She is the secretary and graduate program advisor for the art history division of the School of Art. She's also the recipient of one of the 2006 Distinguished Staff Awards.

A pianist and self-avowed "leftover flower child" who lived in Berkeley in the heady old days, Anderson also spent most of 20 years accompanying the Seattle Peace Chorus and still proudly drives an old Volkswagen bus (her fourth).

She's a longtime peace activist who said she first "got political" while watching the Watergate hearings virtually gavel to gavel while recuperating from an illness.

The hearings impressed, informed and entertained her. "After that, what's theater? What are movies, compared to Watergate?" she said.

Nested comfortably in an artistically cluttered office on the second floor of the Art Building, Anderson discussed her life and job in between knocks on her door and papers being gently slid underneath for her attention.

Clearly, this is one busy person, and just as clearly, someone who loves what she does. "It's great to work in a place where the staff are all dedicated to making the place work, and work well," she said.

Anderson noted that she has good reasons for keeping the word "secretary" in her job title, which she reveals with an amused look: "I don't want to give in to the people who see secretaries as nothing but bubble-headed, gum-chewing blondes."

Of her award, she said, "I appreciate everyone who supported this nomination — it surprised the heck out of me!" Though she said she feels slightly awkward about the award, she accepts it with humor and humility. "I feel as though somehow I need to up my act," she said with a laugh.

Her departmental colleagues, however, can be forgiven for disagreeing with this self-deprecating humor. In nomination letters for Anderson's award, they did not mince words in expressing her importance to the Art History Division. "All my colleagues agree that she is the most able administrator we have had the privilege to work with — in any venue," wrote Patricia Failing, interim chair of the art history division. "She displays a genius for organization and insight that has anchored the operations of the division for more than 20 years."

Christopher Ozubko, director of the School of Art, offered similar praise. "She is a solid citizen of the University, a humble staff member and not only the glue, but also the engine that keeps everybody going."

Anderson also is a highly skilled pianist who has accompanied dozens of shows and performs still for occasional departmental functions. In fact, she said, "I think of this job as a form of accompaniment," and added that when she first came to the University, "I exchanged my keyboard for a typewriter."

Though she works smack-dab in the middle of the University's art community, Anderson said she doesn't involve herself much in that end of things, which enables her to keep a neutrality that's helpful when acting as support staff to many bright talents. "I try to keep ignorant of the faculty's relationship with art," she said. "Ignorance is bliss. I keep my distance. Besides, I like buildings more than paintings. Paintings are just decoration — give me a good building any day."

Anderson said her retirement will come "any year now"; she thought of making it this year but it's her 19th on campus, "and I wanted to make it an even 20. Nineteen has no class." And when the day comes, she said, "I'm going to get a dog and walk off some pounds. And maybe learn a little about fixing a VW bus myself."

She added, "My goal is to be ready for my successor to take over in a couple of years."