Silvers earns CAP award

October 19, 2015

Leslie Silvers

Leslie Silvers, Interim Department Manager for the Department of Chemistry and Faculty Support Administrator (FSA) for Professors Martin Head-Gordon and David Wemmer (Dept. Chair), is the latest recipient of the Chemistry Achievement Prize (CAP). The prize is awarded quarterly to a College of Chemistry staff member for outstanding work, collaborative efforts and exemplary service to the college.

Leslie has proven over the years that multi-tasking is her comfort zone. Her work at Berkeley, fueled by cans of Coke Zero Vanilla, commenced in 1999 along with an Adjunct Faculty position at Diablo Valley College (DVC). At DVC, and then also at Las Positas College and Chabot College, Leslie was an anthropology instructor from 1999-2005. Of course she needed a hobby to fill the down time between supporting faculty and being faculty, so she opened up a truck accessories business in Shingle Springs; this kept her sufficiently busy from 2004-2008.

While she is down to just one employer now, Leslie is by no means wanting for work. Speaking to her current role, Prof. Wemmer writes, "...Leslie stepped in and took over the much larger job of keeping the Department Office functioning. This included planning the transition of staff required with retirement of others in the office, picking up management of all of the FSAs, and taking on the formidable task of getting the department's budget for the 2015-16 year into place, with many changes relative to past years including budget cuts. This required learning many new aspects of how the department operates. At the same time she continues to provide M. Head-Gordon with FSA services. This has meant many extra hours of work for Leslie, she has been flexible in work time to be able to meet both internal and external deadlines." So we know what she brings to her job, but when asked what her job brings to her, she answers, "The opportunity to work with intelligent and logical people." Well, you know what they say: chemists have all the solutions!

Born and raised in Southern California, Leslie studied biological science, political science and anthropology; she received her M.S. degree in anthropology in 1996 from CSU Hayward. Her well-rounded résumé includes positions like: horse trainer (at age 12!), emergency medical technician (at age 17!), and physical anthropologist (analyzing bones!). She lives in El Sobrante Hills with her partner, Stephen, and her furry friend Logan, a Border Collie mix. And she loves Disneyland... but who doesn't?

Congratulations, Leslie, on this well-deserved honor!