By Cindy Abole
Public Relations
Ask any MUSC scientist whose lab
is located in the James E. Clyburn
Research Center how they would
describe Leslie Kendall and
they're quick to shower her with
titles such as chief organizer,
decision maker, and all-around
go-to-person.
But to many,
she's also affectionately known as
the project "mom" for her
dedication and expertise with this
building effort.
In reality,
Kendall is all this and much more
since being charged to manage the
preparation, staging and
occupation of the campus' newest
research facilities, the Drug
Discovery and Bioengineering
buildings. In the six years she's
been involved with this project,
she has worn a lot of hats to
identify with the many roles she's
embraced and mastered — production
manager, director, executive
producer, set designer and crew
chief. But the role of "mom" is
what really grabs her.
Leslie Kendall,
research operations director, is
known for her commitment to the
James E. Clyburn Research Center
project.
"I really don't
mind it. Moms are capable of doing
just about anything and everything
is their responsibility. In this
effort, people are more likely to
react when things go wrong instead
of when they go right. When that
happens, it's natural for anyone
to turn to someone who's
responsible, knowledgeable and an
overall go-to person like a mom;
the person who makes everything
right."
Not new to
managing and supporting the
laboratory needs of researchers,
Kendall previously managed the
2005 opening of the 121,000 square
foot, seven-story Charles P. Darby
Children's Research Institute
(DCRI), which gave the campus a
premiere comprehensive children's
research facility. "We are opening
facilities that have almost twice
as much square footage here
compared to DCRI. The new complex
features two major conference
facilities as well as several
classroom locations."
One of her
team's most challenging jobs was
to plan and orchestrate the
relocation of more than 25
researchers and scientists from
all areas of campus and within a
tight four-week period.
Patrick M.
Woster, Ph.D., SmartState Endowed
chair in Drug Discovery, South
Carolina College of Pharmacy, and
his team were among the first
groups to move into the Drug
Discovery Building on Sept. 5. A
new faculty member who relocated
to MUSC from Michigan, Woster is
excited about his new location and
lab, which has been outfitted for
medicinal chemistry.
"Leslie was
extremely helpful in answering our
many questions, and helping us get
oriented to a new environment. She
also coordinated the installation
of phones and internet jacks in
the labs and offices, and we were
online after one day in the
building."
Xuejun Wen,
M.D., Ph.D., who is the Hansjorg
Wyss Endowed Chair and a
regenerative medicine professor,
also relied on Kendall for packing
and relocating the lab to the
third-floor area of the
Bioengineering Building.
"Moving
multiple labs into two buildings
is not an easy task. There were
lots of details to consider from
telephone transfers to setting up
vacuum lines in the lab. 'Mom,' as
I affectionately call Leslie, Neil
(Eichman) and their support team
did a great job managing lots of
little details for us. It was an
A-plus experience."
Through each
stage of the project, Kendall has
worked closely with diverse teams
of people who've managed decisions
and contributed to it from the
conceptual design stage with
project architects Stevens and
Wilkinson, a team of campus
researchers, the university's
central administration and
Engineering and Facilities staff,
to builders with Brasfeld Gorrie,
interior designers and a multitude
of other contractors involved.
Just days
before the facilities' formal
dedication, Kendall, along with
research operations manager and
colleague, Neil Eichman, could be
found coordinating the location of
144 new emergency power outlets or
testing and adjusting the height
of more than 400 newly assembled
conference room chairs and,
crawling on hands and knees to
clean sheetrock dust out of room
corners.
At the Oct. 21
building dedication, Kendall
joined others who were beaming and
gushing with pride — not only for
the VIPs, researchers and invited
guests in attendance, but also for
achieving so many important
project milestones.
"I'm proud of
every person who has been part of
this project's design,
construction and occupation. Think
of it, someone's put their hand on
every beam and brick used to
create this remarkable complex,
and every microscope and incubator
used to advance the science that
will be performed here. It's truly
a miracle that surrounds us," she
said.
|