Name: Cathy Alkire

Gig: Horticulture specialist

Years on the job: 26

On duty: Plan and design flower beds; grow plants from seed in the greenhouse; install, water, and fertilize 40,000 plants around campus each year; tend to flower beds and landscape features.

You’d be surprised: We find a lot of cell phones in the flower beds. I once found a $50 bill. Last year, I found a lot of painted rocks. Some were really artistic. There was a cute one with a rainbow that I left where it was. 

This may sound weird: A lot of times, there will be bugs in the containers, and I like to watch them grow bigger through the spring. When you water, the praying mantis will come out; they don’t like water. It may look like I’m talking to the flowers in the greenhouse, but I’m talking to the bugs. 

My favorite spot: The breezeway between the Physics Building and Materials and Electrical Engineering (MSEE) has the perfect light. It’s not too sunny, not too shady. I can use big, tall plants like elephant ears. Everybody walks through there on their way to class or to work.  

What I love: I have the absolute best job on campus. I get to work outside and add color to people’s days. They’ll say “That wasn’t here yesterday. How’d you do that overnight?” I feel like a flower fairy.