Nebraska Today has partnered with the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women to feature female office/service staff who go above and beyond in their work at Dear Old Nebraska U. This Women of Service series will run through March.
Every employee featured in this series was nominated by a member of the campus community.
Today, the series continues with Beth Barry, an HVAC/R technician for Building Systems Maintenance. Barry has been with the university for almost four years, where she helps support researchers, students, faculty and staff.
Barry sat down to discuss what drives her to consistently keep the university running behind the scenes.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am an HVAC/R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration) technician for Building Systems Maintenance. I hold an associate degree from Southeast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Before I began working at UNL, I spent 10 years with the Monsanto Company.
How long have you been at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln?
I have been at the university in my maintenance role for almost four years. Previously, I had also worked for the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and the Department of Biology.
What do you look forward to when you come to work?
I take a lot of pride in keeping the university running smoothly behind the scenes, and I work with a great group of people! It’s rewarding to collaborate with a talented team to solve problems. When I was a student at the university, and later a lab technician, I took for granted that everything worked: the lights came on when I flipped a switch, the greenhouses were the correct temperature. I’m now able to provide those services to current researchers and students.
What is your favorite memory at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln?
I occasionally work on the maintenance crew at Memorial Stadium during football games. But the first time I worked at the stadium was for Volleyball Day. It was an amazing experience to be part of. There was so much energy in Memorial Stadium. Even though I didn’t get to see much of the game, I was proud to have contributed to the event and set a world record that evening.
What is your life like outside of work?
I’ve been married to my wife Greta for almost 10 years. We have two children, Eli, 5, and Lark, 1.5. I like to spend as much time outside as possible: camping, fishing, hiking, or backpacking. I also have a large vegetable garden and an orchard. I’ve been trying to incorporate more native plants into our landscape, and work on improving pollinator habitat. The kids love ‘helping’ me with our 18 chickens.
What is something most people don't know about you?
I like to run. I run everything from 5k’s to marathons. I have run over a dozen marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2016. My personal best time is 3 hours, 13 minutes. I am also trying to run a race in every county in Nebraska. To date I have run a race in 70 of the 93 counties. This pursuit has been a great way to see the state and explore small towns, state parks, and back roads that I wouldn’t have travelled to otherwise.
