As the adage goes, "Like father, like son." It certainly applies to Doug Woolf, a senior physical plant mechanic in Facilities.

Woolf, who recently marked 30 years with campus, was working for his father, a general contractor in Dixon, by the age of 12.

He was only doing menial tasks, like sweeping floors, Woolf said, but he was inspired by seeing firsthand how timing, materials and creativity would come together as a project moved steadily toward completion.

Woolf continued working for his father through high school and, after a stint in the Air Force, started at UC Davis when he was 23.

"I always liked doing things with my hands and I always enjoyed the satisfaction of doing something that turned out well," Woolf says. "I've had the opportunity to do other things, but I like this."

Woolf performs a variety of tasks, from ceramic tiling to plastering and epoxy work. Last week, his tasks included pouring concrete for the campus hydrogen fueling station as well as replacing carpeting in Shields Library with vinyl tile.

"I don't have one job that I'll do for more than about two days," he says, noting that the mix of work appeals to him.

He makes sure to keep variety in his home life, too. The Dixon resident loves to travel and has been to the Bahamas, Alaska and Puerto Rico. He also recently bought a Dixon fixer-upper home to work on in his spare time and then re-sell.

Finally, there's Woolf's most prized restorative work: his replica 1964 Ford Cobra. He purchased the car four years ago in Canada and spent the next four months whipping it into shape.

With the help of some friends he has put in a new motor and transmission. Woolf's ride was featured at Picnic Day's small car show two years ago, and he hopes to put in an appearance at Reno's Hot August Nights auto show this summer.