Getting to know Michele Duran

Michele Duran, senior administrative associate in the Provost's Office was nominated as a "Getting to Know You" candidate because "she always sees the funny side of life." Michele has been working at USI for close to ten years, beginning as an administrative assistant in Travel Services, and five years later, stepping into her current role. She also is a representative for USI's Staff Council. Michele and her husband, Pedro (he goes by Pete), have three children, Angelina, Bryanna and Pedro. She also has two grandchildren, 3-year-old Colt, and Carter, who has passed.

Michele likes to keep everyone at USI on their toes and does so with a healthy dose of humor. Let's get to know her.

What does your job entail?

Absolutely everything on campus….lol. 

Well, my job involves assisting with tracking the budget for the Living Learning Communities, the Endeavor Grants and also Faculty Development. I process travel authorizations for faculty, and also, student travel for fieldtrips related to their classes. I arrange international travel. I answer questions faculty may have regarding curriculum petitions or, at least obtain an answer from Dr. Shelly Blunt or Dr. Ron Rochon. Then I arrange University curriculum committee meetings and keep a log of the petitions. I also assist the New Program Development Committee in tracking new program proposals and setting meetings. I answer the phones in the office, which sometimes include assisting students or the public in determining who they really need to be speaking to regarding their concerns. Just to name a few….  

What do you enjoy most about working at USI?

The people I work with and the environment. I have a lot of fun and I like everybody. It's not too often you get to go to work and have a good time.

Do you have any memorable moments at USI?

When I worked in Travel Services, we had decorated for Carol Diedrich's 60th birthday. One of us had brought in one of those plastic, full-sized Halloween skeletons, which we put in her office chair and put the hand on the mouse. Then we had to decide what we were going to do with it afterwards. So we hung it in the closet. At the time, everybody would open the closet door thinking it was the exit and they'd say "You have a skeleton in your closet." We would reply "Oh, yes, that was a traveler who did not complete their paperwork properly."

Tell me a little about yourself outside of work.

I like to garden. I have a pretty good-sized vegetable garden. It's probably big enough to feed 10 families because I always plant too much.

I have horses and chickens, mostly roosters because I went to Rural King and I thought I was buying pullets, but they're mostly roosters. They were supposed to be the Easter egg layers, so if they were hens, they would lay blue-green eggs.

When my kids were in 4-H, we had everything - four horses, four pygmy goats, four rabbits, and lots of roosters and chickens.

We had one chicken we called "crazy chicken," because he ended up acting more like a dog than a chicken. He'd follow you around like the dogs. My husband came home from work one day and said "I draw the line when the rooster is waiting at the gate and running alongside the truck with the dogs."

My husband and I also like to visit coffee shops. Our favorite place to hang out is New Harmony. We like to go up there and spend the evening in town and enjoy the area.

Are you a coffee connoisseur?

No, as long as it keeps me awake and has a kick, I'm good.

Tell me about this picture.

I was a high jumper in high school. I'm 5'6 and I could jump 5'4, so I could almost jump my height. Back then, jumping 5'4 put me in the top three in Evansville.

Have you always been involved in sports?

I went to Central High School and did the high jump, long jump, mile relay and the low hurdles. I also played volleyball, basketball and softball. In softball, I usually played about 90 games a summer because I played on three different teams.

I was left-handed when I was 8-years old, and my father turned me into a right-hander in baseball because he knew I could play more positions as a right-hander. My dad was a coach, so from the time I could walk, I was on a ball field.

What would you change about your past life?

I would have majored in anthropology, so I could go back and be what I wanted to be when I grew up.

If you could be any person for just 24 hours, who would you be?

To pick that person, it would have to be on a specific day. I would be Jesse Owens on August 3, 1935 when he won his first gold medal in Berlin.

Finish this sentence: If I knew I could not fail, I would _________.

Fix Congress

What's your favorite line from a movie?

"There's no crying in baseball," from A League of Their Own. We're a baseball and softball family.

If you were to enter a competition for the most useless, unique talent, what would it be?

Cast iron skillet throwing; years ago my husband entered me in a competition and I could throw it about 70 feet. He tells people he did that so he knows how far to stand away from me when he makes me mad.

Tell me something we'd be surprised to know about you.

I'm a marksman, an "A shot." I could shoot the fly off a horse's back.

What is your favorite way to express yourself?

Laughter, because no matter what's going wrong, if you can get a good laugh in, it makes everything better.