Staff member keeps school’s equipment in working order

Derek Oglesby

leap of faith brought Lowndes County native Derek Oglesby to the University of Mississippi.

“I hail from ‘Bulldog country,’” Oglesby said. “Ole Miss was never really on my list as one of the places I expected to work when I grew up.”

That changed, however, when Oglesby applied for a position with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy’s Marijuana Research Project 14 years ago. Hired as a groundskeeper, he eventually transitioned to the National Center for Natural Products Research’s Maynard W. Quimby Medicinal Plant Garden and served as an associate research and development horticulturist.

Growing up around farmland, Oglesby fit in well at the garden. During his tenure there, he worked with the resident botanist to improve the quality of tools and products used to assist research. He designed and built an array of these tools, some of which included wooden arbors and a trellis for climbing medicinal plant species, a mechanical dryer used to dry harvested plant materials under specific research parameters, and a plant propagator. He also made improvements and advancements to the plant specimen grinding program.

Oglesby said he is particularly proud of his involvement in the construction of the medicinal plant garden at its new location.

“It was very rewarding to get to work so closely with the architects, Facilities Planning, the Office of Research and NCNPR administration throughout that entire project from design to completion,” he said. “The garden has been an important part of the school’s research program since it began in 1965. We wanted to ensure that the new facility would not lose its rich history but would be able to thrive well into the future.”

Oglesby (left) and Lal Jayaratna, R&D botanist, tour the shade house at the school’s medicinal plant garden.

After 12 years, Oglesby joined the school’s newly formed Technical Services team, which provides an array of services from maintaining the school’s vehicles to attending to large-scale mechanical systems and problems.

“Derek has quite a rapport with UM Facilities Management,” said Don Stanford, assistant director of the school’s Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and head of the Technical Services team. “They trust his judgment and advice. He doesn’t just report problems, he offers solutions.”

While Oglesby’s day-to-day tasks can vary, one constant exists.

“The School of Pharmacy has some of the best academic and research programs you will find, and my job is to do my part to ensure those programs and people experience the least disruptions possible from their work environment and the equipment they use each day,” Oglesby said. “If the day has gone smoothly for our faculty, researchers and staff, then I have had a successful day.”

Oglesby said that the most satisfying part about his job is his relationship with co-workers who have become like family.

“[My co-workers] have supported me and my family during some difficult times,” he said. “I know the school is the right fit for me and could not imagine working anywhere else.”