Willie Woodberry

Willie Woodberry says he could have assembled a museum of office, laboratory, and classroom technology over the course of his 35-year career in the Office of Asset Management.

When he first arrived on campus in 1978, offices and classrooms had typewriters, telex terminals, floppy disks, fax machines, and overhead projectors. Lab equipment and record keeping were several generations removed from today’s biomedical technologies and computer-driven records.

“We had a technology museum in the warehouse and didn’t know it,” says Mr. Woodberry, an Asset Operations Supervisor.

Through the years, Mr. Woodberry’s team has transitioned from reading and recording UTSW inventory by hand to using barcode scanners to ensure that proper inventory is in place and that surplus inventory is removed.

“Today, we scan inventory and it’s fed directly into inventory control. It’s a fun job because of the people, and we keep in mind that on this campus, our patients, doctors, and students come first. If a doctor or researcher is doing something, you have to break away and come back later when it’s convenient for them,” says Mr. Woodberry.

One of his career highlights was the team’s work prior to the closing of St. Paul University Hospital. “The inventory was getting sold at sales and auctions. We were still taking things out, and other crews were opening up interior walls to get the hospital ready for the implosion,” Mr. Woodberry recalls. “There was a lot of inventorying, but we didn’t leave anything behind. It was a matter of pride, of doing it right for a facility that had served our patients well.”

When he reached the 30-year plateau in UTSW service, Mr. Woodberry got his own parking plaque at the X Building. He used the occasion to tease his mother, now age 78. “I had her believing they had named the building after me,” he says. “I finally had to fess up that the sign was for parking only.” Other family members include four grown children, two sons, and twin daughters.

In his spare time, Mr. Woodberry hits the road to see the country’s best July 4 fireworks displays as well as trips to casinos. His casino visits include a now-annual New Year’s Eve tradition.

“I blame it on Y2K,” he explains. “Eighteen years ago, everyone was convinced all technology would fail, so I went to a casino and positioned myself near a high-stakes machine. Midnight arrived and nothing happened, but I follow the same pattern every year. It’s a process, and you have to believe in the process.”