Behind the scenes at UTA Libraries, small details can shape big outcomes. Gina Garcia, Executive Administrative Assistant to Dean of Libraries John Wang, provides scheduling, communication, and administrative support to help leadership and staff stay focused on one shared goal: supporting student success. 

Since joining UTA Libraries in January, Gina has stepped into a role at the center of how administrative work moves each day. Most of what she does isn’t visible to students, but it shows up in the background, clear calendars, coordinated meetings, and communication that helps different teams stay connected. 

Before arriving at UTA, Gina worked as a registrar in the Mansfield Independent School District. Much of her career in education was shaped by a decision that came first: being there for her son, Erik. 

“I was there to have the same schedule as my son,” she said. “I moved with him from school to school so I could be there.” 

As Erik got older and more independent, Gina started thinking about what she wanted next for herself professionally. That led her toward higher education and eventually to UTA’s Mav Temp program, where she could try out different departments and learn the UT system. 

“I was thrilled, but I was also petrified at first,” she said. “But Mav Temps really felt like a buffet; you get trained in the UT system, and then you can move into different areas when something opens up. The people were so welcoming, and I had a lot of questions, but they never got tired of them.” 

That experience stuck with her. What really stood out was how easy it was to walk up to someone, ask a question, and get help without hesitation. 

As she weighed a few opportunities across campus, Gina kept thinking about her time in the Libraries and the people she had worked with through the Mav Temp program. That’s what guided her decision to choose UTA Libraries. 

Today, Gina supports Dean John Wang and works closely with the Libraries’ administrative leadership team. Her responsibilities include managing calendars, coordinating meetings across campus and UT System offices, arranging travel and reimbursements, and helping keep communication moving between departments. 

She also supports planning efforts across the administrative suite, including Associate University Librarians and project leads. 

“A lot of what I do is just help things stay organized,” she said. “Making sure schedules are clear, and people have what they need so they can focus on their work.” 

That includes putting together shared calendars, tracking meetings and events, and helping sort out timing when different groups need the same space or time. 

“I try to keep things visible,” she said. “So, people can see what’s coming up and plan around it without everything hitting at once.” 

Even though the work moves quickly, Gina describes the environment at UTA Libraries simply. 

“People are just willing to help each other,” she said. “If you need something, you can ask.” 

Outside of work, Gina still finds herself paying attention to how people experience space. She enjoys hosting in a very intentional way, thinking about how a room feels once people are actually in it, not just how it looks. 

“I like making spaces where people feel comfortable,” she said. “When people come over, I’m always thinking about how they’ll actually use the space, where they’ll sit, how they’ll move through it, whether it feels natural.” 

That way of thinking connects back to her background in interior design, where she’s spent years working through ideas for small, flexible living spaces that serve multiple purposes. 

That perspective isn’t new for her. 

As a kid, she remembers constantly moving her bed around to catch natural light as it shifted through the year. “I didn’t think anything of it then, but looking back, that probably says a lot,” she said. 

That same attention to how things fit together shows up in her work at UTA Libraries. Whether she’s coordinating schedules, helping keep communication clear, or working through small logistical challenges, her role is about keeping things from getting stuck. 

It’s not always visible work, but it’s the kind that helps everything else move a little more easily, and keeps the Libraries focused on what matters most, supporting the people who support student success.