Anne Pringle, recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Engineering Staff Member Award, is congratulated by Matt Lowe (left), previous year’s winner, and School of Engineering Dean Dave Puleo. Submitted photo
When Anne Pringle began answering phones in the University of Mississippi’s Department of Chemical Engineering, she took it on as a two-day temporary job. Eight years later, the Memphis, Tennessee, native is the department’s administrative assistant and much, much more.
“I am ‘Two Mama’ to the greatest group of students on campus, an honor I don’t take lightly,” she said. “I’m a cheerleader, counselor, nurse, advocate, circus ringleader and friend. The only thing I haven’t done is teach a Chem E class.”
Pringle’s labors of love were recently recognized when she was presented the 2019 Outstanding Engineering Staff Member Award.
“Being recognized by peers, faculty and students is an honor, and I’m very grateful,” said Pringle, who earned her bachelor’s degree in art from UM 30 years ago. “This is the second-best career I never imagined. How lucky to work at your alma mater.”
Pringle, whose minor was in journalism, worked for the Memphis Business Journal and Nashville Business Journal for a combined 20 years as production director and eventually became the design editor. After living in Nashville 16 years, she moved to Oxford and began working at UM in 2011.
“I was hired as part of the Rebel Reserve, the university’s temporary labor force,” she said. “One day, I was called to answer phones for two days for either Student Media in Bishop Hall or [the Department of] Chemical Engineering in Anderson Hall. The decision was based on my own brand of logic: Chem E because I had never been in Anderson Hall.”
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Fiercely loyal to students, Pringle becomes attached to all of them and gives them nicknames that reflect some aspect of their personality, such as their hometown, quirks, interests, variations on their name, presents they give her and occasionally dislikes.
“I have found that college students crave someone to listen to their problems and share successes,” she said. “My office is a place where they can laugh, cry or just sit and decompress. And grab a handful of Dubble Bubble. I want their parents to know that they can rest easier because their student is in a safe, caring environment.”
Pringle is indeed an integral part of the glue that holds both that department and the general engineering program together, said Adam Smith, associate professor of chemical engineering.
“In addition to her job responsibilities, Anne adopts each student that walks through the door of Anderson 134, and like a mom, is always looking out for them,” Smith said. “She goes above and beyond day in and day out without receiving recognition, and often without even acknowledgement by the people whose problems she so adeptly solves. I am so very happy that Anne finally received the recognition that she deserves.”
Pringle said her dedication to chemical engineering and general engineering students stems from her own undergraduate experiences at Ole Miss.
“Professor Paula Temple helped me discover my talent for watercolor and pen and ink illustration,” she said. “Dr. Betty Crouther gave me a love for art history and to continue my own studies of my favorite artists like (Henri de) Toulouse-Lautrec and Henri Matisse. Samir ‘Mr. Magazine’ Husni and his classes led me to a career choice: magazine and newspaper design.”
During her 20-year career in the publishing industry, Pringle won both the Best Design in a Business Publication award from the Tennessee Press Association and the Best Publication and Issue Design award from the American City Business Journals.
“I’m proud of these achievements, but being named Outstanding Staff Member of the year is awesome,” she said.
Pringle lives with her daughter, Margaret, who will receive her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UM in May 2020. After work, she can be found at home tending her urban flower garden, goldfish pond and two pugs. Pringle also enjoys painting coolers, watching film noir and tailgating during football season.