From preparing cadavers and live specimens for classes and workshops to scheduling meetings to ordering equipment, Erich Hagio-Nelson finds that no two days are alike in his role as laboratory and facilities coordinator for the Office of Medical Education and Faculty Development. "I like the diversity of my job and interacting with so many types of people including medical students, physical therapy students, and faculty and staff members," he says.

A premed graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor's degree in biology, Hagio-Nelson was unsure about whether he wanted to become a physician. He took the Northwestern job four and a half years ago for exposure to medicine and to help sort out his feelings. Now he's considering a career in prosthetics and orthotics, where he could "still help people."

Born and raised on Chicago's North Side where he now lives, Hagio-Nelson is an avid sports fan. He plays baseball when he can, and of course, he's a diehard Cubs fan. His spare time is spent enjoying food, working out at the gym, playing sports, watching ESPN, and keeping in touch with his large "blended" family, which includes seven sisters, one brother, one niece, one nephew, and many cousins. Hagio-Nelson's two last names come from his diverse family, which includes members of Italian, Greek, Swedish, Irish, Japanese, and Filipino heritage.