Maarit Mäki

Maarit Mäki

Maarit Mäki

Who are you, what do you do and how long have you worked at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine?

My name is Maarit Mäki. I am Department Secretary of the Department of Production Animal Medicine, working in the hustle and bustle of academic affairs and general administration. Through my work I have gone from one farmland estate to another since 1986. I transferred from Hautjärvi Manor to the Saari Estate in 1996.

What subjects came up during your work in 2014?

Uppermost of the reasons to smile was the news late last year confirming that the long-awaited renovation of the Production Animal Hospital will finally begin. This news delighted us greatly. My workplace at the Saari Estate underwent an extensive basic renovation last summer. The building façade was refurbished with a new copper roof and repainted a beautiful manor-house yellow. Exterior lighting was also added. Apart from the physical renovation, one could also point to the retooling of the University of Helsinki intranet, which was redone from the ground up. The Faculty was at the forefront of this, having moved from Alma to the new, visually enhanced Flamma intranet already some time ago. The various departments worked on the transition through the spring and the new website was published in May.

What is best about your work?

The best thing is its diversity and team spirit. The workday is a nice blend of daily routines and constantly changing situations. It is nice to work in close collaboration with colleagues. I feel that we have a good work community with an open and direct atmosphere.

What are your plans for 2015?

This year promises to be especially interesting. The remodelling of the Production Animal Hospital will no doubt cause inconveniences in the workdays of everyone at the Saari Estate. The daily routine of students will be affected also. Administrative personnel will also be exposed to the winds of change coming from the “Competence Management Development Project”. It remains to be seen how this project will proceed.

One of the sure signs of spring are the practical examinations. This demands real teamwork, for the event means time commitments from students as well as a host of teaching faculty and other staff.

My task is to deliver the “bugle calls” for the exams. Hopefully, no students will end up with lasting traumas!