BYU Chemistry Stockroom Receiving Manager, Linda Richards, to Retire

After just over 12 years of exceptional service, Linda Richards, the Chemistry Stockroom Receiving Manager of BYU, will retire at the end of the academic year; during which she plans to do volunteer work, spend time in her garden, do a little traveling, and get more involved in her family history work.

Richards’s long career is distinguished by the impact she left on not only her co-workers, but on the countless students she helped. In 2004 Linda began her career at BYU as Assistant Manager for the Chemistry Central Stockroom; during this time she received a President’s Appreciation Award “for exceptional service creativity, and competence.” In 2012 Linda was promoted to Receiving Manager. Many researchers and students have her to thank for their research progress, as she tirelessly worked behind the scenes to fulfill their needs and orders in the stockroom to ensure that they could effectively continue on with their own work and success. Linda “has been one of the greatest resources the department has had, she has consistently been able to help students and faculty with whatever they need,” said Matthew Allen the Chemistry Central Stockroom Manager.

Over the years Linda has developed many great procedures for the chemistry stockroom and has been crucial in regards to the training of the excellent BYU students who work under her. She has developed a rigorous training program that enables the students to both learn and be prepared quickly in the stockroom; she is responsible for the upgrading of the liquid nitrogen storage and delivery system; and has improved the ordering of specialty gases for the research labs. Despite these achievements, Linda states that “the most rewarding part of my job has been the personal interactions with student employees, other BYU staff employees and the stockroom customers. It has been a wonderful place to work!” One BYU student employee recently observed that the BYU Chemistry Centeral Stockroom is “one of the best kept secrets on BYU Campus,” because of Linda’s devotion that she puts into bettering it.

Linda consistently strives to do her best in embodying the BYU mantra: “go forth and serve.” She is a great example of selfless and competent service to her students, her co-workers, and all who are in need of her help within the Department; it is for this reason that “she too has become one of the best kept secrets on campus,” said Allen. It is well known that Linda has a wealth of knowledge that she loves to share with those who seek such help. When she is confronted with something that she may not know, she will do her best to figure it out in order to help you solve your problem. “When you are in the presence of Linda, you know that you are important to her, and she serves everyone equally,” said Allen, “Linda is not only very knowledgeable but she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. I am constantly impressed with Linda’s understanding of BYU’s mission and her appreciation. Linda possess one of the most detailed minds that I have ever had the opportunity to work with. She tackles a project and looks at it from every angle, being very conscientious about all of the potential outcomes, and will be sorely missed by the department.”

We wish Linda all the best in her retirement and thank her for her years of dedication and service.

By Taelin Wilford