MIT.nano's Administrative Officer Mary Young is retiring after 38 years at the Institute. Mary has been a key player on MIT.nano's team and will be sorely missed! Read below a spotlight on Mary's time at MIT, courtesy of the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Mary Young is the Administrative Officer in MIT.nano, and her career path at MIT is nothing short of inspiring. The predominant theme? Thirst for knowledge and new challenges. In 1981, her father-in-law (by then a retired MIT Facilities employee) recommended that Mary look to MIT to begin her career, imparting that it was a great place to work. Mary heeded that advice and then some, starting her journey at MIT as a level-three Office Assistant in Humanities’ STS Program in the now-defunct Building 20.
Mary says that her trend is that she’ll be in a job, make a progression, and then move sideways. “I’ve moved around a lot,” Mary said, “and MIT.nano is my eighth department. My next move after STS was to Political Science because they had graduate students and I wanted to learn about the Graduate Student Program. From there I moved to Toxicology, a small department. I went there to join an Administrative Officer mentor that I had in STS and had my first introduction to sponsored research--and I loved it. From there I went to the Plasma Fusion Center (now Plasma Science and Fusion Center) as an Assistant Fiscal Officer. There was more sponsored research there and I stayed a few years before moving onto RLE (Research Laboratory of Electronics), where I spent thirteen years. From there I made another lateral transfer as Senior Fiscal Officer to the Media Lab and was promoted to Director of Finance. After three years, it was another semi-lateral move to Administrative Officer of the Nuclear Reactor Lab, my first venture into ‘AO-dom’ where I used my financial skills and learned human resources for eight years.”
For new administrators, Mary’s incalculable accumulated knowledge offers incredible perspective and even sage advice: take time to learn all the ins and outs; don’t be afraid to change jobs and embrace the lateral, even if only for the change. When asked what had been most challenging, Mary said, “In general, when you transition from a financial position to an AO, and you don’t have a Human Resources background, that was a real learning experience. But you draw on people to help you; central HR, VPR HR, and friends that have been HR administrators. But when you’re experienced, you know your network and who to call.”
When she actually has time for it, what does Mary do for fun? “I like handwork. Crocheting. I don’t think people would be surprised by that. But I also like to run.”
Ah, running. But of course. Mary belongs to a running group called the Sole Sisters Running Club. What a perfect parallel of an MIT Community member who helps run the Institute and who is also among a 300-strong community of friends who run. She is currently training for the Bay State Half Marathon in Lowell on October 20th!