Chrissy Charny is the administrative assistant for systems engineering. Before starting with systems engineering in December 2019, she worked in finance for The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum dedicated to modern art.

Charny grew up in Fort Seybert, West Virginia (Pendleton County) and received her bachelor of fine arts in photography and computer imagery in 2011 from Shepherd University in West Virginia.

What does your current work-from-home set up look like?

It’s…a challenge. I’m limited on space at the moment so my kitchen table is semi-permanently my work station. I have my laptop propped up on some “coffee-table books” in order to reduce neck strain. I do enjoy getting to work with my fuzzy coworker – my 15-year old longhair tuxedo cat named Jackie. Although she doesn’t help me much and occasionally makes unscheduled appearances on my Zoom calls, she is still a wonderful presence while working from home.

What is a typical day like for you?

I usually log on around 7:45 AM and spend the first hour responding to emails and making adjustments to the day’s plan. On any given day I’ll be assembling and submitting financial documents, scheduling meetings for any of the committees I provide support to, and assisting with queries from students or prospective students.

In my role I get to do “a little bit of everything”, so there is no telling what I might get to assist with from day to day! I do like to stay very organized, so I try to make a to-do list for the following day just before I log out. This helps me power down for the evening and makes me feel automatically organized in the morning.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy the people I work with. The Systems Engineering faculty, staff, and students are an eclectic group from many different backgrounds and disciplines. My colleagues are exciting people who are a lot of fun to work with. They are all multi-faceted and have great senses of humor. Because of the wide variety of specialties and talent within Systems Engineering, I get to assist with many different projects and initiatives.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I grew up in the Appalachia and spent most of my childhood outdoors, so living in Colorado is a dream come true. I love hiking, running, biking, and exploring trails in my area. I’m excited to try snowshoeing this winter as well. During Covid, I’ve also really enjoyed home based activities like yoga and cooking. I read a lot and have a nightstand full of books in progress. But before Covid, I enjoyed visiting museums and going to baseball games.

What’s a fact about you people may not know?

I love history and adore historic home tours. I can’t even count how many times I’ve toured Thomas Jefferson’s house, Monticello! I think my favorite tour of all time is Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park, IL. Every little detail is impeccable and was perfectly tailored to fit in with the whole space.