Staff Spotlight: Anthony Guerrero

Anthony Guerrero, our fearless grants manager, helps to keep the Department afloat by ensuring that our grants’ finances are in order, while meeting rigid deadlines. He joined Columbia University in 1998 and has been with the Department of Biostatistics since 2006. For his exemplary work he received the 2021 Staff Award in Excellence from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. In his nomination, colleagues described him as hardworking, organized, effective, and reliable, to name a few of his strengths. This is also not the first time Anthony has been recognized for his tremendous work; he previously won the Staff Award in 2006. In addition to being an extremely diligent worker, Anthony helps to make everyone feel welcome in the Department. He is always a friendly face to see around the halls of the sixth floor (or, more often as of late, on a Zoom meeting ). When he doesn’t have his hands full managing grants, Anthony enjoys taking walks, going to parks, and watching movies.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I would like to learn how to play the saxophone.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

Muhammad Ali or Roberto Clemente.

Have you ever experienced something that initially felt like a setback, but turned out to be for the best?

Yes, several, but one was being sent to the Dominican Republic when I was in the fifth grade. Initially, I did not want to be there, especially schoolwise. Because I didn’t know enough Spanish, I was held back in fourth grade and lost a year. After the first year, I got used to it, my grades got better, and I adjusted pretty well. I stayed in the Dominican Republic from the fourth grade all the way through high school, where I met two of my best friends. I learned how to read and write my parents’ first language. I only realized later that this was very important to me.

What would you do for a career if you weren’t working in the Biostatistics Department?

Most likely have a business in the Dominican Republic; I think I would be doing some type of real estate.

What is your favorite thing about working in the Biostatistics Department?

It appears that the faculty and staff enjoy their work; therefore, it makes it easier to do your job. I think that is my favorite thing.