Master of detail

General Article
January 22, 2004

Lehua Thompson juggles multitude of critical tasks for Human Biology faculty

Research administration whiz Lehua Thompson displays pictures of her family in her Human Biology office, part of her effort to balance two key facets of her life-home and work. "She deals with a multitude of things at once, and still keeps her head above water," said Dr. Julie Overbaugh. photo by Todd McNaught

By DANIELLE IPPOLITO

If you have trouble managing your day-to-day schedule, imagine juggling 150 people's calendars. Lehua Thompson, a member of the Human Biology Division's administration team, manages to help keep the division on schedule-while maintaining both her sanity and her smile.

"I don't think I've ever seen her without a smile on her face. She's always upbeat and happy to help out," said Dr. Karen Peterson, interdisciplinary training associate in Human Biology.

Peterson is one of many Human Biology faculty and staff members who depend on Thompson to keep their jobs running smoothly. From scientific symposia to journal submission to faculty recruitment, Thompson is charged with making sure the multitude of details are covered.

Many faculty career milestones cross Thompson's desk. She handles the logistics for faculty reviews and promotions and ensures that more than 100 incoming applications for the current faculty search get into the right hands.

"I really depend on her, as does Barb Trask and the whole division-she is extremely reliable and diligent and her eagerness to learn new things is refreshing," said Laima Abele, the administrator for the division. "She takes her job seriously and, at the same time, she has been able to maintain an admirable balance between her work and her family."

Thompson's faculty correspondence extends outside the center as she assists in the peer review process for Journal of Virology editor Dr. Julie Overbaugh, associate program head for the division. When a paper is submitted, Overbaugh decides on the reviewers, then Thompson takes over.

"Lehua has the hard part," Overbaugh said. "She deals with reviewers who are swamped, and she also has to assuage authors asking when a decision will be made on their paper." With more than two dozen papers from researchers around the world in the pipeline at any given time, Thompson acts as mediator between more than 20 anxious authors at one end, and twice the number of harried reviewers at the other.

"She is good with people-very patient and sympathetic with people in both positions, and she is always positive and polite. She deals with a multitude of things at once, and still keeps her head above water," Overbaugh said."We have recently moved to a Web-based submission system, and Lehua has taken a lot of initiative in figuring out how the system works during the transition."

Coordinates multiple events

Thompson's administrative work extend to students and postdocs as she works with Peterson to coordinate the Student/Postdoc Advisory Committee scholarships. She also helps organize the Dual Mentor Program symposium. The event provides the opportunity for Dual Mentor fellows-researchers in training who conduct interdisciplinary research under the guidance of two faculty in different fields-to present their research.

When it comes to departmental social functions, faculty, staff and students alike benefit from Thompson's key role in planning these events. Sometimes nearly a year of preparation on Thompson's part goes into planning the yearly departmental retreat and holiday events.

"One of the best parts about my job is interacting with people," Thompson said. "Because of this interaction I feel like I know everyone in the division. I also appreciate the recognition I get from my peers for my efforts."

When Thompson first joined the center in 1992, she worked in accounting for five years, where her contact with division members was mostly limited to processing reimbursement checks.

In 1997 the logistics of being a single mother of two children made her daily commute from her home in Edmonds too difficult. She began working closer to home in real estate accounting and general administration.

"Though I enjoyed the real estate work, I didn't feel very challenged. I learned: Never leave the Hutch!" she said. "Research administration is so different. In accounting, you're in a world of computers and ten-keys. Interactions with staff outside of general administration are limited. Now I'm communicating with labs and faculty as well as many different people outside the Hutch."

Thompson's return to the center and switch to research administration began three years ago. Under her supervisor, Laima Abele, she took on the challenge of learning the new position.

"Laima helped me learn the job. We have developed a partnership. Now it seems that I know what she's thinking," Thompson said.

As a bonus, Thompson's daughter, Krystal Newton, is close by as well. Newton recently began working as a program assistant in the Security and Transportation Department in the Yale Building.

"The main reason why I came back to the Hutch is the people," she said. "They're committed to making things run successfully. It's nice being back."

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