Marty Schell - November 16, 2001
Our Applause awardee for November is Marty Schell in the School of Biological Science. As her nominations say, the award "would recognize her loyal and steadfast commitment to running the daily operations of the School and her outstanding efforts at meeting the challenge of incorporating new business into the operation of the department... Marty is the Administrative Assistant in the School and job description includes the following duties: Budget Management... Personnel Management ... Building & Facility Management ... Instructional Coordination & Room Scheduling ... Inventory Reports & Special Projects...

"Marty has consistently performed each of these functions very well on an annual basis for over the past 10 years. Many recognize her as the person most directly responsible for the smooth operation of our unit. This is evident from last year's evaluation. The staff and faculty of the School recognized her as being one of only a few employees who exceeded job expectations in all categories. We both recognize that her job is a difficult one because people generally turn to her to solve daily problems, often redirecting her effort form the task at hand. The fact that she gets the "job done" is a testament to her commitment.

Marty also took on some very significant new challenges in the past few years:
1. The first major challenge met was the implementation of the new SAP system in the department...
2. A second major challenge for her has been the development of a business partnership with the Beadle Business Center operation...
3. A third major effort has been directed toward participation in the new A&S Alliance system with SBS becoming part of a working alliance with Physics and Chemistry...

"Finally, it is most appropriate to note her very substantial effort to actively participate in departmental "team building" efforts... she soon embraced the approach and has been a "leader" in encouraging better communication that has now headed staff relationships in the right direction. This is a real success story. "

Kay Haley - October 19, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Kay Haley, staff secretary in the Department of Physics and our awardee for the month of October. As her nominations state, "Kay's major responsibility is to process all the paperwork related to the new and present graduate students... Actually a more honest statement would be that she does all the 'real' work. We have about 60 graduate students and we admit 10-12 new students every year. She processes tons of documents required for the admission process. Once they are here, she keeps track and processes documents required by the Graduate College at various stages of their standing in the program. Technically this is my responsibility as Graduate Chair but guess who does the work!? She also has to make sure that every thing is in order so that the students get paid as RAs and TAs throughout the year. Thus she is the workhorse of the Graduate Committee and goes out of her way to do it all with a smile... Finally, the heavy load of Graduate Committee work does not stop some of my colleagues to pile on her other work which she does gladly... While a number of faculty (and I) form the admissions committee, Kay Haley IS the committee."

Linda Hotovy- September 21, 2001
Our Applause awardee for September is Linda Hotovy in the School of Biological Sciences. As her nominations state, "She started out with our main office in Manter Hall as a workstudy student while obtaining her Bachelor Degree in Accounting. After graduation, she stayed on in the School as a Staff Secretary II until our Accounting Clerk III position came open 4 years ago...

"[Since] Biological Sciences was already doing a project accounting system (using Bottom Line), Linda became involved with Dale Zimmerman and other departments by attending working meetings to assist in the setting up of project accounting within the SAP system. Our department was one of the first to go on line with project accounting and as a result of Linda's enthusiasm about SAP, she has assisted with the SAP training classes in financial and reporting by being an assistant during the classes. She continues her involvement with SAP and is currently serving on the Department Accounting Committee of the UNL Business Council which is looking at accounting processes...

"Linda works with over a hundred cost center numbers, being able to remember and recite those 10 digit numbers for 100s of accounts should be worthy of an applause award in itself! However, Linda always goes the distance when staff, students and faculty enter her office with questions, no matter how obscure those questions may be... "When you have a question for her or need something taken care of she is cheerful and quick. She handles everything expeditiously. I have had several incidents of misdirected bills that she quickly sorted out.  She has streamlined the process of travel authorization. She provides timely updates on the status of grant and departmental funds. Her efforts have simplified a number of tasks. Because of Linda I can do my work more efficiently...

"This past spring, Biological Sciences has decided to make an on-line ordering system whereby professors can enter their orders on a form on their computer and send it to our purchasing personnel in the main office for ordering. Linda took this project to heart and designed the form, worked with computer people to get it set up and as a result of her determination and extra work, we just recently have eight of our 40 professors placing their orders via computer...

"Linda is a very dedicated, hardworking, analytical person who is not afraid to approach problems, new projects and her daily tasks with a real vigor and love for accounting practices and learning new things... She is gregarious, friendly and knowledgable... a definite asset to the School of Biological Sciences..."

Melissa Dunne- August 24, 2001
Our Applause goes out this week to Melissa Dunne, Graphic Designer in the Arts & Sciences Publications Office. As her nominations state, "My compliments relate to the annual Report... I was encouraged to "jazz" up the production value of the Report so that the Gov, etc would be sure to read it... the first place I called to find out about improving the appearance of the Report was Publications/Graphic Design at A&S... We have been working most closely with Melissa recently, so I called her directly. Of course I got the help I sought. Melissa offered to see me immediately, and she and two of her colleagues looked over my Report and made suggestions regarding how to quickly and inexpensively enhance the "curbside appeal" of the Report... Since then, I have already received several compliments about the way the Report looks and requests that I send a copy of the Report to this person or that person. Now, I can't tell you whether we would -- or would not -- still be getting this positive response had we not gone to Melissa et al., but I can tell you it is a great feeling for us knowing that production expertise is available from such nice and competent people...

"Over the past year, Melissa has designed and laid-out the Public Policy Center's Policy Seminar Series brochure.  She has done a wonderful job, which should be recognized by the university.  Here's an example with the on-line brochure:  http://ppc.unl.edu/seminar2000/seminar2000.htm...

"while I was planning Dr. Mihir Banerjee's Memorial Service, [s]he helped me design the Memorial program that was given to each guest upon entering the service. Time was of the essence and Melissa certainly came to my rescue. The Banerjee family especially remarked about how tasteful the program looked and they were very happy with the results. I, in particular, cannot thank Melissa enough for the prompt attention she gave to this matter. Melissa's pleasing manner and excellent skills made everything so pleasant for completing this task..."

Melissa Dow - August 10, 2001
It is not without precedent that co-workers in the same office receive our Applause on successive occasions. Pat Klein received our Applause last time, and now we are pleased to announce that Melissa Dow receives our Applause. Her nominations describe Melissa "as the 'backbone' to the business operations of the college business office. She provides the essential internal support and framework necessary for the on-going flow of financial data in and out of the Dean's Office. As the Business & Operations Analyst, the service that Melissa provides to the college is extraordinary in that much of it is performed behind the scenes. She single-handedly maintains the college financial system, managing all college commitments from the point of initiation to the actual transfer of funds. Her extensive financial background has become a highly-valued asset to the college business office, providing painstaking attention to details in all that she does. She has a keen business sense and is adamant about following best business practices. She is currently involved in [and actually recently completed] reconfiguring the college's financial system to make it more SAP-compatible. Melissa also has responsibility for interpreting and managing the college's faculty travel program. She does this with great skill and diplomacy while often educating faculty and administrators as to current college policy. Financial integrity is essential, particularly in a college the size of Arts & Sciences. We are very fortunate to have an employee with the education, skill set and ethical fortitude as does Melissa Dow."

Pat Klein- July 27, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Pat Klein. As her nominations say "One criteria for the Applause award is that the individual's service to the college is extraordinary. This, without a doubt, describes the service provided to the College of Arts & Sciences by Pat Klein. Pat is the Business Coordinator, and has worked in the Dean's Office since 1996. In this time she has been instrumental in building the current financial system used by the college business office. She is responsible for coordinating the college merit process and has streamlined and documented procedures to simplify what is an arduous undertaking each year. Pat uses her business and accounting expertise to provide the college deans with timely, reconciled financial data and mentors department personnel in a multitude of areas including salaries and budget, student and grad employment issues, time reporting, SAP interpretation and reconciliation, etc. She is the 'go-to' person who, with an unending supply of patience and tact, works through the toughest of problems, persevering to resolution... She is an extraordinary individual, who approaches every aspect of her life (business and personal) with a positive, up-beat attitude. She always takes time for a cheerful 'Hello' and makes anyone she meets feel welcome and important..."

Jane Kaufmann- July 13, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Jane Kaufmann. As her nominations state, "Jane is Staff Secretary II in the Center for Science, Mathematics & Computer Education.  She is very often the front door to the University... As a non-Museum department housed in Morrill Hall we *regularly* receive calls for information about Morrill Hall and Teacher's College (Education is in the Center name). Jane acts as the operator and directs everyone to the correct area...  Since we are listed in the white pages of the telephone book we often receive calls for the "education department", teacher certification, general information, or someone wanting to get football tickets!  She has even received a call asking for assistance with bicycle repair.  She handles them all with professionalism and humor.

"Jane is in charge of the JUMP (Junior Mathematics Prognosis) Program. She communicates with the JUMP coordinators (high school mathematics teachers) at Nebraska High Schools; sending and receiving tests and returning the graded tests.  She also handles all correspondence for the Director.  She has assisted with the Research on Learning conference, Women In Science (this will be our 3rd annual), Celebration of Math and All Girl/All Math special events... She has recently taken on some additional duties, as the accountant has been out of the office for extended maternity leave. She handled these tasks with great efficiency... During the time she had to take on additional duties she did so with a smile and no complaints...

"Jane's first love is teaching.  She holds a certification in elementary education (all the better to handle the rest of us when we get unruly!).  She is a great asset to the Center and the College, as well as the University.  She is really a joy to work with."

Glenda Moore- June 29, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Glenda Moore in the Women's Studies Program. As her nominations state, "Glenda, as the only staff person in Women's Studies, handles an amazing amount of different tasks, from meeting and greeting students, whether they be senior Women's Studies majors or students looking to complete their one required "diversity" course; to handling the budget; to preparing the Course Description Booklet each semester, organizing the Women's Studies graduation reception each semester, ordering videos and updating the video catalogue, arranging meetings of the advisery Committee and taking the minutes at those meetings, etc., etc., etc... She is always cheerful... and handles all of her tasks with skill and grace.  In addition, she is an artist in her own right and has given her art work to Women's Studies to use as their logo.  Glenda makes Women's Studies feel like home to both students and faculty, young and old, new and experienced...

"she is an up-beat, positive and caring professional... patient and helpful to all students who visit the Women's Studies program. She is inevitably willing to take the extra time to make sure that every student leaves the office with all the information and support requested. Glenda has worked hard to make the Women's Studies offices a well organized, attractive environment...

"Glenda has an extraordinary ability to relate effectively to others.  She approaches every interaction with a genuine desire to be helpful. No matter how busy she is, she answers every phone call or greets every student or visitor with her full attention.  She is patient and kind, even in frustrating situations.  Students are especially appreciative of the extra effort that Glenda is willing to expend on their behalf... She has the skills to do many things well, and she has the ability and takes the initiative to learn new skills when faced with a new challenge...

"She works independently, making sure that routine tasks are carried out regularly and meeting deadlines.  She takes responsibility for all facets of her job. At the same time,  she works well as a collaborative team member, contributing ideas to planning and brainstorming... Her ability to conceptualize and then organize a task was especially evident as we prepared to move the office from Avery Hall to Oldfather. Glenda thought about both the small details that would be involved as well as larger issues concerning furniture, phones, computers, and equipment. When things didn't go according to plan, she was resilient and took it in stride.  She is simply indispensible for her skills and also for her ability to make the office a pleasant place to work with people."

Marilyn Augustyn- June 15, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Marilyn Augustyn in Computer Science. As her nominations say, "She is not only our Graduate Secretary but also handles class scheduling and curriculum issues... {The Graduate Committee Chairman] often marvels at her tenacity and her ability to handle difficult and multiple, at times seemingly impossible tasks... managing the day-to-day affairs of current graduate students (125 strong) and processing over 500 graduate applications (Spring and Fall recruiting seasons combined)... Marilyn is also responsible for helping the Curriculum Committee, course scheduling, and other ad hoc, but no less demanding, Departmental functions (ABET, Academic Program Review, etc)...  work involved with the Graduate and Curriculum Committees is... the most time-consuming and energy-demanding among all Departmental Committees, considering that both committees' work is critical for the missions of the Department and continuous on a daily basis. It would not be an exaggeration to say that without Marilyn, either Committee would be rendered dysfunctional...

"Marilyn has a very pleasant and friendly personality. She has the natural ability to make people [who] work with her feel completely at ease and comfortable... Those who come in contact with Marilyn notice and appreciate most her quiet competence in whatever she does. She picks up new computer skills very quickly and is very generous with her time in training others who are not as quick as she is. We know when we give a job to Marilyn that it will be done well, with grace, and on time... In other words, she serves as (and preserves) our organizational memory..."

Mary Klucas - June 1, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Mary Klucas in the Dean's Office. As her nominations state, "Mary has been an integral part of the Dean's Office staff since she first transferred up here 3 1/2 years ago. She has since produced procedural reports for the curriculum process of the college, effectively streamlining the process for all involved. She is always available to faculty, chairs, and staff members who have questions about curriculum or College committees. During part of June and most of July [of 2000], the Dean's Office was short 2 support staff members. Mary went the extra mile to make sure that things still ran smoothly for everyone in the office, as well as handled requests from departments and students, and finished her own work as well! Mary is continually coming up with easier and better ways to manage the budget, handle the curriculum process, and help the entire Dean's Office, departments, and the College as a whole. She is willing to help out anyone at any time, in short, she is a true "team player"...

"Mary has... responsibility for curriculum issues, updating the Undergraduate Bulletin, and coordinating materials and meetings for several college committees, including awards, faculty instructional development, and distinction.  More recently, Mary has taken on additional duties associated with the office budget.  In all these areas, Mary has been terrific.  She handles the deluge of phone calls, emails, and mail smoothly and professionally, does a wonderful job of scheduling committee meetings and preparing materials, is a whiz with curriculum changes, and keeps at least one associate dean organized.  Mary is particularly outstanding in her command of curriculum issues.  She has a superb knowledge of the approval process and procedures at the college and university levels, as well as a fine memory for past curriculum decisions--both the faculty who prepare proposals and the curriculum committee who reviews them frequently rely on her knowledge and advice.  Her procedural knowledge and memory are equally important for the awards and distinction committees.   On top of her regular duties, Mary helps out wherever she is needed, organizing files, storing boxes, and filling in for the assistant to the dean.   She does all this with a quick smile and a great sense of humor.  She is great at her job and great fun to work with...

"Mary's  interactions with the [College Curriculum] committee or with individual committee members is invariably professional, helpful, and from my observations, always of the highest ethical character. In our meetings she is articulate and persuasive; she is at ease with the range of faculty personalities on the committee and is able to maintain a sense of decorum and good humor during our sometimes free-wheeling and impassioned discussions. In summary, I perceive Mary to be a very effective facilitator of our committee's work. The success and efficiency of our work, to a very great extent, is due to the dedication, skill, and professionalism of Mary Klucas...

"it'd be more appropriate... for Mary to receive an "Unbelievably Important Person" award or a "We Can't Do Without This Person" award... work in the Dean's Office is never predictable in terms of how much of it there is, who's around to do it, its complexity and difficulty, and when it has to be done.  I think all the deans would agree that Mary is the one we depend on to get things done.  She has the institutional memory to remember how things were done in the past and she has the skills and the confidence of others (in the office and in departments) to move things along in a productive direction.  She is extremely conscientious and doesn't settle for anything less than a job very well done.  What with the comings and goings of people in the office (deans and staff) and the kind of the work we do, I don't know where we'd be without her.  She's a rock..."

LeAnn Messing - May 18, 2001
Our Applause goes out to LeAnn Messing in the English Department. As her nominations state, "In addition to keeping the office running smoothly, LeAnn also oversees the processing of reimbursement vouchers for faculty, keeps the general flow of paperwork running smoothly, assists in the many requests from students and faculty that come her way each day, and for the Film Studies Program... In addition to all of this, she juggles a multitude of other tasks with style, grace, and unfailing good humor, and without her, the Department of English would be immeasurably diminished. Indeed, she is at her desk every day to assist the many students and faculty who pass through our offices, and despite the heavy traffic, LeAnn has time for everyone, and still does her job with precision and real care...

"Like quite a few of my colleagues in the English Department, I have a silent agreement with myself: when LeAnn eventually retires, I'm leaving, too--because I can't imagine working here without her presence.  She's one of those rare people who can wrestle with several wildly disparate tasks at once (sort of like juggling a bowling ball, a hatchet, and a flaming kewpie doll), and keep herself focused on each of them, all the while never losing her sense of humor.  She's someone who knows how to do almost everything in the office, and she's willing to take the time to share what she knows...

"what makes her truly worthy of an Applause Award is her remarkable ability to work effectively with a wide variety of faculty, staff and students.  Her mode is very Nebraskan:  good natured but straightforward and frank with an edge of tongue-in-cheek humor.  She is master of a not-too-threatening sarcasm  that has made her a legend in the Department.  LeAnn brooks no nonsense from anyone, not even a Chair or distinguished professor...  It is a pleasure to see her josh people out of the self importance that makes them think their needs should take priority over other people's needs.  But at the same time, she is generous at helping people get their work done and she never jokes about serious matters... No one is ever offended because she keeps her retorts good humored, and we know that she will help us with whatever problem we have.  LeAnn also helps keep the tone of the English office suitably raucous for an operation that prides itself more on its accomplishments than its sense of decorum. The constant bantering and occasional outrageous practical jokes defuse the tensions that could otherwise paralyze an overworked group of people who have made multi tasking a fine art.  LeAnn is a Master of the Revels who keeps morale high among a rather large and stressed group of faculty and graduate students while in fact delivering a large amount of high quality work...

"Our student workers tend to stay in the department throughout their academic careers, in large part due to her skill in working with them. LeAnn has a keen sense of humor, and she uses it to make the English Department Office an enjoyable place to be, not only for the student workers, but for her colleagues and the faculty. In her 20 plus years in the department, she has been an outstanding worker at whatever tasks she's been assigned. Again this fall, she has managed to find office space, phones, and computer connections for all of the new faculty and graduate students. She's patiently teaching new faculty how to use our temperamental FAX machine, applauding them after they send their first successful FAX. In addition to her supervisory responsibilities, she capably oversees all of the department's purchasing and travel activity. Although her job is a very busy one, she takes the time to recognize and celebrate special moments for those around her. I think it is time to celebrate her!

Lori Ratzlaff - May 4, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Lori Ratzlaff. As her nominations state, "Lori Ratzlaff is an outstanding secretary in the Department of Sociology in all areas of performance. She is articulate, helpful, insightful, and hard-working; and she possesses an excellent sense of humor... Lori is always patient with the multiple demands that student and faculty continually make on her. Despite the constant interruptions and different demands, she responds with alacrity and fairness. This includes a frequently ringing telephone, deliveries of mail and articles to be handled ranging from lost items to books and even posters to be delivered. Without a sense of humor, this job would be impossible... Her support of our Departmental Centennial celebration, for example, reveals her extraordinary dedication. She handled phone calls from alumni and speakers, copied alumni anecdotes and helped make posters to display these items, compiled notes; made arrangements at hotels, helped with the pamphlet schedule, and caught several errors... She goes that extra mile that makes our faculty lives richer...

"For the past four years I have been a graduate student/TA in the Sociology Department. Throughout, Lori Ratzlaff has facilitated my experience, going far beyond the requirements of her job as department receptionist. Lori daily juggles many jobs in our department; and I am sure that her activities extend well beyond the routine duties listed in any official job description. For example, while Lori does the official tasks of promptly relaying messages and ensuring that syllabi, assignments, quizzes, and exams are copied and in graduate student and faculty boxes, she also willingly does this frequently as a "last minute" request. Lori also serves as a human calendar/organizer for many of us. Over the years Lori has made sure that I was aware of departmental and university deadlines, that I receive the videos I require on time (again oftentimes last minute requests), that I receive messages from my students, that my textbooks are ordered on time. (And, if I do not receive them she is always willing to check on them for me). Perhaps the sheer magnitude of this will become apparent when one realizes that Lori does not only do this for me, she does the same thing for our sixteen faculty and forty other graduate students...

"When you ask her to do something, you can depend on her to follow through and complete the work. Lori has welcomed taking on new responsibilities. Her quality and quantity of work and ability to work well with others is exceptional... She always maintains her cheerful disposition and considerate handling of interpersonal relations, which is an important ingredient in producing a well-run and low-stress department... She does an excellent job of relating and answering questions and assisting faculty with their needs. We are very fortunate to have Lori working in Sociology, because she is a real asset to the department."

Kari Ronning - April 6, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Kari Ronning in English. As her nominations say, "Kari Ronning has been working as Assistant Editor for the Willa Cather Scholarly Edition since 1990 and her contributions have been crucial to the continuing success of the project. She has over these years provided consistently outstanding performance in carrying out her many duties--which are (1) managing correspondence with publishers, libraries, and volume editors of the Edition at other institutions here and abroad; (2) teaching and supervising graduate students in the collation of texts, in research for explanatory notes, and in library searches for relevant texts; (3) writing Historical Introductions and Explanatory Notes herself for individual volumes in the Edition; (4) preparing and monitoring grant proposals for the project; and (5) managing the on-going work schedules of the editors in their work on the assigned volumes, preparing the volumes as they are submitted to the University Press, and responding to Press queries about submitted materials. How she manages to keep all this straight and moving along for the project is a marvel. It is truly outstanding work. Her contributions are recognized in the volumes of the edition we have produced so far, namely A Lost Lady, My Antonia, Death Comes for the Archbishop, and Obscure Destinies...

"She now knows more about Cather's life and work than anyone in the world except Susan Rosowski, and has learned an almost incredible amount about the details of producing a CSE-approved series of texts... She is the equal of any colleague: the breadth of her knowledge and the tactful way in which she comments on the drafts of the dozen or more scholars involved with the edition is exemplary, as is her attention the thousands of details involved in producing a multi-volume edition...

"Dr. Kari Ronning has made an incalculable difference to the project by the consistently exemplary quality of her work...  Coordinating personnel on an editing project is, surely, akin to herding cats.   In a large collaborative project such as the Cather Edition - fourteen faculty are on the project, 4 here and 10 from other universities; in addition, students serve as research assistants coordinating schedules, filing reports, scheduling tasks--all are critically important to keeping work on track.  What is remarkable about Dr. Ronning is not only that she does it so well, but also that she does it with such grace...

"Kari has made her expertise available in extraordinary ways... she has mentored many, many students who have served as research assistants on the Cather edition... one in particular who suffered a terrible personal trauma during her first weeks of graduate study.  She remained in school, however, working some 10 hours a week conducting collations and proofreading with Kari.  Upon her graduation 2 years later, she described the difference it made to work with Kari, who showed great respect, consideration, and warmth toward.  "I found it restful to work on the project," she said; and "that was because of Kari's steadiness and goodness."

"all of us who have worked with Kari recognize that her impact goes beyond the extraordinarily high quality of her mind, to the extraordinarily great impact of her character.  Kari Ronning is a woman of enormous generosity, sensitivity, and integrity, as well as of great wit.  Her impact over the years of this project has been truly extraordinary..."

John Teets - March 23, 2001
Our Applause goes out to John Teets, the recipient of SEVEN nominations from several departments in the College. As his nominations state, "John is the College of Arts and Sciences Technology Support Specialist.  He is in charge of allocating student technicans to departments and making sure they accomplish their tasks effectively and in a timely manner.  He does an excellent job in this supervisory role.  He is especially keen on discovering whether the technicans are doing their jobs effectively, the quality of their interaction with staff, and their level of competence.  He uses our feed back to correct problems and enhance the level of training and expertise of the workers...

John is known to probably every member of the College of Arts and Sciences due to his expertise and kind, patient help with our computer problems.  I know whenever I have called on John he has been timely, courteous, friendly, and most importantly, he has been able to address my computer question or problem with speed and expertness!... John's knowledge of computing and networking leads him to be the expert of last resort.  That is, we must depend on John if one of the student technicans fails to solve a problem.  In these situations John's readiness to help and his sympathetic understanding has a calming effect on crisis situations... We know that John will get the job done in the best way possible no matter how long it takes.  This gives everyone the kind of confidence they need in order to use computer technology to its fullest...

John is dedicated, personable, competent and outstanding in carrying out his duties. He responds promptly to calls for assistance with computer -related problems and handles his task always with a smile. Besides taking care of the problems, he explains what he does during trouble-shooting and assists in enhancing one's understanding of computers... One of John's real strengths, I believe, is that he is able to provide assistance to folks who are not computer experts, leaving us with the knowledge and skills we need.  He does all this without making us feel we have asked a stupid question (when in reality probably we often have done so!)...

His kindness and humor, combined with intelligence and expertise, make John Teets a true gem on the UNL staff.  He is very deserving of recognition and thanks."

Nancy Knapp - March 9, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Nancy Knapp, secretary in the Institute for Ethnic Studies. As the nominations say, "Nancy is the main reason our program functions as well as it does! In the past few years, the Institute experienced a period of staff turnover which, coinciding with our move to new offices about a year ago, left the office in a state of confusion. After a couple of months on the job, Nancy had tamed the chaos of our files and restored order to the office. She is efficient, pleasant, and able to juggle the multitude of tasks involved in running an academic program. The tasks she performs vary tremendously, from organizing conferences, colloquia and speaker series; dealing with students who come in for advising; laying out and editing newsletters; doing all of our ordering and monitoring budgets; supervising student workers; and keeping track of all the minutia of running an office... Nancy regularly goes beyond the call of duty.  Our program frequently sponsors activities after hours and on weekends and Nancy often comes by...  She is also a whiz at efficiency.  I often find myself thanking her for reminding me about a looming deadline or task that has slipped my mind.  All important documents are turned over to her because her filing system makes sense and I don't have to worry about important documents disappearing from my desk.  She also completes projects quickly and neatly...  Nancy is a dedicated and supportive staff person; she does not hesitate to give suggestions that will improve the efficiency of the office.  She's been a pleasure to work with..."

Dave Magwire - February 23, 2001
Our Applause goes out to Dave Magwire of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. As the nominations say, "Dave works in our business office. He is extremely reliable, careful, and friendly. The thing that really impresses me about him is the way in which he follows through on orders that we place with various companies for scientific equipment. These companies are often difficult to deal with and slow in shipping orders. Dave stays on their case until we, the customers, have received satisfaction from them. He really goes the extra mile to make our lives easier... a good friend with lots of helpful ideas and extremely resourceful... Dave has a great reputation in the department and strives to do his best. Dave has a great sense of humor which is always needed when dealing with so many faculty and staff."

Gretchen Walker - February 9, 2001
Our awardee this week is Gretchen Walker. As her nominations say "Gretchen is the pivot of the Center for Great Plains Studies. She has a remarkable ability to manage all the complex responsibilities of the job... and she does it all with a quiet authority and grace. She is marvellous in the area of public relations and I have never seen her rattled... She has an extraordinary ability of communicating "welcome" to everyone who contacts the department by the warmth and good humor of her voice and manner. Gretchen is responsible for more than just day to day office management. She also manages the payroll and fiscal accounts for all of the Center for Great Plains Studies programs, including the annual symposium, and applies "first aid" to authors' articles for Great Plains Research and Great Plains Quarterly so the editors can "read" them. As if that were not enough to do, she recently added the responsibility of managing the financial account for UNL's Research Centennial and its two symposia, and is also managing financial records and registration for the upcoming International Cather symposium... She has shown great initiative, including devising a special report format which goes well beyond the requirements of NEH, but which is sure to impress them and confirm that the Center is a special organization... She coordinated all of the activities necessary for me to assume editorship, made sure everything with the previous editor was up-to-date, and gave me the only orientation I received when arriving at UNL. She is the first person many of my authors and reviewers come in contact with, and they uniformly praise her professionalism and good humor... Ms. Walker can be counted on to come up with new and innovative ways of managing the complex task of publishing a scholary journal. Her ideas for advertising our journal and selling off our back issues have been invaluable to me. She can also be counted on to do more than her fair share of the duties... AND, she does all this with a smile!"

Kathy Borg - Janaury 26, 2001
Our Applause this week goes out Kathleen (Kathy) Borg. As the nominees say, "Kathy is the Foreign Graduate Recruiting Assistant in the Department of Chemistry... A typical day is filled with multiple interruptions by students seeking advice and information, answering the phone and copious amounts of email from international applicants... Kathy has taken an active role in assisting the chairman of the Graduate Recruitment Committee recruiting international students. She performed significant research locating international universities having scientific emphasis and sent recruiting information to those schools... She redesigned a filing system making it easier to obtain student information. She performs her tasks in a cheerful, gracious yet thoroughly professional manner. She is never too busy to greet students, faculty and staff with a lovely warm smile and a friendly hello... Kathy is always watching out for students and will go the extra mile to help them... The entire application/admission process can be confusing and frustrating to these students. A number of our entering student have commented on Kathy's empathy and communication skills during the application and admission process. Once students are here, Kathy provides a caring face in a daunting bureaucracy... Kathy is particularly skilled at drawing out introverted students who would otherwise suffer in silence. If she senses a serious problem, she will work behind the scenes to bring a friend, supervisor or instructor into the situation... A recent example is a project Kathy undertook to locate unused household items from faculty and staff. As the new incoming students arrived Kathy's "donation pile" of lamps, microwaves, linens, tables, etc. were quickly claimed by our newest residents... she devoted one hour of her own time, for several weeks, to assist an international student with his English language skills to meet the requirements for the TSE exam. Her compensation was observing the student's elation upon passing the test and admittance into the Graduate Studies program... Kathy has time and time again demonstrated exemplary service to our students..."

Audine Oehm - January 12, 2001
The first Applause awardee of 2001 is Audine Oehm, an unprecedented THIRD awardee from the Center on Children, Families and the Law. As the nominations say, "Audine has been with [CCFL] for only about a year now, but it is hard to remember how we could have possibly functioned without her. She seemed to immediately make herself indispensable to the management of our training project. Audine"s work ethic and attitude are astounding. She is on top of everything and has the uncanny ability to anticipate our needs and take care of them, sometimes before you even know enough to ask for her help! She is completely reliable and dependable, and if you ask for her assistance with a task you can relax in the knowledge that it will be done (usually ahead of schedule, and always done well). She has exceptional organizational skills, which is a lifesaver for many of us here... She seeks out responsibility and welcomes opportunities to learn new skills... She coordinates all of the training sites across the state of Nebraska to facilitate the training of Protection and Safety Workers who investigate child abuse for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. She is essential in the day to day management of CCFL training schedule... She has recently taken the initiative to help facilitate the implementation of an academy model of training at CCFL. She has developed several techniques that have [streamlined] the facilitation of data gathering for research projects. She recently developed a very polished brochure for the training academy proposal which became [an] invaluable tool in selling the concept to the State of Nebraska. As a result of the brochure the state has embraced the model and feel the concept will be of essential benefit to their work force. Audine is an exceptional employee and a joy to work with..."