What’s your job? is a series focused on the work of FP&M employees. As the largest and most diverse nonacademic unit on campus, it can be challenging to learn everything our division is responsible for. These stories shine a light on FP&Mers and what they do to keep campus safe, sustainable and successful.
Navigating the vast maze of differing schedules and needs within FP&M Physical Plant isn’t always the most straightforward. With dozens of programs, constantly changing systems, and a large workforce, misalignments are bound to happen. Gloria Ruiz Cervantes, Administrative Assistant for Physical Plant, untangles those complexities daily, proving that putting people first always yields the best results. Gloria’s availability benefits the many departments in Physical Plant, including Custodial, Pest Control, Waste & Recycling, Cooling & Heating and more.
“When you actually go out there and meet individuals, they’re so nice,” she said. “They want help, and I can help.”
After spending five years in retirement, Gloria realized she wanted to do more to help others, and herself. This led her to join FP&M in 2024 as part of a six-person expansion to strengthen the Physical Plant Services team. Through her strategic hours of 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., she provides a reliable, familiar face for employees on most shifts who know they can come to her with anything.
Gloria makes a conscious effort to reach employees who work non-traditional hours, times when administrative support has been harder to find. She goes out of her way to visit staff stationed in individual buildings across campus, carving out time slots by employee requests. She does this as a way to provide assistance in a way that prioritizes building genuine, face-to-face connections that reduce stress, build trust and help improve efficiency.
“A lot of times being one-on-one just opens up not only what they were looking for, but other avenues within the system they’re working on,” Gloria said, whether it be online training, work systems and forms, or simply connecting employees with someone else to help further, like Human Resources team members. “It just makes it a little bit more accessible.”
Gloria’s interest in various tasks and flexibility within her position helps her impact many employees within her role. She is able to take on different assignments and tasks, like recruiting paperwork and calls for new staff, or other administrative projects. She does this all while assisting other employees, guiding them through questions, requests, and more about many types of workplace systems.
From computer program training to building access and taking calls, her work and helping hands reach many different corners of FP&M. The diversity of tasks within her position is something she looks forward to, even assisting with different events for FP&M.
“I enjoy any of the appreciation days, events or the ice cream socials,” Gloria said. “I love just being able to be there and help out in whatever capacity.”
Additionally, an aspect that expands Gloria’s impact is her Spanish-speaking skills. With her ability to work through another layer of language, she can reach a wider range of employees in a more efficient way. With so many different primary languages in a vast division, Gloria feels the skill is incredibly important to her role.
“Just being available makes a big difference for individuals language-wise,” Gloria said.
With her many areas of expertise, Gloria seeks opportunities where she can make people feel seen and understood. By going out of her way to ensure people are helped in the most efficient and impactful way, she is fulfilling these goals.
“It’s important that they know there’s somebody here to help,” Gloria said. “That’s the impact that I’ve seen.”
Want to learn more about the Physical Plant Customer Service team? More information is available on the Physical Plant web page. You can get in touch with Gloria at gloria.ruizcervantes@wisc.edu.
by Alyna Hildenbrand
Alyna is a strategic communications student intern with FP&M Marketing & Communications. She is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in Journalism with a certificate in Sports Communication. Alyna has been working at FP&M since March of 2026.