Bobby Powell, Science Shop’s “Mr. Fix-It,” to retire: Long career at university included work on behalf of fellow employees via HACE

He arrived on campus as a student in fall 1966 and will retire from Old Dominion on Feb. 28, following a 35-year career as one of the university’s most dedicated and recognizable employees.

For more than three decades, faculty from the College of Sciences came to rely on Bobby Powell for his expertise in the Science Shop, and fellow employees across campus got to know him for his work on behalf of the Hourly and Classified Employees Association (HACE).

A native of Corapeake, N.C., Powell earned a three-year associate degree in electronic engineering technology in 1970 and was immediately offered a position as an electronics technician in the university’s new Science Shop to help support faculty in the repair and creation of laboratory equipment. Over the years, he became cross-trained on various machines and even maintained the School of Dental Hygiene equipment over a 10-year period.

For the past six years, most of his time has been spent in the fabrication of research equipment and consulting with faculty.

“Sometimes faculty will buy an apparatus on the market, but it might not do all all the things they need it to do. What I do is modify and fabricate the fixtures to make it function as they would like it,” Powell explained.

He has worked on everything from environmental chambers and incubators to physics equipment where he has had to cut and curve rods to meet precise standards for laboratory experiments.

He once built a fruit fly counter for Chris Osgood, associate professor of biological sciences, after they discovered it would cost more than $1,000 to buy one. “We were able to build him one for around $250,” Powell recalls. “It had internal digital electronics, with an infrared transmitter and receiver. In between was acrylic tubing with an orifice small enough that you could vacuum the fruit flies in through the tubing. The hole was so small that only one fly could go through at a time. Each fly was counted when it passed by the transmitter.”

It was challenges such as this that kept him interested in the work.

“What I’ve liked about the job is that it’s different every day. When the phone rings, you could end up doing something that you’ve never done in your life, and so you sit down and think about how you’re going to do it. I never got bored.”

In fact, Powell said he never even considered looking for another job. That was certainly comforting to many faculty members, who came to depend on him.

“Bobby Powell was invaluable for his ability to fix almost anything electronic,” said biology professor Andrew Gordon. “Often funds are too tight to afford service contracts or outside technicians to repair laboratory equipment, so a staff member that can perform these tasks is essential. Bobby was always cheerful and responsive. He will be a difficult one to replace.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Daniel Sonenshine, professor emeritus of biological sciences, who tells the story about how Powell once saved him thousands of dollars by extracting and repairing a defective fan motor from an incubator, when the consensus among the technical experts they originally consulted was that it was hopeless. Sonenshine added that this was just one of many illustrations he could give about Powell’s can-do attitude.

“Bobby Powell has served this university well. His dedication, persistence and friendly, cheerful personality have made him a joy to work with. He will be sorely missed.”

Powell’s personality and commitment also carried over into his work for the Hourly and Classified Employees Association, whether he was grilling hot dogs at HACE Fest, packing and delivering Thanksgiving food boxes or coordinating HACE’s blood drive for the Red Cross. His “country boy” charm also served him well when talking fellow employees into joining a HACE committee, and leaving them to wonder later what just happened after having eagerly agreed to the proposition.

A charter member of HACE, which was founded in 1976, Powell sat on the Executive Committee every year thereafter and served as president for two two-year terms. Of his tenure as president, he said he was most proud of his work in establishing HACE Fest, the annual picnic for classified and hourly staff.

Powell, 60, is now looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren – he’s already started building model train set-ups for them in his woodworking shop at home – and he plans to get more involved in his church, where he teaches Sunday school and offers weekly marriage enrichment classes with his wife of 36 years.

But he admitted that he’s leaving with mixed emotions.

“I can honestly say I’ve never in all my 35 years here had a conflict with anybody I’ve worked with, and that includes faculty, graduate students and staff members.

“I am going to miss getting up and coming to the university. The people are fantastic. This has been my home away from home.

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Phyllis Brown, Editor
College of Sciences Newsletter
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