Maggie LeClair began as a staff assistant in 1974 in the former Department of Communications. At the time, Florida Technological University (now Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½) was small enough she could gallop a horse she kept in a nearby stable down the wide grassy median of University Boulevard.

Both Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s campus and reputation have grown significantly since those early days, but there’s still enough of its original character for her to recognize.

“The singular goal of producing quality students remains the same,� she says.

Her first shared office was tucked under the stairs in the Administration Building (before it was named after President Charles Millican). The tight quarters brought her in close contact with some of the other early university faculty leaders like Roger Handberg and Bob Bledsoe in the old Department of History and Political Science.

Construction of the first Colbourn Hall opened up space for the School of Communication, and it would serve as the backdrop for much of LeClair’s time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. Her role as admin served as a catchall for multiple duties, from certifying graduations, to helping hire faculty and managing budgets. Unofficially she was also mom, student advisor and confidant.

“It’s cliché to say there was never a dull moment, but I was never bored,� she says. “It kept the cobwebs out of my brain.�

For many years the university retained a small, informal atmosphere that led to frequent close encounters with leadership. Millican polled the community on their preferred bricks for future buildings with samples left outside a campus entrance. When the Gulf War started, the communication department gathered around the TV to witness the novelty of live battlefield reporting. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ President Steven Altman was walking by and had a spontaneous discussion with students about the changing face of media.

Those tight-knit relationships also carried LeClair and her colleagues through tough times. LeClair remembers all the tears after watching the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in real time from a balcony of Colbourn Hall. It was also a comfort to be surrounded by friends on 9/11.

Working daily with students inspired her to become an advocate for their needs. LeClair is responsible for helping launch or inspiring multiple scholarships through on-campus and community connections like Town and Gown Council and the Women’s Club.

As the university has continued to stretch and grow, LeClair retained her personal touch. She remains in contact with many of the former communication students and their success is one of her proudest moments as she walks out the door.

While she’ll miss the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community, retirement opens new opportunities for international travel, visiting her granddaughter at Florida State University, announcing horse shows or simply sitting on the back porch bird watching.

“It will be nice to have that freedom,� she says.

“We have some amazing women here and I’m guessing most of our Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community doesn’t know most of them,â€� said Linda Walters, the center’s interim director. “Studies show women tend not to promote themselves and their achievements, but they are truly an important part of our university’s success.â€�

The center’s mission is to recruit and retain the best women faculty and help them advance in their careers. The center offers an array of resources to help faculty women navigate academic life and balance life and work issues.

The March campaign is one way to recognize the contributions women faculty and staff make. That’s why one woman will be featured on the center’s website every day throughout the month. The center’s program assistant, Fran Ragsdale, came up with the idea, and  the executive council made the nominations and selected the winners. Council members excluded themselves from consideration.

Among the winners that will be featured:

Dr. Debra Reinhart, Pegasus Professor in Engineering currently on assignment at the National Science Foundation as a program director for the Environmental Engineering Program. Reinhart has a long history with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. She graduated from the university when it was called Florida Technological University.  She left to start her academic career and returned in 1989. She moved through the ranks from an assistant professor to full professor before becoming an associate dean, interim chair and interim director of the NanoScience Technology Center. At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, Reinhart’s current position is assistant vice president for research and commercialization for the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Office of Research and Commercialization.

Maggie Leclair, an assistant to the dean of the College of Sciences. She previously was an administrative assistant in the Nicholson School of Communication. She’s a long-time Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ employee and supporter and  has a special place in her heart for the College of Medicine. She purchased a brick in the school’s plaza in honor of her mother, Betsy Coull, a nurse who spent her life taking care of others. “Maggieâ€� is best known to many as the past-president of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Women’s Club, and chief fundraiser for their undergraduate and graduate student scholarships.

Dr. Maren Fragala, an assistant professor of Sport and Exercise Science. She joined the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ family two years ago and has already been making an impact with the local geriatric community. As part of her research, she’s investigating an exercise program that improves muscle quality in older adults. At the end of phase one of her study she found all her participants had improved. She hopes one day Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ will expand its Institute of Exercise Physiology and Wellness to create a world class Center for Healthy Aging and Faculty Wellness Research Center where all the equipment and resources are available to extend Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ exercise training programs to any older adult and faculty member free of charge.