astronauts at the dedication of Neil Armstrong Hall in 2007. Being a Boilermaker runs in my family's blood -- my husband, stepson, son-in-law and two of my daughters-in-law are Purdue graduates. I have a big family that includes seven children, most of whom are married, and three grandbabies. We love getting together to tailgate at the home football games.
Purdue has been a big part of my family's lives for many years. So, for me, working at Purdue isn't just a job -- it's an opportunity to be a part of a larger community, and to represent the University that has been so important to my family and helped us bond. I'm proud to be a Boilermaker, and I'm proud to continue to serve Purdue every day.
Writer: Amanda Hamon, 46-61325, ahamon@purdue.edu