At the end of 2021, UAB Pathology will send off Sandy Cummings, Administrative Supervisor, Division of Anatomic Pathology, as she celebrates her retirement. Sandy has worked in the department since 2008, but her history with UAB starts as far back as her birth.
Sandy was born at UAB Hospital. She started her professional career at UAB as an Office Support Specialist in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology in 1995. In 2002 she transitioned to an Administrative Support Specialist role in the Department of Medicine Chair's office, where she worked until taking on an Office Administrator position in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, in 2008. She was promoted to Administrative Associate, then Administrative Supervisor for the division. In her 13 years in the department she has given tirelessly to the job and always been a friendly face to greet at the office.
She has worked very closely with several senior faculty in the division, including Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D., Robert M. Mowry Endowed Professor and Executive Vice Chair, who shared the following sentiments on her retirement:
"If you separated from your 'significant other' after decades together, do you really think you could summarize your journey together in a sentence or two? Of course not! I’ve enjoyed great academic success but its not ‘me' but ‘us’ - who do you think typed those hundreds of manuscripts and book chapters, who helped edit those abstracts down to the 150-word maximum, who sat with me for hours upon hours putting together lectures starting with Kodachromes and ending with Powerpoint and Zoom? Who fed me? Who bolstered my ego when I received another rejection? Who made the plane and hotel reservations and on and on--exactly!! Sandy did and she did it with kindness and dare I say love. She calls herself 'my wife at work' and indeed she was, in the best sense of the word. I mourn her loss and she’s not yet quite left - this is not something one [I] will not get over in a few days or weeks - yet at the end she earned a glorious retirement and is young enough to truly enjoy it - so on that note I wish her the very best always."
Sandy (fourth from right) surrounded by her supportive coworkers
Isam Eldin-Eltoum, M.D., Professor, Anatomic Pathology, and Vice Chair for Quality and Patient Safety, says Sandy is, "always helpful, prepared and ready to take the extra step with a smile. She had been the records keeper of AP; she knows where everything is and how tasks (small or big) are done here. We will certainly miss her."
From her Division Director, Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., C. Bruce Alexander, Endowed Professor: "Sandy has been a fantastic asset since my first day at UAB, when she literally rescued me from getting lost in the 'wrong part of town.' She has always been very kind, professional, efficient, effective, generous with her time, supportive, and eager to find answers to unexpected questions. She has developed herself and others and provided continuous support to staff and faculty alike, and to the institution in multiple ways. We will all miss her very much!"
Brandi McCleskey, M.D., Assistant Professor, Foresics and Residency Program Director, sums up what Sandy means to the department when she says, "Sandy is the never-fading positive light that we all should aspire to be. She has an overwhelming appreciation for her job, her colleagues, and UAB. She is the doer of things and the answerer of all questions. I will miss her greatly and have appreciated her support for so many years!"
Cheryl Moore, Human Resources Administrator, worked with Sandy since she joined the UAB team. "Sandy quickly became a lifeline and invaluable resource when I first joined UAB in 2017 and has continued to teach me throughout the years," Cheryl says. "She not only exhibits high levels of competency and work ethic, but she is also friendly and patient. I have always appreciated her willingness to help and positive attitude. She will be missed, wishing her a happy retirement with her husband!"
"Sandy was such a great employee and a pleasure to work with," says Janiece Finkley, MPA, Administrative Director. "She has always been very helpful and willing to do whatever was needed for the success of the department and any divisions that she supported. Sandy will truly be missed! I wish her well with her retirement."
On behalf of the department at large, we wish Sandy a happy, healthy retirement.