2002-03 Outstanding Staff Awards

Back row: Steven Xiao, Evelyn Pena, Elaine Pritchard, Debra Jones, Maria Hunter
Front row: Chris Soukop, JoAnn Achelpohl, Edward S. Macias, Charlie McLeod, Jim Linders, Marcia Holleran, Frank Freeman (not pictured: Anthony Biondo)

JO ANN ACHELPOL
East Asian Studies Program

As administrative assistant, Jo Ann has a keen sense for what needs to be done and when, and she makes sure that everything is done in a timely and competent manner. As a result of her commitment, student, faculty, and university needs are met in exemplary fashion. In all things, she works tirelessly, efficiently, and cheerfully to make sure that the program functions in a way that brings credit to all concerned. As one example, she keeps students' career interests in mind; through her attentiveness and efforts, three students have recently obtained excellent positions following graduation.

ANTHONY BIONDO
Department of Physics
Tony has been an indispensable member of the department's machine shop for over 25 years. His skills are extraordinary and his work has been crucial to the success of virtually every one of our experimental physics research groups. He has also taken on the added responsibility for the departmental shop course, given several times a year to all experimental graduate students. In addition to his outstanding achievements and contributions as a machinist, he completely redesigned the departmental website, voluntarily out of loyalty to the department and largely on his own time, working with many individual faculty members, graduate students and staff to personalize aspects of the site.

MARCIA HOLLERAN
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Always professional, courteous, and cordial, Marcia is the department's 'Go See' person for anything related to student academic records, grant and contract management, biweekly payroll problems, and computer-assisted administration. Faculty, staff, and students know that when they need something done right - and usually - in a hurry - they need to Go See Marcia. Beyond her technical proficiency, she watches out for departmental faculty, reminding them of proposal and reporting deadlines, she helps students by easing them through administrative hurdles, and she is always available to colleagues on the staff, giving technical help along with all manner of sound advice.

MARIA HUNTER
University College
In her position as registrar, Maria is a continual source of constructive ideas for all aspects of student recruitment and service. She advises students, coordinates scholarship and financial aid, makes presentations throughout the region, serves on the University College marketing committee, and is an active member and officeholder in state and national professional organizations. Since joining University College in 1996, she finished her B.S. while working full time and has now finished her M.A. in American Culture Studies. Her experience as a student - plus her own natural abilities and energy - has helped to make her an extraordinary employee.

DEBRA JONES
Department of Asian & Near Eastern Languages & Literatures
Debra has served the faculty and students of Arts & Sciences for 27 years, as the 'glue' that has held together a complex department. The department's administrative assistant, she has throughout exhibited superb organizational skills and equally impressive people skills. Her knowledge of the inner workings of the University is extraordinary, and the
department faculty know that they can always count on her sound judgment and unfailing good sense. She possesses a genuine sense of dedication and commitment to her job, and she is always on the lookout for ways to improve how the department functions

JIM LINDERS
Department of Chemistry
As shop supervisor, Jim is responsible for assistance with design as well as fabrication of machined parts as a service to Chemistry department staff and faculty as well as for others throughout the University. His technical skills combined with his management skills make him an
enormously valued employee. He is recognized for his extraordinary attitude toward the quality and timeliness of his work, for his ability at supervising workflow, and for the professionalism manifest in his abilities at design and in operating computer-controlled lathes and mills in addition to more conventional machines that produce parts with very tight tolerance.

CHARLIE MCLEOD
Arts & Sciences Computing Center
As media and support technical specialist, Charlie has consistently won the praise of faculty and staff in Arts & Sciences departments for his helpful attitude, his technical ability, and his calm demeanor in the face of a technology crisis. Not only technically savvy, he understands that the most important aspect of computer support is the person who uses the machine, and Charlie can always be counted on to handle a difficult situation with tact and patience. He is also always ready to take on long-term projects, many of which have developed into critical services now offered by A&SCC.

EVELYN PENA
Office of International & Area Studies
To her job as financial and office manager, Evelyn brings a dedication and professionalism. As our international programs have grown over the past few years, sending more and more students abroad to all corners of the globe, launching a new first-year program, expanding its international studies major program and increasing its activities in sponsoring speakers
and other special events, financial and administrative matters have grown immensely. Evelyn has kept up with these expanding programs with intelligence, accuracy, attention to detail, good grace, and a high level of competence. She is enormously important to the success of these
programs.

ELAINE PRITCHARD
Department of Anthropology
As business manager, Elaine is responsible for the financial matters of this large and diverse department. She handles course listings and acts as direct supervisor of the main office as well as of work-study students. She is also responsible for all grant accounting for anthropology faculty and graduate students, a major responsibility considering the extensive
fieldwork involved, most of which is supported by outside funding. She is a first-rate problem solver, and her ability to see advantages and drawbacks makes her an excellent planner and valued advisor. She is extraordinarily reliable and universally respected in the department.

STEVEN XIAO
Department of Mathematics
As computer system manager, Steven manages departmental email, installs software, sets up new machines, troubleshoots, and advises. Master of all aspects of this complex system, he seems to be tireless and always available, and in all that he does, he shows great initiative as well as a
wonderful sense of humor. A conscientious and amiable co-worker, no matter how many people are asking for his services, he is never too busy to help. One of his most valuable assets is his independence and creative thinking - he can take a complicated task and handle it expertly and
completely.

DEAN'S AWARD
FRANK FREEMAN
Facilities Planning & Management
As project manager, Frank directs the upgrading, renovation, and building of space on the Hilltop Campus. For a number of years, he has worked with the Department of Chemistry, most recently directing the construction of the new Laboratory Sciences Building. He led this exceptionally demanding effort from the initial programmatic/concept stage, through the architectural and engineering design phase, and then finally, through the construction. Frank brought the project in on time and on budget, despite numerous unforeseen challenges. In addition to a deep knowledge of construction engineering, he has excellent communication, social, personal, political organizational, and motivational skills.

CHRIS SOUKUP
Computing & Communications Information Systems
System administrator for ArtSci and the A&S Prometheus server, Chris is indispensable to the smooth running of our computer systems. He carries his pager everywhere in case something happens, and he is the person who gets up at 3:00 a.m. when the server goes down unexpectedly. He is the one who keeps hackers at bay, who implements system improvements like WebMail, and who adds storage to the servers. Chris has been quick to help above and beyond his customary duties, as he did recently in coming to the aid of an Arts & Sciences department having difficulties with its server.

View More Staff Awards