At the University of Minnesota, thousands of faculty and staff work in diverse locations with interesting histories that inspire great work.

Explore four employee offices that show off personality, help build community and exemplify long-term passions. 

Claire Hilgeman

If you’re having a tough day, visit Claire Hilgeman’s cubicle in Johnston Hall to bring a smile to your face. The senior academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts at the Twin Cities campus has a collection of over 30 brooches and pins tacked to the cloth walls meant to be shared.

The collection started with a few of her grandmother’s brooches and donations from friends. It’s now grown from pickups at garage and estate sales, as well as gifts from colleagues.

Their purpose is simple: take a pin to wear for the workday to boost your mood. From flashy rhinestone numbers to standard logo pins, there’s something for everyone — along with a couple of tiaras upon request.

“Sometimes your day is so stressful that it's hard to think about anything positive,” says Hilgeman. “And so doing something silly like wearing a brooch or tiara in your office where no one can see you is helpful.”

Amongst the collection is a brooch Hilgeman gave her grandmother for Mother’s Day when she was seven years old. These special origin stories — or the stories behind choosing a certain pin — are great community builders and a comfortable way to spark conversation in the office.

“Things are happening in the world that are very time-consuming and emotional,” says Hilgeman. “We have to work as a team, and the fact that [my colleagues] are open to having some fun to find ways to make things a little bit better, sometimes that's all we need.”

Harshwardhan Jejaria 

For hundreds of employees across our five campuses, an office exists beyond four walls. Harshwardhan Jejaria, grounds worker for Facilities and Operations at the Crookston campus, is in every corner of campus.

Whether it’s gardening, moving furniture or cleaning, Jejaria enjoys the varied activities each day brings. After braving the heat of summer or frigid winters, it’s also nice to get respite with work in the classrooms or residence halls.

But his smile shines brightest while driving University pickup trucks across campus.

“No matter what we’re doing, my colleagues are always checking up on each other, bringing treats and giving motivation to get the job done,” says Jejaria.

To him, the joys of his work come from taking care of the seemingly small but important details that often get overlooked.

“When people come to campus and see the clean grass, the mowed lawns and freshly-painted rooms, I feel so proud of our team,” says Jejaria. “We helped my university to show its best self.”

Without the work of those like Jejaria, the University would not be able to function. That purpose drives Jejaria to endure the physical labor to deliver an exceptional campus experience.

Barry Kudrowitz

Scattered across any flat surface in Barry Kudrowitz’s Rapson Hall office are decades of toy and product design prototypes. The joy and creativity of these treasures bring people together for conversation and celebration of design.  

Kudrowitz is a professor of product design and head of the Department of Design Innovation in the College of Design at the Twin Cities campus. His collection of prototypes reflects his deep knowledge of creativity, humor and play, as well as the history of himself, his students and the product design program.

Kudrowitz founded and directed the product design program for 10 years, and class projects — like a foam ketchup packet 10 times its original size — would be stored in his office. And while he no longer teaches in his administrative role, new prototypes still find their way to his shelves.

“Overall, I think [my office] is a reflection of me. It's very playful and creative. It’s overwhelming, over-stimulating and full of ideas.”

Along with student work, many toys he worked on as a graduate student reside in his office. Of note is an early prototype of a Nerf blaster that he co-designed while working with the toy company Hasbro.

“All of these prototypes represent months of work,” says Kudrowitz. “It’s like a mini museum.”

Renae Wesenberg

Not everyone can say they work in unique places. But for Renae Wesenberg, equine farm animal attendant at the Crookston campus, each day pursuing her passions is better than the last.

Working in the stables, Wesenberg is in charge of the horses — 17 in the summer and 50 during the academic year — as well as managing student workers. In addition to being home for the horses, the stables host a lab for classes and provide ample pasture and storage space to meet their needs.

“I'm everywhere at any given moment,” says Wesenberg.

With nearly 30 years of experience, transitioning to a university setting has been a new and unique opportunity. Assisting faculty by prepping horses for courses or fostering students’ passion for animal care, for example, brings new joys to her love of horses. While primarily equine science or equine business majors frequent the stables, students from other programs — from elementary education to natural resources — also gear up for riding lab classes.

Wesenberg is also a judge for the Minnesota 4-H horse project, giving back even more to young people across the state.

“I really love being able to extend my passion for horses into teaching other people, whether they're 4-H-aged or college-aged,” she says.

When not in the stable, Wesenberg has a small office to retreat to for a moment’s rest. On the wall hangs a photo of her horse Annagold Mackintosh, a three-year-old Gypsy Vanner that she’s owned since he was a yearling. But being in the stalls is where she’d rather be.

“I want the stables to be a place where it not only seems like the horses are cared for, but the people are cared for,” says Wesenberg. “I want being in the stables to be a positive place.”