Kirsten Stites has been with the UNMC Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology for 23 years – the entire length of her career at UNMC – and she now is the administrator of the department.
Joseph Khoury, MD, director of the department, said he is excited by the appointment.
“Kirsten’s dedication to our mission areas and her passion for making a difference is contagious and manifests in everything she does,” he said. “As a leader, she models our culture of excellence, professionalism, and genuine care for the wellbeing of our team members.”
Stites first joined the department as the managing editor of International Immunopharmacology, which was edited by James Talmadge, PhD, as well as helping as an office associate.
“I got immersed into the world of immunology to begin with, and then I started building networks throughout the department and other departments across the university,” Stites said. “I really enjoyed working in this department. The people here have always supported me.”
Now, it’s Stites’ turn to support them. She already had been serving in a managerial position for the department, so the administrator’s role was the next logical step.
“The department’s always been very supportive,” she said.
The department’s former administrator Steven Kuss, who has worked with Stites for nearly 15 years, called her the obvious choice to succeed him as he moves into a new departmental role.
“I have challenged her and watched her grow professionally,” he said. “She first started on the research side of the department and progressed to helping with clinical operations, and she gradually took on more responsibilities for both. So Kirsten is well versed in these important components of the department. She has provided service support for both the MD and PhD faculty for many years. This broad experience with all aspects of our department gives her a unique perspective to assist the chair as he determines clinical and research priorities in planning for the department’s future.”
Stites’ current role is a far cry from where she started out, working as a zoologist in the Belfast City Zoo, where she once hosted a baby gorilla to Christmas dinner. But an injury eventually led to a shift in careers for Stites, who earned a master’s degree in science communication before joining UNMC.
She loves supporting the department, she said.
“When you work in an administration, you get to multitask, and you have a lot of variety in your job. There are great projects that are coming up, or interesting problems to solve, and it keeps you engaged. You know, even the ‘Monday’ tasks, you’re happy to get them done. And it’s fun to work with the variety of people that we have on campus, very intelligent with fascinating backgrounds.”
She also likes that she can have a positive impact.
“Administrators can be an instrumental support for the faculty and where they envision the department going, whether in education, clinical care or research – being a sounding board, a champion for their ideas. Having their backs and being supportive, and also making sure that we’re following the university policies and rules.”
Stites said she is looking forward to getting to know her new role.
“Our chair has been with us for two years, and we have had several new faculty joining us, so we’ve got a team of energetic, dedicated pathologists and researchers coming on board. My work is of help to the community and the individual patient. It’s amazing, it really is. I’m grateful to work here.”