COSAM News Articles 2020 January COSAM Staff Spotlight - Michele P. Smith

COSAM Staff Spotlight - Michele P. Smith

Published: 01/21/2020

Michele Smith is an Administrative Support Associate II in the Department of Biological Sciences. Learn more about her in this COSAM Staff Spotlight:

Q: What year did you start at COSAM?
A: I came to COSAM in October of 2016, prior to that I was in the Office of the Registrar.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: My favorite part of my job is the people - I love helping the students, faculty, and the other staff in our department.

Q: What is the best advice you have ever received at COSAM and from whom?
A: Nothing good ever comes from hitting “Reply All.” This comment was made jokingly by my supervisor, Paula Norrell, but there is a lot of truth in that statement.

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I’m from Pine Mountain Valley, Georgia.

Q: What words best describe you?
A: Honest, considerate, and dependable.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I like to travel, paint, and go antiquing. If drinking coffee can be a hobby, then it would unquestionably be at the top of my list.

Q: What is the one thing you do when no one is around?
A: Ask Alexa to tell me jokes.

Q: What is your favorite place on campus?
A: The Arboretum is absolutely my favorite place on campus, it’s a great spot to take a break or to go for a long walk during lunch.

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: My favorite comfort food in homemade macaroni and cheese….the stuff in the box does not count!

Q: What is your dream travel destination?
A: Without a doubt that would have to be New Zealand, visiting this country is definitely at the top of my bucket list.

Q: What is your most memorable experience at COSAM?
A: It’s difficult to choose just one, but near the top of this list would have to be the first time that I had the opportunity to meet Blue, the eastern indigo snake that is part of the outreach program in the AU Museum of Natural History. My encounters with Blue have helped me get over any fears that I may have had about snakes, and I also learned a lot about that specific species.

Q: If you could trade places with anyone at COSAM for just one day, who would it be and why?
A: I would trade places with Toni Bruner, the outreach coordinator for the Auburn University Museum of Natural History. I think that it would be both fun and rewarding to educate the community about the rich biodiversity that our state has to offer.