Quesadillas, Mardi Gras beads and masks, and salsa dancing helped shape this year’s Carnival-themed staff appreciation event, which took place Wednesday, June 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the School of Music band room.
During the event, Dean Lee presented four awards for staff excellence.
Outstanding Academic Support – Michele Wilson, Department of English Writing Center
Nominators said Wilson is “invaluable to the academic support mission of the Writing Center” and she is “effectively a retention bulkhead for first-year students.”
Outstanding Financial Support – Lee Rideout, Department of Psychology
Nominators said Rideout is “a godsend to our department” and “an essential part of the department and overall lovely person.”
Outstanding Technical Support – John Dunlap, Division of Biology
Nominators said Dunlap, who has been the manager of the Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Center for more than 20 years, has “consistently delivered excellent service throughout his time in the facility” and “his most visible impact on the college is the excellent and patient training he provides to students and postdocs at the different instruments.”
Outstanding Teamwork – Administrative Staff for the Department of Theatre and the Clarence Brown Theatre
Recipients include Jill Baker, Sarah Burton, Tom Cervone, Robin Conklin, Charlotte Holland, Susan McMillan, Amanda Middleton, Morgan Moody, Shelly Payne, David Ratliff, Hana Sherman, and Julie Summers.
According to the nominator, “Every year, almost every week, they are busy organizing the varied activities of the department and professional theatre, including eight fully-mounted productions, at least as many development activities, subscription drives, individual ticket sales, guest artist housing and other needs, marketing plans and schedules, graphic design and distribution, front of house and usher training, refreshment ordering and sales, ‘care and feeding’ of individual donors and contributors, tours, outreach, and sometimes baby-sitting.” Congratulations to all the award recipients this year and many thanks to each staff member in the College of Arts and Sciences!
