Certain events stick with a person forever. For Judy Norwood, one of those moments is the day the World Wide Web went live.
“That one event completely changed how we conduct business and communicate with the world,” said Norwood, a computer programmer at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center, or DREC, in Stoneville.
Norwood was hired as a statistical analyst in 1984 at DREC, one of MSU’s four main research and experiment stations throughout Mississippi. As the internet and technology have evolved over the last 40 years, so has Norwood’s role.
“The launch of the internet has allowed us to get valuable research-based information into the hands of our producers and stakeholders more quickly and broken down barriers so that our scientists are able to collaborate with their peers in other states and even around the globe,” said Norwood.
While technology has its benefits, it also comes with problems, and at DREC, Norwood is the go-to person for all IT-related issues. She also assists researchers with computer purchases and plays a role in funding management, tracking inventory and multiple business office responsibilities.
“I've had my days that I felt like superwoman and others where I wondered if I could handle the job, but it was always my coworkers that made it worth it. MSU has allowed me to have a fulfilling career, but most importantly, it has given me the flexibility to be active in my children’s activities when they were growing up,” said Norwood.
After spending four decades in a position where her role constantly evolved, Norwood offered this advice to those entering the workforce— “Always be willing to learn something new. You never know what opportunities may arise because you made that effort.”
