Terri Barber is the Business Manager at Instrument Design & Fabrication Shop. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Terry Barber It's the magician behind the curtain.
As business manager for UGA's equipment design and manufacturing facility, she handles day-to-day accounting and procurement duties to ensure her team is equipped with the numerous tools and materials needed to use the various research projects presented. I am supervising.
“You never know what's going to come in the door,” Barber explained of the process from start to finish. “Researchers and students come in and have these ideas. Sometimes they don't know exactly how to draw on paper, or they draw on napkins. They're our designers. We quickly had this great piece of equipment.”
That process continues to bring joy to her work. Ever since she was a child, Barber has been interested in how things are made. Growing up in Athens, she was hanging out with her grandfather when she wasn't singing in church or on radio shows, learning what made things tick. She worked with the university on computer repair for two years until she transferred to the Equipment Design and Manufacturing Factory in 2008.
The equipment Barber oversees serves many purposes. The shop makes everything from small tools like kidney clips for rats to large machines used underwater. One of her favorite projects is currently taking place at the Atlanta Zoo.
“I love animals, and Zoo Atlanta has one of our projects included in their gorilla exhibit,” Barber said. “This is a termite mound used to promote social interaction. However, they don't use termites. They use peanut butter.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Barber and his shop team members helped make hundreds of face shields for healthcare workers.
“We were very proud, and they were really happy with the plaque,” Barber said. “Even though they were very busy, they took the time to send us photos and tell us how much they appreciated them.”
In addition to managing payroll and store inventory, Barber ensures team members have exactly what they need to complete projects. The shop uses different types of metals and plastics to create the equipment required by researchers. He works using a variety of his CNC equipment, including 3D printers, laser cutters, and water jets. While her team creates each piece, she strives to find the best materials for each project at the best price.
“The most important part of my job is finding ways to save money by getting the best quality, best products at the best cost, while adhering to procurement policies,” Barber said. . “I want to save researchers money, enable them to educate more, be more creative, and build more unique equipment to find ways to make the world a better place.” I am.”
In his free time, Barber enjoys hiking and spending time with his family. She has hiked numerous mountains around Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, and has also set her foot in the mountains of Alaska.
No matter how far she goes, Barber is grateful for the great ideas and projects that come in and out of her shop.
Barber invites more researchers into his equipment design and manufacturing shop and visits the magicians behind the curtain for research projects.
“Music stores are the most wonderful and interesting laboratories for your ideas,” says Barber. “Bring everyone here. We can make it happen.”