Recognizing our outstanding staff

Dean Schaal stands with this year's Outstanding Staff Awardees: (from left to right) Melissa Evers, Elizabeth Fogt, Barbara Schaal, Steven Rosenblum, and Rachel Dunn.

Each year, Arts & Sciences recognizes some of the amazing staff members who do so much for our community every day. This year, Elizabeth Fogt, Rachel Dunn, and Melissa Evers were celebrated for their exemplary service, and Steven Rosenblum received the Dean's Award, which goes to a WashU employee outside of Arts & Sciences who has had a significant impact on our community. Congratulations to the 2017-18 Outstanding Staff Award Winners! Read excerpts from their nomination letters below.

Rachel Dunn, Chemistry
Dunn, the administrative officer in the Department of Chemistry, was nominated by multiple members of the department.

Rachel is described in terms reserved for leaders and heroic figures, such as “a superstar,” “a life saver,” or “the ‘go-to’ person within all of Chemistry.” Rachel is beloved by undergraduate and graduate students as the vanguard of nearly all student advising and assistance questions. She serves as a resource to faculty, especially, who may have questions about policies or procedures, or who need a rapid answer to a query. In that regard, Rachel administers nearly all operations of the Chemistry Department, of nearly 200 faculty, staff, and students...Rachel is the “face” of Chemistry in many quarters. She is the Department contact for Environmental Health and Safety, Human Resources, Facilities Management, Classroom Services, the Office of the Dean of Arts & Sciences, and more. She helps to manage renovation and construction projects, and has had a major, leadership role in the successful renovation of Bryan Hall... Rachel is passionate about her job and dedicated to helping students, faculty and staff. She is truly a “jack of all trades,” and master of everything.


Melissa Evers, Biology
Evers, the accountant in the Department of Biology, was nominated by multiple members of the department.

If you look at the description of Melissa's responsibilities on the departmental web page, you will find that she has a whole portfolio of jobs. Perhaps most important is that she ensures our department is in compliance with university and federal policies... A grants accountant who is also the compliance officer might seem like an intimidating person, since we all care a lot to get things right. But Melissa is a joy to work with, kind, patient, always willing to explain again, or rephrase things until we understand. With her help, we are the best scientists we know how to be, unburdened with the day-to-day management of our grants.
 

Elizabeth Fogt, University College
Fogt, the director of advising and student services at University College, was nominated by multiple members of the department.

It is difficult to reduce to words all of the contributions Elizabeth makes on a daily basis to the quality of student services and advising at University College and all the ways she makes our office a pleasant place to work... As an advisor, Elizabeth establishes a clear roadmap for student academic progress, responding to bumps along the way with understanding and solutions that lead to successful completion of educational goals...As an administrator, Elizabeth provides leadership in developing strategies focused on greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of student services and systems improvements. She was instrumental in developing the campus-wide degree audit system, WU Achieve... It is often repeated that Washington University is an institution that aims to know all its students “by name and by story” and I can say that Elizabeth exemplifies this philosophy.

The Dean’s Award  

The Dean’s Award is presented to a Washington University employee outside of Arts & Sciences who has had a significant impact on Arts & Sciences. The winner is selected by Barbara Schaal, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences.

Steven Rosenblum, Alumni & Development
Rosenblum is the Executive Director of Development for Arts & Sciences and University Libraries.

In addition to his role as Executive Director of Development for Arts and Sciences and University Libraries at Washington University, Steven is also currently serving as Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Planned Giving. Steven worked in Arts & Sciences Alumni & Development from 1999 through 2001 and then transitioned to the Planned Giving Office at the University through 2005. He served as Director of Major and Planned Gifts at the Saint Louis Zoo before returning to Washington University in 2013. He was formerly a member of the St. Louis Planned Giving Council Board where he served as Vice President for Communications and the Leave A Legacy program where he served as Co-Chair. Steven was also the Co-Chair of the Legacy Awards Dinner and served on the planning committee for the “Will to Give” program. Steven is a graduate of Washington University Law School (JD 1992), and his dedication and devotion to the non-profit world and his ability to link high end donors to the institutions he works at has made him a well respected member of both the non-profit community and the legal community.