Coordinator Supports Administration, Arts

Gail Benedict, the administrative coordinator for the vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services, has been with UC Merced since 2001. But she’s no stranger to university life, having worked at UC San Diego.

She has always held responsible positions, even outside academia – in real estate and doctor’s offices – but she has a creative streak a mile wide, too. She’s an artist who helped UC Merced put out its first issue of UC Merced Magazine this fall by illustrating one of the magazine’s main features, “California and Climate Change.”

Please describe your job and what it entails.

Funny you should ask. As with most of us who have been here any length of time, our jobs change, evolve, expand and divide constantly. Most of us wear more than one hat. That’s why I practice backbends every morning.

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time coordinating organizational reviews for our campus departments with the staff from the Center for Operations Excellence at the Office of the President (UCOP).  I was recently assigned to join the UC Merced UCPath team as the communication lead. It is fascinating for me to have a front-row seat in observing how a project of this magnitude and complexity is managed when it involves hundreds of people throughout the campuses and at UCOP. 

And, of course, my pet project is Arts UC Merced Presents, through which Professor Dunya Ramicova and I bring world-renowned visual and performing artists to the campus and to the community.

What are some of the most rewarding things about your job?

I have always been fortunate to have a job that allows me to meet and collaborate with students, faculty members and staff members throughout the campus, touching upon many departments and organizations. I love being a part of connecting our campus to the community of Merced through the arts.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face?

It’s hard to imagine what our campus will look like in five to 10 years and what our ever-evolving jobs will look like in the future. And with Arts UC Merced Presents, I’m certain our program will change to accommodate the increasing need for more arts and culture on our expanding campus.

What new projects or plans are you and your unit looking forward to in the coming year?

Everyone in our division is excited to find out who our next vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services will be. A lot of thought is going into what our division will look like when the projected enrollment reaches 10,000 students in 2020.  On the fun side, Arts UC Merced Presents is bringing the singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo to Merced in the spring – the South African group that sang with Paul Simon on his 1986 album “Graceland,” which won a Grammy for Album of the Year.

Tell us something about you that people on campus might not know.

I don’t really practice backbends every morning. But I can kick really high. You never know when my unique skill set may be required.