I Am ORS Winter 2019

The Office of Research Services (ORS) is comprised of a diverse portfolio of services that support the NIH mission. In this section - I AM ORS, we showcase the exceptional employees behind these vital programs.

 

Glen Simons, Biomedical Technician

Glen Simons is the core contract representative in the Lab Equipment Maintenance Branch of the Division of Scientific Equipment and Instrumentation Services. The branch has several technicians, who repair lab equipment of various ages from new to the 1980s. When a repair falls outside their expertise, Glen solicits an outside vendor.

Glen enjoys interacting with researchers at NIH and using his technical background to solve problems. "We get them up and running again in fairly short order," says Glen. "And they're back to doing what they need to do, so this is a daily thing we go through."

In his spare time, Glen enjoys amateur radio. He is licensed in the hobby and maintains his own equipment. For 30 years, Glen has used amateur radio to communicate with people all over the world. He took an interest in the hobby while stationed in Vietnam.

Glen is also passionate about servicing the various NIH laboratories. He says he ensures vendors are knowledgeable about the product and have good track records.

For assistance with lab equipment, you may contact the Lab Equipment Maintenance Branch HelpDesk at 301-496-4131 or visit their Division of Scientific Equipment & Instrumentation Services site.

Jackie Glass, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

Jackie Glass is an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist in the Division of Occupational Health and Safety. She has been at NIH for 15 years and has been in safety for 23 years. Throughout her career, Jackie understood the importance of prevention to safety. “I’ve watched some things happen,” she says. “No, I haven’t watched anyone lose their life, but some things that have happened could have been prevented.”

Prior to joining NIH, Jackie worked in the Department of Entomology, Division of Tropical Diseases at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. While working in a lab one day at Walter Reed, a cabinet fell off the wall as Jackie reached up for a book. Jackie said the cabinet was not securely bolted to the wall, and stress is what caused it to fall. She was not hurt, but she said it opened her eyes to the benefits of prevention. “If you do prevention before, if you pay attention to what happens, learn from that, you’re fine.”

Jackie encourages all colleagues to practice safety. Almost 5 years ago, she was tasked to lead the annual NIH Mission First! Safety Always Award Program. The program awards individuals who go above and beyond for their division’s safety. She says the program means that everyone has a hand in keeping us safe.

During her spare time, Jackie enjoys reading and studying languages. In 2011, she began studying Hebrew and visited Israel in 2012. Jackie also enjoys interacting with and meeting new people, which is something she enjoys as a safety specialist.

Michelle Mejia, Program Manager

Michelle Mejia is the program manager for the Employee Transportation Services Office in the Division of Amenities and Transportation Services. She oversees the program specialists, who are a daily help to visitors and employees looking to park on campus or commute to campus.

Michelle says customer service is her passion and a “must-have” for someone in her position. “I’m a customer, so I want to be treated a certain way, and I try to reflect that here,” says Michelle. She started with NIH as an Office Clerk in the Division of Facilities Planning. Michelle says she learned a lot about customer service as an office clerk, where she was responsible for receiving customer feedback. “It kind of opened the door for me to learn how to deal with people and the customer service aspect.”

During off-hours, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons. She is actively involved in her sons’ sports activities. She also enjoys dancing and traveling with her family. Michelle says she appreciates NIH’s mission, and finds her work rewarding. “We only do transportation, but if we didn’t have this service how would patients come here [and] doctors, nurses and researchers?”

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