Allison Parrish
Procurement Systems Analyst
Start Date: September 19, 2022
Sporting her Stony Brook red sweatshirt every Friday, lounging in her comfy SBU fleece
at home, and proudly displaying her Seawolf teddy bear in her new office space, Allison
Parrish says, “I joke with my friends and family that I’ve got the most school spirit
for a place I never actually attended!”
While opting to go away to school at SUNY Geneseo for her undergraduate degree in Psychology, then Hofstra for a Master’s in Health Education, Allison says she couldn’t be happier to work at Stony Brook now; an opportunity she’d been seeking a long time. “I know a lot of people who’ve worked here, and they were always singing its praises. It’s something I’ve always wanted to be a part of … and it’s exceeded my expectations.”
Allison’s career path started as an SAT/ACT teacher before transitioning to working in procurement and becoming a buyer for a dental supplies manufacturer, where she also trained junior colleagues on new computer systems. “When I saw the position at SBU in Procurement with a training component, I said to myself, ‘I’ve got skills in both areas – this is a perfect fit!’”
In her new role, Allison supports faculty and staff (“every department throughout the University”) as they order everything from office supplies, to refreshments for a meeting, to lab equipment. All through Wolfmart – Stony Brook’s online requisitioning tool that helps purchasers quickly locate and buy products and services from University contracts and preferred suppliers.
She also runs training on the system. “It’s ‘Wolfmart 101’,” Allison explains, “and it’s Zoom training the Procurement department offers on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. In an hour-and-a-half, people learn all the basics: how to place an order, use specific request forms, etc. I also work with the systems team to correct errors, create work instructions, infographics and more.”
Allison likes putting her administrative skills to work to help people easily get the tools they need to do their best jobs. “It’s like a ‘sugar high’ when they experience that ‘aha’ moment and see how it all works and what they need to do. And all the tasks I perform are right in line with my skill sets,” she says, which include being super organized. ”I color code everything,” Allison says with a laugh.
Summing it all up, Allison says, “Everything about working here is so great. But the one thing I love the most is the sense of community. And my amazingly supportive husband and entire family keep telling me how proud they are of me, saying: ‘You finally got here!’