Longtime Registrar’s Office employee Sharon Pero dies at 58

Sharon Pero, assistant registrar for Timetable and Classroom Scheduling in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Office of the Registrar, died suddenly at her home over the weekend of April 14-15. She was 58.

Pero, a 35-year employee of the university, has long been responsible for overseeing the extraordinarily detailed University Timetable, which serves as the master schedule for thousands of class and instructor offerings across campus each semester. Her accomplishments were so valued that Pero was slated to receive a 2007 Academic Staff Excellence award on May 14.

"Shari was truly an 'unsung hero' among university employees," says Joanne Berg, vice provost for enrollment management, who oversaw Pero and nominated her for the award. "Not only was she the talent behind one of most complex, difficult and stressful projects on campus, she was a mentor and 'go-to' person for many of her colleagues. We are deeply saddened by her loss."

Pero's primary work included managing the timetable, classroom assignments, instructor course loads and instructional facilities utilization. During her long tenure, she helped guide the office through many technological changes, such as conversions from early data processing applications to the PeopleSoft system, the Web enrollment system and the new paperless Timetable, adds Berg.

Berg says it is hard to imagine the university even functioning without an accurate and timely Timetable, which is a behind-the-scenes project that, while invisible to many, keeps the university's instructional gears running smoothly.

"Shari was the consummate university professional who has dedicated her many years to service and making things work-and the campus has benefited beyond measure," Berg says.

David Musolf, secretary of the faculty, says that Pero's knowledge of the institution was unparalleled. "Shari was a wonderful individual with a wealth of knowledge about the university and how it functions," Musolf says. "We are all impoverished by her loss."

On May 14, Pero was set to receive the Martha Casey Award for Dedication to Excellence, one of nine awards given annually to honor the university's most outstanding academic staff employees. The university will confer the award posthumously to Pero's family.

The cause of death for Pero has not yet been determined. Funeral and memorial services are pending.