On December 1st, 2023, three of OARS’ employees received professional promotions for their exceptional contributions to our office. Congratulations to our promoted employees: Tiffany Troxell, Collin Burkhard, and Conor Donovan!
Meet Tiffany Troxell
Tiffany Troxell is a multi-faceted professional who could be referred to as a Macgyver type. Like many others, she wears multiple hats: Mom of two beautiful children and three fur babies, creator of up-cycled thrifted treasures, budget minded shopper and always looking for ways to live more holistically.
With a resume that is incredibly diverse, a former owner of a company to a professional cinematographer and even holding management positions in construction and real estate. It comes as no surprise that she is highly resourceful, a creative problem solver, and has a natural talent to work with a team.
She is a lover of the outdoors and uses hiking, gardening and camping to connect with nature and fire up her creative juices. Her greatest gift is her intuition and ability to connect with people, fully understand the big picture, remain calm during tense moments and adapt to ever changing priorities.
Compliments from supervisor
Tiffany Troxel has been promoted to Finance and Administration Manager as of 12/1/2023. She has worked diligently over the past two years to help align OARS financial practices into a transparent and efficient process. She is always willing to taken on rolls that fall outside the scope of her work, such as the lab coat program. She works effectively and collaborative with an internal and external stakeholder. She has managed the vast growth in sheer volume of administrative tasks over the last two years (9/22-5 FTE to 12/23 11 FTEs), along side the growth of financial responsibilities including over a 50% in growth to the OARS budget.
Meet Collin Burkhard
Collin Burkhard has a diverse professional background from his experience working in an aquatic toxicology lab and from managing hazardous waste as a safety professional. Collin’s lab expertise has equipped him with the ability to see both sides of the picture: from a researcher’s point of view to a regulator’s point of view. This allows him to understand the difficulties and nuances of safety within an academic institution.
In his free time, Collin enjoys cooking for his loved ones and trying new food. A fun fact is that he was the captain of a team that competed in a cooking competition when he was in college. In total, Collin is a fun individual who enjoys helping people. He is full of sarcasm and jokes, so be prepared if you meet him!
Compliments from supervisor
Collin Burkhard has been promoted to Lab Safety Specialist II as of 12/1/2023. Collin’s research-driven and hands-on approach to chemical safety, the hazardous waste program, and strategic field measurements have been essential to the ongoing support of research labs and student groups across campus. He consistently demonstrates initiative, effective collaboration, and careful judgement in his work, which have been essential qualities in Collin’s approach to the many emergencies and urgent issues he has gone above and beyond to help resolve.
Meet Conor Donovan
Conor Donovan is a well-rounded professional with years of experience as an environmental chemist and a research scuba diver. Exposure to both laboratory and underwater environments equips him with a holistic comprehension of environmental dynamics, offering him insights and skills that extend beyond the confines of traditional laboratory work and safety. Conor also possesses a genuine passion for recognizing and nurturing the potential of individuals, deriving immense satisfaction from witnessing personal growth and development.
Outside his professional endeavors he takes delight in a variety of activities, from the simple joy of reading and culinary experimentation, to exploring new music and savoring the aromatic scents of candles.
Conor is also an avid collector of fun facts, puns, and stories, feel free to share your favorites with him when you see him; he’ll undoubtedly appreciate the chance for a cheerful exchange of wit and anecdotes
Compliments from supervisor
Conor Donovan has been promoted to Lab Safety Specialist II as of 12/1/2023. Conor’s stewardship of the PI on-boarding process and lab safety co-op program have been essential to provide a professional and informative introduction to OARS and safety at Northeastern. He demonstrates leadership in his mentorship and day-to-day supervision of the lab safety co-ops, and he consistently approaches our many short-term objectives collaboratively, with detail-oriented initiative, and in a forward-thinking manner that can be built upon strategically for long-term program growth and continuous improvement.