Life on the Job | Words of Appreciation
November 29, 2023
The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering sends its sincerest congratulations and many thanks to Meg Sullivan, department administrator, who is celebrating 15 years working with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Meg’s service to the communities at MCW and Marquette has been instrumental to the successful launch and continued growth of the department. Her professionalism and magnanimity shape the department's culture, and her continued dedication to excellence sets a benchmark that drives staff performance.
Graduating with a degree in accounting from Carroll University (formerly Carroll College), Meg earned her license as a Certified Public Accountant and spent several years working at Deloitte (formerly Touche Ross) auditing clients with a focus in healthcare and the nonprofit sector. Upon her departure, Meg worked for West Allis Memorial (now Advocate Aurora Healthcare) as the manager of revenue budget and cost accounting. There, she spearheaded the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning system that helped to increase productivity, cost savings, and reporting. Through the early and middle 2000s, Meg continued to work part time to keep her skills sharp while also raising her two young boys, Ryan and Trevor.
In 2008, Meg was hired by MCW as a senior accountant in the Finance Department. During this period, Meg directed a successful overhaul of the long-range financial plan process. Additionally, Meg developed financial proformas for institutional initiatives such as development of the School of Pharmacy, development of regional campuses, and construction of the HUB.
In 2016, with the formation of the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Meg seized the opportunity to expand the scope of her work. Coming on board as the department’s first Department Administrator, Meg oversaw the department’s launch, a collaborative process involving administration and oversight from both Marquette and MCW. This collaboration led to the development of inter-institutional processes facilitating student and faculty success. Since then, the department has grown to include 23 full-time primary faculty, over 40 secondary faculty, and more than 60 clinical collaborators. In addition, the department currently supports 43 doctoral students and a growing joint master's program.
As Meg celebrates her 15-year milestone, additional opportunities are on the horizon. She has recently been selected to serve as interim department administrator for the new Data Science Institute, where her expertise will help craft expansion and collaboration, leading toward another joint effort with Marquette University.
Meg Sullivan is a fantastic partner in the day-to-day operations of running the department. She is knowledgeable, thoughtful, extremely competent, and always willing to put in the extra time when needed to meet a deadline.
~ Dr. Frank Pintar, Professor and Chair, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
I see Meg as the conductor of an elaborate, chaotic orchestra with an incredible number of moving parts and individual players. Her ability to manage this complex operation and make sure everything is done properly is exceeded only by her extremely careful, thoughtful, and warmhearted approach. Meg is super-human in this effort and absolutely invaluable to our department.
~ Dr. Adam Greenberg, Associate Professor, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Assistant Dean of Postdoctoral Education, MCW Graduate School
Meg is so ingrained in every aspect of our Joint Department that it is hard to imagine how things would run without her. She has a remarkable ability to produce high-quality and accurate work while still being approachable and enjoyable to work with.
~ Dr. Brandon Tefft, Assistant Professor, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
Meg is not only an incredibly dedicated and talented administrator, but a thoughtful and supportive mentor. She has the uncanny ability to ‘read’ her administrative team, always stepping in at just the right time to give support and encouragement as they pursue their own professional goals.
~ Denise Perea, Education Program Coordinator, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
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