Staff Profile

Meet the Staff: Gaby Choi

Gaby Choi Headshot

More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.

Gaby Choi
Department Administrator
Comparative Literature

What do you like most about your job?

There is so much to like about my job, but what I love most is the community in which I engage with through my role here. There is an abundance of vitality and excitement being on a university campus, and my job has allowed me to jump right into all the action. Every day is dynamic and filled with learning and collaborating with staff, faculty, and students. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, encouraging, and kind, and I love that I get to work with many members across the division and university.

What was the last good book you read?

I recently finished reading Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat by Marion Nestle. Clean eating is important to me and my family, so I try to learn as much as I can about the ingredients in our food as well as the food industry. I also finally read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, a novel that has been on my list for a while. The book was absolutely engrossing and beautifully written.

You might work with me if …

… You need to cross-list a course with Comparative Literature, ask about PhD student requirements, or co-sponsor an event.  

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

I compost but have always given away the finished compost because I had neither the extra time nor access to a yard or garden. I recently moved from a high-rise apartment to a home with some yard space, so I would love to plant/garden with my toddler using our very own compost!

November 14, 2023

Meet the Staff: Vanessa Armand

Vanessa Armand Headshot

More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.

Vanessa Armand
Operations Administrator
Chicago Language Center

What do you like most about your job?

I can bring together all the elements of my rather eclectic educational and professional experience. Coming from a decade of classroom teaching, I worried that the transition to administration this year would be challenging. I'm finding that in this role, however, I can remain connected to students and pedagogy while also tapping into my more fine-grained organizational skills (obsessions?) and my design background. My typical day can often involve diving deep into spreadsheets, followed by engaging with students about our various programs, and onto planning and marketing for our events. There's always something exciting going on, and I am grateful to be part of such a groundbreaking and supportive group of colleagues who encourage me to bring all my skills to work each day.

What was the last good book you read?

I recently discovered that I have an avid love of historical fiction, and as such, I can't get enough of Kate Quinn's novels. The first batch I read are set in World War II and the Cold War. Expertly researched fictional reworkings of real, remarkable lives and events, these books (The Diamond Eye, The Rose Code, The Huntress, and The Alice Network) elevate the incredible, oft-overlooked and uncelebrated achievements of women in the 1940s-1960s. Apart from Quinn's riveting writing, something I absolutely love about her books is that they each contain her lengthy bibliography, archival appendix, and extensive author's notes about what was factual vs. inspired vs. invented and about the decision process she used in weaving together fact and fiction.

You might work with me if …

October 27, 2023

Meet the Staff: Greg Panciera

Headshot of Greg Panciera

More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.

Greg Panciera
Web & Software Developer
Center for the Art of East Asia
Art History Department

What do you like most about your job?

One of the many things I love about my job is the breadth and variety of the work. We're a small center, and each of us has to be versatile in covering tasks. My specific role involves presenting the center's digital restoration work of Chinese cultural heritage sites to the public via websites and other technologies. This work gives me an opportunity to continually learn about Chinese culture, language, and history; design and code websites; write or contribute to the writing of some of the material we present; and work with cutting-edge 3D technologies. It's rare that I have a week without facing a new and challenging task; I especially love this aspect of the job.

What was the last good book you read?

I really enjoyed Life with Picasso by Françoise Gilot. She shares countless insights into Picasso's views and approach to making art. As a practicing artist, one idea that resonated with me, as seen in his endlessly evolving style, was his view that "art," as defined for any given moment and context, is supposed to be subversive. It can be used against the established order of the time—and that once that a form is well-understood, and/or approved, its inherent value to culture and progress diminishes. Gilot also shares the profoundly complex and often negative impact Picasso the person had on his family and those close to him. It was a fascinating story of contrasts and difficult questions.

You might work with me if …

You're working with Chinese Buddhist art/art history, digitally sharing art/art history, digitally archiving art/art historical materials, or using 3D technologies (especially in cultural heritage applications).

Have you listened to any music or read any books that have changed your perspective?

September 21, 2023

Meet the Staff: Paul M. Goerner

Paul M. Goerner Headshot

More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.

Paul M. Goerner
Program Coordinator
Master of the Arts Program in the Humanities

What do you like most about your job?

I really appreciate being able to work in a place where I’m surrounded by curious people who are eager to learn things and engage with other folks about the things they have a passion for. Even though I’m not taking classes at the moment, I still get to learn about all sorts of fascinating subjects.

What was the last good book you read?

I absolutely love fiction, particularly of the genre variety. I tend to be one of those distractable folks who is usually doing a bad job reading three or four things at once. A couple things that have really stood out to me particularly recently include Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy and Kazuo Umezu’s Cat-Eyed Boy series.

You might work with me if …

… You have any business coordinating events or other engagements with the Master of the Arts Program in the Humanities. I’m here to oversee schedules, coordinate, and support all of our events, and handle most of our immediate logistical processes. If we haven’t worked together yet, I’m definitely looking forward to meeting you.

What's the best piece of advice you've heard or received?

Here is a short video interview with the amazing artist and musician Laurie Anderson, which I like to reference because she discusses the work of essayist George W.S. Trow. She questions our current global culture’s tendency to erase the awareness of communal space that surrounds the individual, in favor of an impersonal, globalized stage modeled after celebrity media. Anderson asks us to examine the importance of recognizing the immediate connections around us and challenges us to refocus our energies there. I’ve found that advice to be a persistently valuable reminder.

 

August 27, 2023

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