There is a reason everyone answers “What do you like most about your job?” with “the people”. The people I interact with on a day-to-day basis are kind, compassionate, and eager to do their best for the good of the department and the people we serve.
Meet Rachel Bain! As the senior instructional technology specialist for the department, Rachel trains, troubleshoots, sets up classes, manipulates data, and generally helps anyone who needs something done. She interacts with students, TAs, staff, and faculty. “Which means the job brings something new every day,” Rachel explains. She also helps Jim Maynard with maintaining the AV systems in the department. Rachel holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Northwestern University and has worked for the department’s Chemistry Learning Center before starting in her current position in 2002. Before moving to Madison, she was director of research for a small bio-products company and spent three years teaching organic chemistry and business math at a liberal arts college. Most of her time outside of work involves making music, Rachel says. “I ring with the Madison Area Concert Handbells, play baritone saxophone with the Verona Area Concert Band (seated next to Ryan Stowe on tenor sax!), and play trombone in the VACB Wind Symphony.” She says she owns approximately 40 instruments, “most of which I can play to some degree.”