Staff Excellence Award: Barbara Chipman

Barbara Chipman was pleasantly surprised when she received her staff excellence award from the Robert H. Smith School of Business earlier this year (Spring 2010). Chipman works as a coordinator for the department of management and organization and says felt honored to receive the award from the Smith School.

“I was surprised because there are so many deserving people and we all do different things,” Chipman said, adding that her husband, Bob, knew about the award and did a good job of keeping it a secret.

She started at the University of Maryland, College Park, 30 years ago: “I’ve lived through many phases of the university. I’ve watched it grow and change.”

Through the years, her favorite part of the university has always been the students.

“To me, the university exists because of the students,” she said.

In 1995, Chipman came to the Smith School. Her favorite part of her job: the people.

“I think the important part of my job is the people. The folks I work with I think are the best,” she said. “A lot of that is because of their expertise, like in human resources. You would assume people with that kind of background would know how to treat people – and they do. They treat me well. They have told me I can’t retire! … I would miss them. I would miss them and the routine and the laughter and the jokes.”

Chipman explained her position as part detective, part secretary and part gopher. She said she does many tasks to keep things running smoothly for her department, such as keep track of charge cards, help organize large events and work with PhD students at Smith.

“With charge cards you have the responsibility of knowing where the card is and what it can be used for. There are lots of rules and regulations,” she explained. “And, every month logs have to be turned in.”

As for the event aspect of her job, Chipman is in charge of organizing a reception each year at the Academy of Management’s annual conference: “I work with wherever the academy is holding it – this year it’s in Canada. We hold a reception and I work with caterers and we get food and all the good stuff lined up and paid for. That’s a nice project.”

Chipman jokes that her job consists of “whatever they hand me,” which includes a lot of work with PhD students: “Those kids come under us and they are my only concern. We do a lot for the PhDs, when they are job hunting when they are in their advanced candidacy.” She added, "One semester I sent more than 1,000 e-mails out on behalf of PhD students."

Chipman said she is most well-known in her department for her joking, her honesty and her meticulous files.

Jessica Bauer, Writer and Editor, Office of Marketing Communications