Some people are born with the gift to quietly organize the activities around them, to keep tasks on track and make life run more smoothly for others.Angela Kidd, an office associate II with the Division of Informatics in the Department of Pathology, is one of those people.
Colleagues describe Kidd as dedicated, team-focused and able to anticipate the needs of her co-workers — often before they realize the needs themselves.
She expertly handles grant paperwork, assists faculty with appointments, travel reimbursements, ordering supplies and preparing various forms, reports and documents and ensures everything is in place for regular weekly workshops. Those are just a few reasons Kidd has been selected Employee of the Month for September.
“I’ve always tried to be efficient and organized; I’m just detail-oriented,” said Kidd, who is shocked and appreciative to be honored. “It takes organizational skills to be a great team player and help when you are needed.”
Kidd has worked in the informatics division since its creation. The division uses computer research tools to identify the causes of diseases, advance medicine and enhance personalized patient care.
“Any official problem that we face, our first contact is Angela — and most often, the problem disappears,” said Malay Basu, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology informatics. “She is like a magician, working behind the scenes and taking care of the whole division. In my whole career, I have come across very few people as efficient and hardworking as Angela. She is simply outstanding in her job. We would be lost without her.”
Basu especially appreciates the way Angela instinctively knows what co-workers need to do their best work. “If I have a seminar scheduled, she blocks time in my calendar every day for one week for preparation,” Basu said. “This she does on her own. This is just an example of how devoted she is in her work.”
Others agree.
“In my working experience, I have not witnessed this level of selflessness and commitment to one’s job,” said Egiebade Iriabho, a system administrator in the division. “Angela is a joy to be around, and she is very focused. Our faculty, students, researchers and post-docs regard her contribution to the division as invaluable.”
After two years in her position, Kidd is considered the most indispensable person in the division, colleagues say.
“We wouldn’t know left from right without her,” said Jonas Almeida, Ph.D., professor and division director.
Kidd joined UAB as an office associate in Pathology’s Division of Laboratory Medicine in February 2003. Gina Heaton, an administrative supervisor for Pathology’s divisions of Informatics and Laboratory Medicine, worked with Kidd from the beginning.
“She has always been very conscientious about the quality of her work and following departmental and university policies,” Heaton said. “Angela is hardworking, dependable, dedicated and a very valuable employee. She has exceeded our expectations in carrying out her duties, faculty are thrilled with her work and she gets along great with all the research staff.”
To Kidd, putting others first is just the right thing to do.
“Teamwork strengthens the department,” Kidd explains. “It makes UAB and the department successful. It seems as though I learn something new every day in this department. We have six divisions, and we all work together. You can’t get bored around here.”