Enhancing Department Workflows

Eric Gustafson is the financial coordinator for the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Feinberg. 

In his role, Gustafson uses his skills in automation to streamline data entry and management to support the department’s efforts. He earned his bachelor’s in accounting from Loyola University Chicago.  

Where is your hometown? 

I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and raised in Edina, Minnesota. I first came to Chicago for undergrad at Loyola University Chicago in 2015 and have stayed here ever since. I currently live on the border of Lakeview and Buena Park. 

What led you to Northwestern?  

I wanted to return to a university setting, and during my search for the right opportunity, I came across a temporary position as a financial assistant in the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS). The role turned out to be an excellent fit and aligned well with my interests and goals.  

What are you currently working on?  

I am the financial coordinator for MSS. In this role, I primarily manage and reconcile effort grids for both staff and faculty, with a focus on implementing changes and updates in myHR, e.g., updating position funding, entering journals to correct previously expensed salaries. One of my key accomplishments has been developing and implementing a more automated process for reconciliation and journal entry workflows. I enhanced the existing templates by incorporating formulas, e.g., pivot tables, power query which now organizes and displays data in a structured, easy-to-read format.  This automation has significantly reduced the need for manual data entry and streamlined the identification of necessary updates.  

How does your work support the research enterprise at Feinberg? 

I support all the research staff and faculty at MSS by making sure salary expenses are accurate as possible. This helps research administrators and faculty know how much funding is left on their projects, so when it’s time to send an invoice, they can feel confident that everything has been properly tracked and expensed. 

Why do you enjoy working at Northwestern? 

I have really come to love working with the people here. They're all so incredibly supportive, caring and kind. I cherish all our department events where I get to see so many people. My commute being under 30 minutes doesn't hurt either.