Barb Bird retires after 20 years on campus

Release Date: Jun 3, 2022
Tags:physiology retirement

If there’s one thing Barb Bird will now have more of, it’s free time.

After more than 20 years working at Michigan State University, the Department of Physiology undergraduate assistant is retiring.

“Maybe I’ll do a little traveling,” Bird said. “Nothing huge right now. I have lots of things on my list but they’re all kind of boring.”

Despite Bird’s downplay of her immediate plans, her long career at MSU has been anything but boring.

Barb Bird is pictured with her family. — Barb Bird said the most difficult part of her job was learning how to prioritize her time. “I want to make everyone happy so I end up overcommitting my time,” said Bird pictured here (from left to right) with her husband, sister-in-law, mother-in-law and two children. “I want to help everyone especially the students because I know a lot of them get stressed out over school. It’s a mom thing because my kids are the same age, too.” Credit: Barb Bird

The Lansing, Michigan native started working at MSU in 1985 as a secretary in the special education department. She worked there for six months before moving to the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, now known as MSU AgBioResearch, where she worked as a secretary and office assistant for 11 years. She then moved to the Office of Supportive Services where she worked as the secretary to the director for a year.

Then motherhood came calling.

“I had two children and I left the university in 1998,” Bird said. “Once my youngest was in high school, I decided to go back to work.”

Naturally, she found her way back to MSU in 2016 as a project assistant for the now-defunct Center for Global Connections in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources in the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources. She worked there until February of 2019 where she made what eventually became her last career move to the Department of Physiology as the undergraduate assistant.

“I work a lot with students with overrides for courses and job hires,” said Bird whose children are both MSU alumni. “I also work with advisors and the faculty in maintaining their own schedules and the departments’.”

Bird said it’s these people that she’s worked alongside with that she will miss the most.

“Since I’ve been working from home the last two years because of covid, I have really missed that interaction with people,” Bird said. “Everybody has been great to work with. I’ve never been in an office that has been this good.”

Lee Cox, professor and Department of Physiology chair said that Bird always had a calmness that allowed her to get things done.

“When she’s asked to bring or do something, it gets done,” Cox said. “She has a great demeanor. She’s quiet but very friendly. I’ve always appreciated that.”

Making jewelry and greeting cards are favorite pastimes of Barb Bird. “I’ll probably spend my free time making more jewelry,” said Bird pictured with some of her creations and her wall of beads. “Everyone likes a bracelet.” Credit: Barb Bird

Sherri Reese, who is the department’s human resources administrator, echoed the same sentiments.

“Barb brought a lot of patience and kindness to the physiology department,” said Reese who supervised Bird. “She had a willingness to jump in and help others when needed.”

Now with more free time than ever, Bird hopes to spend it with her husband of 31 years, Brian, who also retired from MSU last July after more than 30 years as an electrician and most recently as a magnet engineer in the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB).

“I originally planned to stay a couple more years but working remotely and covid makes you think,” Bird said. “I had to put it as a priority that you only live once so better make the most of it with the time you have.”

However, Bird’s not entirely ruling coming out of retirement either.

“We’re empty nesters now except for our dog Charlie,” she said. “I guess we will see how everything goes.”

By: Tyler Lee