In late August and beginning of September 2022 the UNCLCN Team welcomed 2 new employees, Nadja Brown and Patrick Muscarella. Nadja is currently our Interim Administrative Support Specialist and Patrick is our Technology Support Technician.
I interviewed Patrick and Nadja (myself) so everyone had a chance to get to know us a little better and how we are adjusting to our new positions at UNCLCN.
Let’s Meet Patrick:
Give us a little background about yourself.
I grew up in Rochester NY and went to Penfield High School where I played Football, Basketball and Lacrosse. I attended College in Maryland at McDaniel and earned my B.A in Communications. I lived in Los Angeles CA for 10 years where I met my wife and our daughter was born before relocating to NC.
What are some hobbies and fun facts about you?
I play guitar, love to bake, and cook. Enjoy camping and hiking with my family and 3 dogs. I play in a co-ed Rec Softball league in Carrboro. Enjoy commuting to work on my e-bike.
What is your favorite part about being a member of UNCLCN?
I love being part of a very talented team. Everyone brings unique talents to the table and I’m constantly learning from everyone. I also really believe in the mission of UNCLCN and feel honored to be a part of the group.
What are some things you do in your position?
I support online Tumor Boards as well as hybrid at the Cancer Hospital, events in Pagano; Weekly seminar, faculty lunches, genetics meetings and other Pagano events. I manage the Schwartz Rounds meetings at the Cancer Hospital; running their Webex, in room presentation and their Qualtrics. I also support larger events for Lineberger that take place at the Rizzo center and other campus locations.
What is something new you have learned in your position?
Supporting the Hybrid Tumor boards in the cancer hospital. Learning to show the appropriate materials and switching between the in room sources and the online sources and anticipating these changes to make sure the meeting flows efficiently. The Cisco technology involved with these processes is something I did not have much experience doing prior to coming to UNCLCN.
What are some things you are looking forward to at UNCLCN?
I’m looking forward to continue growing my position and contributing towards the goals of the UNCLCN. There is a lot of opportunity for growth in my current position and I’m excited to help the UNCLCN succeed with its mission.
If any, what are some challenges you have overcome in getting adapted to the role?
In my previous two roles at UCLA School of Law and UNC Kenan Flagler, I was in a classroom, conference room, auditorium technology support role. A lot of my skills and background have helped me in my new role, but the applications and scenarios are different. The challenges have been to break out of old habits and ways of doing things and apply my skill set to the challenges presented at UNCLCN. That has involved learning new software, hardware and customer expectations.
Let’s meet Nadja:
Give us a little background about yourself.
I am from Long Island New York but grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina most of my life. I have 2 sisters and 1 older brother along with 2 nephews. I am a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I was a part of the Marching Tar Heels (Go Band) and a member of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority.
What are some hobbies and fun facts about you?
I like traveling with friends and family. I have 3 birds named Bennett, Twilight, and Star. I enjoy music which includes attending live concerts, just listening, and even creating music with friends. I love watching movies. Some of my favorite genres are horror, action, and comedy. I also recently started learning tennis with one of my younger sisters.
What is your favorite part about being a member of UNCLCN?
I have enjoyed everything about being a part of this team so far. There have been so many opportunities for growth and I have made so many new connections and relationships with my knowledgeable colleagues. I love how our team works together and not only gets the work done but always makes sure it is done at its finest.
What are some things you do in your position?
I help support Tumor Boards, I make purchases for our group, work out logistical things such as scheduling/emailing, I work on our social media and brainstorm new ways to increase our social media presence. I work with my other colleague Andrew on the newsletter and blog post each month. I also help plan different things like team building and volunteer opportunities for our group.
What is something new you have learned in your position?
I have learned so many things it is hard to name them all. To start off I have learned so much about Zoom outside of just clicking the link and attending. I have learned a lot by observing the behind the scene work that goes into setting up webinars. Tumor Board monitoring is something else I have learned to do in conference rooms. Just about everything I do in my role currently is something I have learned.
What are some things you are looking forward to at UNCLCN?
I am looking forward to continuing to grow closer to my colleagues and all the amazing things this organization has planned for 2023.
If any, what are some challenges you have overcome in getting adapted to the role?
Being a recent graduate this is my first time in a professional role which I think has definitely been an adjustment for me. Learning how things work overall in the professional world was a little scary at first but I have so much support here working through this learning curve. I was basically learning most things from scratch coming in as a recent graduate. It has been amazing to work with so many knowledgeable and talented professionals who have the same mission of delivering oncology related education to health professionals and the public in the state of North Carolina.