Focus on Staff With Kati Elfers

With more than 100 faculty members and research and clinical sites that include the Academic Health Center, Reading Campus and Lindner Center of HOPE, the psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience department is a sprawling operation. Overseeing its business operations is the job of Kati Elfers, executive director, business and administration. Here she talks about working at her alma mater, UC.

What is a typical day for you?
"Every day is different and it’s hard to describe to people what I do. I definitely spend a lot of time in meetings and responding to emails. I manage all financial and HR aspects for a very large department, so I work very closely on a regular basis with the managers in my department to ensure all areas are running smoothly. When an issue or problem is brought to my attention, we immediately work to improve it.”

What do you enjoy about your job?
"I never know what I am going to encounter any day at work. I like the fast pace and the variety of items that I deal with in my job.”

Before you came to UC, what was your background?
"I have always been at UC! I started here in the department of psychiatry as a student worker in 2001 when I was working on my undergraduate degree at UC. It has been such a wonderful place to work that I have never left.”

Do you have any hobbies?
"I love to shop, exercise, travel and spend time with my family and friends.”

Tell us something people might not know about you.
"My first word was ‘shoes.’ I loved shoes so much that I slept in them and now I own too many pairs to count!”