We hope you enjoy this series where we meet and get to know employees from across campus. Would you like to be featured? Contact us at campusnews@csufresno.edu.

Name: Joshua Webster
Title: Human Resources Consultant
Department: Human Resources
Academic Degree(s):

• B.A. in business, Fresno State
• M.A. in marketing, Fresno State

How long have you worked at Fresno State and which offices have you worked in?
I have been here for a little over a year, and have been with Human Resources the whole time. I was also a student assistant in the Academic Innovation Center for about 18 months back in 2000-2001, making the high wage of $6.25 per hour, but that was a long time ago.

Are you a Valley native? If not, what brought you to the area and to Fresno State?
I was born and raised in Fresno and have lived here my whole life, except for a three-year period when my family and I lived in Bakersfield. It was always my plan to attend Fresno State as a student and I was fortunate to earn my bachelor’s and master’s from this incredible university.

Are you a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
I don’t know about generations, but my dad received his master's from Fresno State, along with my older sister and her husband, my little brother and my oldest daughter, who all received their degrees here. I was a Rodman Scholar back during my time as a student and my daughter was a Smittcamp Honors student while she attended.

Do you have a campus mentor or someone who has helped you in your career?
I haven’t been here as an employee long enough to really choose a mentor, but when I was a student here, Dr. William Rice in the Marketing Department of the Craig School of Business was a mentor of sorts for me. He opened my eyes to the world of business in a new way and was one of my most dynamic and creative teachers during my time here and he definitely taught me how to think outside of the box.

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
The Human Resources Department is composed of a group of knowledgeable and caring individuals who are here to serve the students, faculty, staff and administrators here on campus. We are here to serve the important needs of these groups in areas like payroll, benefits and safety, just to name a few. What people may not know about Human Resources is that we are not out to get everyone and to say “no” over and over again. We are truly here to advocate for and assist everyone on campus as we all work towards achieving the mission, vision and values of Fresno State.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
One of my most notable accomplishments in my field was earning my professional designation in Human Resources. It was important because it was the frosting on the cake of over 21 years in the field of Human Resources and an acknowledgement of the knowledge and experience that I had gained and continue to gain.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
In my field and in life, I am most passionate about serving others. Over the years, I have loved, and continue to love, being able to help individuals through the good and bad times of their lives, whether it was helping them prepare for an interview for a promotion or showing them the options and services that were available to them following the death of a loved one. I also love it when after explaining a certain policy or benefit to someone, perhaps for the tenth time, a light goes on for them and they truly understand what I have taught them. I can imagine it is a similar feeling for our wonderful faculty as they are teaching our students.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job?
My job is made up of many memorable moments and the ones I enjoy are when I meet the new hires that I offered the jobs to over the phone. It is fun to see their faces on their first day and for them to thank me for the opportunity of working here. I’m not in this for the praise, but it is nice to be thanked every once in a while.

What is a memorable moment you had in class?
Early on in my education here, I remember being called out in class for not doing a project quite the way the professor wanted. Although I was a little embarrassed, I remember taking that criticism, learning from it, and becoming a better student and overall learner because of it.

What is your teaching style?
Not that I’m a teacher by trade, but we are all teachers in our own right each and every day. I see myself as having a participative teaching style. As I’ve done various Human Resources trainings over the years, the ones that have turned out best are the ones where the employees were actively engaged and participating while learning the material.

What is the most interesting or unusual job you've ever had?
I wish I could say that I had a summer job wrestling alligators, but nothing that exciting. Before I came to Fresno State, I worked at Whole Foods Market in Human Resources and I was based in the Fresno store. My job had its interesting times in Human Resources, but I was also able to get onto the sales floor and interact with the customers and employees in various departments. One of the most unusual jobs, for me, which I was able to learn and help out with was in the bakery department. I was able to decorate some cupcakes occasionally (very basic decorating) and I learned how to burn crème brulé, which was unusual, and out of all the crème brulés I burned, I only burned myself once.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
I love to spend time with my family and either watch movies or get into the outdoors and go camping and hiking.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
Not that I’m all too interesting, but I do love to bake and go whitewater rafting (which I’ve done five times).