16
COM Outlook . Fall 2013
Staff Snapshot
Getting to Know…Debra R. Gibbs, B.A.
Medical Communications Coordinator
Family Facts:
With five siblings, I am
a happy member of a large family. My
brothers and sisters really preparedme
for the world by furnishing me with
the skills tomake friends, seek fairness,
and stand up for myself. I hope those
experiences will help me as I build
good relationships at NSU-COM.
Date of Hire:
September 24, 2012.
Many of you have heard my
How I Met
Scott
story. We coincidentally attended
a luncheon event, were introduced by
a mutual friend, and just clicked. After
a successful interview and all sorts of
introductions, we have spent a fun
year together. I’mmaking progress and
learning the ropes.
Official NSU-COM Responsibilities:
I
workwith Scott Colton towrite and edit
publications for NSU-COM, especially
our quarterly,
COM Outlook
, and assist
with related communications projects.
Whenever you create a communications
item that represents the college, please
keep us in the loop. I knowmany of you
love and depend on Scott. While I can’t
replace him, I hope you will come to
enjoyworkingwithme as your primary
contact for COM communications.
Reasons I enjoy working at NSU-
COM:
My interest in gathering and
reporting news continues as I discover
the workings of NSU-COM and the
osteopathic community. Whether they
are formal or friendly (friendly being
my preference), members of the faculty,
staff, students, or other colleagues,
everyone has something interesting
to share. Now that I have a door, it is
open. Making friends is a good way
to build support for getting the work
done. I’m finding my fit.
What did you do professionally
before joining NSU-COM?
The bulk
of my professional life developed
while working in the newsroom of the
Sun Sentinel
. I started in research and
became an editor on the features and
state-national-foreign newswire desks.
Later, I enjoyedworking as an assistant
business editor. During my last few
years, I wrote a weekly column and
was an assistant editor for consumer
news. Some other interesting jobs
I have enjoyed include advocacy
consultant and writer, investigator for
the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, and teacher of English
to Spanish speakers.
Greatest achievement in life:
Loving and being loved by family,
friends, and Bob.
Favorite way to unwind when not
at work:
Sharing food and watching
films bring me pleasure. My interest
in languages and cuisine opened the
world to me from an early age. Finding
good bargains at consignment or thrift
shops is also a lot of fun.
My coworkers would be surprised to
know this about me:
Even though I
spent decades with a large corporation,
I am comfortable in the academic
community. My successful education
experiences helped me become a
valedictorian, Fulbright Scholar, and
graduate fellow. I am ABD for a Ph.D.
in French literature. Perhaps in this
environment I’ll consider finishing my
dissertation on a Haitian novelist.
When I retire I plan to:
Perhaps I
could take a long road trip and taste
the country from coast to coast. Locally,
I would like to work at a food bank,
preparing anddistributinghealthy food.
Three words that best describe me:
Friendly, sensitive, and intelligent.
Dynamic Duo:
Scott Colton and Debra Gibbs
Debra Gibbs...circa early 1990s
