Brookhaven staff spotlight

Maria Elena Franco, Illustrator

Illustration of Chong Keun Chu
Illustration of Chong Keun Chu
(Maria Elena Franco)

 

 

Chong Keun Chu

Full-Time Faculty Humanities

What do you enjoy about Brookhaven?

Well, I’ve been here since 1978. I started 1978 as a student. I came back as faculty in 1984 and I’m still here. If I wasn’t enjoying every single moment: what I do, what I have, [and] what I see here on Brookhaven Campus, I wouldn’t be here. I enjoy the students – their energy. I also love their creativity and sharing together those ideas, and teaching and learning at the same time. This is a wonderful community.

 

 

 

 

 

Illustration of Damon Washington
Illustration of Damon Washington (Maria Elena Franco)

 

 

Damon Washington

Student Engagement Director

What do you enjoy about your job at Brookhaven?

I actually like the students and also working with the staff. Everybody’s very lively. … It’s like a family atmosphere, in a sense. I also really like the campus. Based on the fact that we are Student Life and Engagement, we are doing a lot of activities on campus. It’s always a great thing to have a great location to do some of those activities.

 

 

 

 

Illustration of Terri Canaris
Illustration of Terri Canaris (Maria Elena Franco)

 

 

 

 

Terri Canaris

Microbiology Lab Specialist

What do you enjoy about your job at Brookhaven?

Working with students, I suppose. I prep microbiological media, so we grow organisms and they have different physiological properties. I get to open the incubator and see all the colors changing as they ferment or hydrolyze, or whatever they’re supposed to do in the media that changes colors, so it’s always a plethora of color changes. Sometimes they do what they’re supposed to do and sometimes they don’t. So it’s never a given that this is going to be that color, you know. Keeps life interesting.

 

 

Illustration of Josue Vazquez
Illustration of Josue Vazquez (Maria Elena Franco)

 

 

Josue Vazquez

IT System Support Specialist

What do you enjoy about your job at Brookhaven?

Solving problems and helping people, really. I guess, in general, [I] like customer service.

Do you like working with technology?

Yeah, it’s a bit frustrating sometimes, but that’s how it is. I enjoy the challenge of it. I enjoy when something comes up and we have to work together or on our own to find a solution to it. It’s quite satisfying once you do – once you’re able to solve whatever the issue was.