Bette Cessna
Title: Administrative Assistant.
Duties: Providing administrative support to investigators
Floyd Romesberg, Albert Eschenmoser, and Ram Krishnamurthy.
Philosophy of Job: "If I can take care of something,
I take care of it. Principal investigators have enough on
their plate. It's my job to free them up to concentrate on
the science."
Favorite Parts of Job: "We have a great group. I
love to be part of the Department of Chemistry and to contribute
to creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable.
I believe a happy lab is a productive lab. I also like to
learn about all the different aspects of the science—physical
chemistry, cancer research, laser projects, antibody research....
The topics are diverse and exciting."
Started at TSRI: 1991
Background: Grew up on a farm in Ramona with her
mother, father, and nine siblings. Her first job out of high
school was at The Salk Institute. After a brief stint at Baylor
College in Houston, she returned to San Deigo, where she began
working for investigator Martin Schwartz at TSRI. She held
that position for 11 years before starting the job with the
Romesberg lab last year.
TSRI Sports: Cessna is currently commissioner of
the TSRI Softball League and the TSRI Bowling League. "One
of my favorite aspects of the sports leagues is meeting the
people I know from e-mail and phone calls," Cessna says. "It's
great to get to know them in person."
Cessna's involvement in softball started when she put together
a team to participate in the Biotech Softball league in the
early '90s. TSRI participation grew until there were enough
teams to support a separate league. "As soon as we started
playing together, it was clear to me that creating a separate
TSRI league was a good move," Cessna says. "Our league philosophy
is clear: it's all about having fun." The TSRI league now
consists of 14 teams and about 300 employees and family members
who play at the North Clairemont Recreation Center from June
through September. "Two of our participants married and had
babies—that's what I consider a success," Cessna says.
At about the same time she started playing softball with
TSRI, Cessna got involved in bowling. Now composed of 12 teams
and about 50 people, the TSRI bowling league meets every Thursday
at Sunset Bowl in Clairemont from late May to late August.
"Because it's a handicap league, even less experienced players
have a chance to win," Cessna notes.
Other Extracurriculars: Cessna is partner in a company
that is developing instruments for alcohol research. She also
likes to spend time with her fiance, Tony (whom she met at
TSRI), rollerblading, going to the movies, and remodeling
their condo in Ocean Beach.
|
"Principal investigators have enough on their plate," says
Administrative Assistant Bette Cessna. "It's my job to free
them up to concentrate on the science." Photo
by Kevin Fung.
|
