Scott Dumas: Keeping track of UNT property

	Scott Dumas, associate director of purchasing and payment services for property and inventory, keeps close tabs on UNT's big-ticket items — from trucks to art to lab equipment.

How do you keep tabs on more than $400 million worth of property? Scott Dumas knows how.

Dumas is the associate director of purchasing and payment services for property and inventory. His division tracks and records all the equipment on campus, as well as real property, like land and buildings, and infrastructure items, including sidewalks, lighting and fences.

"We have to keep up with the property from the time that it gets here, all through its history on campus, until we get rid of it, which can be years upon years," Dumas says.

Every item that comes through central receiving — from lab equipment to computers — has a property tag placed on it, which allows Dumas to keep track of that item's location. Over the years, he's tracked some pretty interesting items as they came and went through UNT, including a satellite, a bomb detection dog, synthetic human skeletons, and a solar-powered vehicle designed and built by engineering technology students.

In addition to tracking items and property currently in use, Dumas is involved with disposing of property no longer of use to UNT. He does this through various avenues such as surplus property sales, as donations to other state agencies and through sales by sealed bid.

A 1970 alumnus with a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing, Dumas began working at North Texas in 1971.

Sandy Shelton, director of purchasing and payment services, says Dumas is extremely dedicated and loyal to UNT.

"Anything you need done, he does it," she says. "I have worked with him a lot in many of the jobs I've had in my 27 years on campus, and the thing you always see is that Scott is consistent. He is solid and there for you."

Shelton also says Dumas uses a diplomatic approach to his job.

"He is very conscious about the laws that cover what he does," she says. "But instead of taking a hard line approach and telling people what they can't do, Scott works with them to find a solution."

When he's not in the office, Dumas enjoys going on vacations with his wife, Sharon, and son, Jonathan. Sharon is also a UNT staff member, working as an administrative assistant in the Department of Behavior Analysis. Over the years they have traveled coast to coast, visiting places like San Francisco, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Florida and Washington, D.C.

Besides traveling, Dumas also developed an interest in photography in the early '70s after his uncle gave him an old Argus C3 camera.

"I really enjoy photographing the springtime; the colors are so vivid," he says.

In his youth, Dumas wanted to become an architect, but he says he has no regrets about the path he chose.

"Working at UNT has worked out great for me," he says. "I have met a lot of wonderful people, been successful and am happy with the people I work with and report to."

BY WILLIAM ABERCROMBIE paiswri2@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue:

• Mean Green soars to grab bowl win
• UNT lays out plans for future expansion onto Eagle Point Golf Course property
• Beautification Committee continues work on campus appearance
• Staff survey indicates individual UNT groups place high priority on students, diversity
• Weather closing information
• Faculty Senate holds final meeting of 2002
• Success of holiday drives helps local families
• Special award recognizes longtime faculty member
• UNT departments move to new locations
• Changes may be coming to faculty workload policy

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