Garrett Joseph, Employee of the Month, January 2015

Garrett Joseph's job title reads facilities coordinator for the Stanford Prevention Research Center. But in practice, he is a facilities guru, administrative assistant, financial analyst, purchasing coordinator and major resource for staff throughout the Center.

When problems arise, he finds solutions, even if that means doing work that falls outside his job description, said Anita Bivens, human resources manger. “We recently lost two financial analysts, and even though it’s not in his job description, Garrett has stepped up to the plate and assumed a great deal of their duties,” she explained. “Garrett will go above and beyond to assist with whatever is needed, and if it’s not something he can do, he’ll connect you with the person that can,” added Trent Johnson, a social science research assistant for the Center.

Colleagues said Garrett is known for his hard work, his dedication, his initiative and his positive attitude.  They described him as an enthusiastic team member, and an essential part of the Center’s operations and research processes. “He is the go to person for just about everything,” Anita Bivens explained, “and he is always kind and helpful.”

These characteristics were on full display during a recent densification of office space in 1070 Arastradero, as Lisa Henriksen, senior research engineer at SRPC, detailed in a nominating letter:

“Imagine how stressful it is to move your family from one location to another, and then multiply that by an entire department—with added complications of putting more people in less space...Simply put, Garrett made the densification of 1070 Arastradero run like clock work. He was like an expediter in a busy restaurant with fussy chefs and demanding diners—keeping everything running smoothly for a truly four star experience.”

Garrett, who came to Stanford in December 1999, said the SPRC is a great place work. “I like the people that I work with, the friendly environment and the opportunity to work for one of the top-rated Universities in the world.”