Applause Awardees-2005

January-David Pinkelman, Biological Sciences
February-Peg Bergmeyer, Chemistry
March-Melissa Dow, Business Office
April-Joyce Hurst, Anthropology and Geography
May-Shelley Everett, Computer Science & Engineering
June-Carrie Althoff, Political Science
July-Victoria Hurd, Biological Sciences
August-Tamara Cartwright, Center for Children Family and the Law
September-Leann Galusha, Chemistry
October-David Dewester, Computer Support Technician
November-Marilyn Johnson, Mathematics

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 November - Marilyn Johnson

With an incredible 15 nominations stemming from the successful meeting of the American Mathematical Society last month, our Applause awardee for November is Marilyn Johnson. This is the second monthly award received by Marilyn. She received a monthly Applause award, and an annual Applause award, in 2002. As a small piece of her nominations say, "The American Mathematical Society recently held its 2005 Fall Central Section meeting on campus and was attended by approx 600 people. This was a three day meeting which also included a plenary talk by Sir Michael Atiyah attended by over 1000 people. Marilyn's outstanding organizational skills and tireless efforts prior to and during the meeting were instrumental in assuring that all went seamlessly... She handled all details of this large meeting, including arrangements for finding classrooms for 22 special sessions of the AMS meeting, the public lecture by Sir Michael Atiyah in Kimball Recital Hall, social arrangements, food, many travel and accommodation arrangements, liaison with the AMS staff people, communication with many of the participants, organization of a large group of volunteers to help with the event, etc. It was a huge undertaking, involving around 560 registered participants at the AMS conference and coordination of a large group of volunteer students, faculty and staff people from UNL and many other institutions, including the AMS. Marilyn's work received particular praise from the AMS staff people and administrative people who came here in connection with this conference and for the inauguration of the Einstein Public Lecture Series in Mathematics. This was a very high profile event for the AMS and for our department, and we could not have pulled it off without Marilyn's exceptional contribution and high level of commitment to make this work. She dealt with all kinds of emergencies and issues that came up, and she did so, as she always does, with good humor, efficiency, professionalism, and a very friendly smile. She was the nerve center that made the conference work. Many participants from out of town commented on the fact that this was the best organized conference they had ever attended, and this is due in very large part to Marilyn's dedication and the high quality of her work...

"All the visitors, participants whom I talked to were immensely impressed. The event was not only a showcase of the department but also a showcase for the university and the city of Lincoln in general... For example, Leslie Hogben from Iowa State wrote: "This was one of the best organized meetings I have ever attended." One of the session chairs said, "At the end of our session all the people applauded our department for having such a great and well-organized conference. Thank you, on behalf of them and me, for all your efforts in making it so." ...

"Marilyn always deserves our praise, but just now deserves our THUNDEROUS applause... Many of our departmental operations would simply grind to a halt without her... She is always responsive, cordial, and efficient. We are fortunate to have Marilyn in our Department...

"Marilyn Johnson could easily qualify as the most dedicated, efficient, and hard-working employee at UNL! Add to that a person who has an incredibly warm, cheerful, and friendly personality, and you have a truly unique individual who is a tremendous asset to our department. She easily does the work of two or three individuals (I speak as a former chair and departmental member for over 20 years). She is the best secretary we have ever had. Without her untiring efforts, all of the special events we have hosted (AMS conference, regional conference, women's conference) would not have gone as well--she makes life easier for all of us, whether handling our grant proposals and budgets, getting all the events organized (refreshments, arrangements, and so on), or doing routine office tasks. Our department would not be the same if she were not present; she carries an unbelievable load. She makes our unit go..."

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October - David Dewester

Our Applause for October goes out to David Dewester, Computer Support Technician reporting to the Dean's Office, but working in Burnett Hall and the Psychology Department. As his nominations say, "“Better. We always have to make it better.” David DeWester, our “computer guy,” said that to me as we were talking (this morning) about his ideas for some improvements in computing facilities in the Department of Psychology. We have 250+ computers in support of our teaching, research, and service, and he helps keep things running smoothly and always looks for ways to make things better. For instance, we have a general purpose computer lab for use by any UNL students, and he recently offered an excellent plan for significantly increasing the capabilities of that lab (within the confines of the limited space). He regularly collaborates with our faculty and staff on a wide variety of ideas and projects. On any given day, you can hear David talking over computing or web issues with a number of faculty and staff, with an eye toward improving our teaching, administration, and research efforts. David also offers much expert guidance on our purchasing of computers and related equipment. I’m confident that his knowledge and recommendations have helped us achieve much more with the money we’ve had available for computers and equipment. A staff member recently told me, “Of all the people in this building, David is the one we would miss the most if he left. What would we do without him?” Let’s hope we don’t have to find out any time soon. David is terrific...

I consider David DeWester to be a genius when it comes to computer and software issues in the Department of Psychology. His computer skills are nothing short of amazing. Whatever the problem, David seems able to fix it. On the rare occasions when he's initially stumped, he researches the problem in order to find a solution. This is a refreshing contrast to the all too common approach of telling people that "nothing can be done" about a problem...

David Dewester has worked as a student and full-time employee for the Dean's Office/Psychology department for the past seven years. During this time David has demonstrated a high level of competency in technical support, extreme creativity in solving problems, and a willingness to go that extra mile to help an end user or the department out. David has totally built the technical support department for the Psychology deparment from basically having no computer support to supporting over 250 computers. In addition, David has earned masters degree in Computer Science and a MBA while working for us. He is currently working on his doctorate in Information Systems. Besides having great technical skills, David also has great people skills and has been a delight to work with. He is truely an asset to our college...

Honestly, we could survive losing almost any other person in Psych but if we were to lose David, we would lose the one person who is the very core of our department. To say that David goes above and beyond his job is an understatement. If you have a computer question, David is the go to person. ... His personality is a perfect compliment to the folks in Psychology. We will continue to buy him chocolate and food if that's what it takes to keep him coming back into our world each day. We are fortunate to have such a competent, kind and generous person working in our department and don't think for one moment that we don't know it!...

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September - Leann Galusha

Our Applause for September goes out to Leann Galusha in the Department of Chemistry. As only a small part of her EIGHT nominations say, "Leann Galusha is the chairs assistant in the Department of Chemistry. In this role, Leann has taken on a remarkable range of duties (too numerous to list but some of the major ones are coordination of faculty searches, handling personnel appointments for new faculty and postdoctorals, putting out a departmental newsletter, and handling all contacts and documents going in or out of the chair's office....). Leann brings to her work the willingness to do whatever it takes to help out others and advance the mission of the department. This may involve staying late to make sure a new employee gets on payroll, working through lunches to make sure a search committee is able to get to needed documentations, or working a Saturday in support of Chemistry outreach activities. On more than one recent occasion, Leann has cheerfully stepped up to help fill a gap as we went through transitions in other offices in the department. Moreover, Leann is the first point of contact for many callers or visitors. Her cheerfulness, problem-solving skills, and ability to stay unruffled in tense situations are a real asset to the department and the university. I don't know what we would do without her...

"Leann is incredible. She has handled multiple faculty searches with diligence and professionalism, she is currently doing all of her work, plus training a new employee, and she pitched in and did an extraordinary amount of work last summer when her supervisor was ill. Even though she is very busy with her normal duties, Leann is the first to offer to help any one else who needs it. In summary, one can always count on Leann to do anything and everything that is necessary to keep her office running smoothly, and to help when needed without being asked. Leann LIVES the commitment to the University and the Department of Chemistry. I wholeheartedly believe she deserves the Applause award...

"Leann has plenty to keep her busy, but she never hesitates to offer assistance to anyone in need. I inadvertently scheduled my vacation during a recent teaching conference hosted by the department (oops). Leann played a vital role during my absence to ensure a smooth and successful outcome... To put it in the briefest possible terms: Leann gets it right. She is pro-active in seeing that room reservations are secured for us, ensures that each member understands the details of the meetings, provides all the amenities at the meeting itself, and is unfailingly polite, cheerful and helpful. She deals constructively and in a timely manner with issues (generally travel-related) that occasionally arise in course of meetings. No better performance could reasonably be expected. I wish to emphasize that the quality of her work is not merely competent but genuinely outstanding... I hope that the picture is clear. Leann exudes energy and cheerfulness simultaneously. Her actions speak very loudly in terms of her willingness to take the initiative and assume significant responsibilities, for the good of the Department and the University..."

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August - Tamara Cartwright

Our Applause for August goes out to Tamara Cartwright at the Center for Children Family and the Law. As only a small portion of her six nominations said, "Tamara joined CCFL in October of 2003 as the System Administrator for the Lincoln - Lancaster County Management Information System (CS-MIS). CS-MIS is a web-based human services client tracking database that is has expanded to included human service agencies across the entire state. In that time Tamara has mastered the multiple requirements and tasks of the management information system software and quickly become the expert on the system in Nebraska and regionally, presenting at a HUD sponsored regional conference in Kansas City. Beyond mastery of the system software, Tamara has worked tirelessly with human service agencies in Lincoln and Lancaster County to train users on the system and develop/program individual agencies applications for using MIS that mesh seamlessly with each agencies practice and clientele while also collecting required state and federal data elements.... When problems or questions arise, Tamara has been very responsive and helpful; using creativity and her technical knowledge to problem solve and meet the needs of the agencies. Tamara also played a major role in convincing other collaborations outside of Lincoln to join the system and worked diligently with their System Administrators to help with the process. As the Agency Administrator for the system at Lincoln Action Program, I don't believe it would have been possible for us to use Service Point as our data collection system without Tamara's knowledge, patience, and hard work!... We have just recently moved servers and all of our data to Nebraska which required extensive amounts of testing and I know Tamara dedicated her whole weekend to doing this, putting in a large amount of time and energy to make sure that everything transferred correctly and was installed correctly. She has always been very forward thinking the whole time I have known her and is always willing to lend a helping hand, go out of her way for agencies and put in the extra effort...

Tamara is one of the most positive and cheerful individuals I've ever met. She has been at the Center not quite 2 years and has made a lasting impression on everyone in the office with her homemade treats, whimsical crafts, tales of car shows she and her husband attend, and of her own 1963 Chevy Nova that she is refurbishing herself. Tamara also spearheads our Center's summer volunteering effort at the Matt Talbot Kitchen, once per month, and is notorious for garnering the best prices for meal ingredients from merchants across the city. Tamara also contributes many original ideas for in-house functions and has endeared herself to everyone who comes in contact with her.... Tamara Cartwright is a committed and talented professional who works tirelessly to support agencies that serve the homeless and near homeless of Lancaster County... [She] goes above and beyond the call of duty both personally and professionally and is well deserving of this special recognition..."

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July - Victoria Hurd

Our Applause awardee for July is Victoria Hurd, Research Technician in the School of Biological Sciences . All seven nominations were received from students, and as they say, "If there has been one person in my undergraduate education who has influenced me to succeed it is definitely Vicki Hurd. Vicki has dedicated several hours not only to Dr. Woodman and his anatomy lab, but also to her students. When I took the class Vicki wasn't my teaching assistant, but she provided continuous guidance to me through her office hours. If it was not for her I would not have succeeded in the class like I did. Not only is she a great teacher, she is a great role model. Now being an anatomy teaching assistant myself I have had the opportunity to become acquainted with Vicki on a professional level. Not only is she a great teacher, she is an awesome person to work with...

"Vicki is an incredible leader in the lab. She has always made learning anatomy fun for the students she teaches. Not only that, she challenges her students in her quizzes and practicals, helping them learn the information better. Her fun and vibrant personality puts a smile on everyone's face... Vicki taught me Spring semester, 04. For being one of the toughest classes I have ever taken, she was the most motivating and helpful instructor I have ever had. She created a warm and fun environment that made students enjoy coming to class. She inspired me so much that now I am a TA with her for the Anatomy Department, and she continues to teach me something new everyday. Vicki keeps things positive and I always look forward to coming to lab. Vicki goes above and beyond her duties as an instructor at UNL, and she has earned this award...

"Vicki is great at what she does. She knows anatomy inside and out (no pun intended). There is never anything she won't help with, questions she can't answer, and her door is always open. She cares deeply for her students and for the interns and TA's. There are very few people who genuinely care for their students learning and success as she does, both personally and in class. She has been an awesome example of what an outstanding teacher should be... She is a great role model for all students because she is very ethical and sincere in her profession. She takes pride in her work and it is very obvious to see this when you enter her classroom filled with an energetic ambiance. For ten years, she has been presenting information to students in a way that stimulates their minds to want to learn as well as challenge their own knowledge...

"Vicki has proven herself to be a human dynamo by also taking on the responsibilities of Lab Coordinator for both Anatomy and Physiology labs while continuing to teach an Anatomy lab section every semester. A testament to her wonderful abilities is the number of Vicki's former students who drop by the lab each semester just to check up on Vicki and how she is doing. Through it all Vicki always has a smile on her face and a kind word to everyone she meets... Its her approachable, non condescending image that makes her such a great person and a great teacher. It is my honor to nominate her for this award. In my three years at this university, I have come across nobody who deserves this more than her. She deserves "the perfect thank you"..."

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June - Carrie Althoff

Our Applause awardee for June is Carrie Althoff in the Department of Political Science. As her nominations say, "Carrie Althoff worked for the political science department as an work study student for several years before working this year as a full time employee. I think I speak for the entire department when I say that she has done an outstanding job. In short, Carrie is competent, dependable, and always pleasant. This award is long overdue. David Forsythe concurs [with the following]: Carrie Althoff was certainly a big help to us in organizing the Hendricks Conference. She efficiently supervised our Graduate Assistants in the run up to the conference and then took pictures at the meeting for our next Departmental newsletter. As is true for her work in the Department in general, she is diligent, effective, and pleasant. An outstanding combination. Kevin Smith, who works closely with her as Graduate Chair, put it this way: During my tenure running the graduate program I have worked with perhaps five people who have held Carrie's position. All of the others were older, more experienced ... and not nearly as capable as Carrie. Carrie's position makes her the "public face" of our program and she deals with people in person, on the phone and through e-mail on a daily basis. In all of the interactions I have witnessed-and I have witnessed many-Carrie has always been professional, helpful and courteous. Carrie has the knack of giving people and their concerns her full attention while never falling behind on any of her other tasks...

"Carrie has been an outstanding employee for us. This past spring our senior staff person has been out with surgery and an extended period of physical therapy. The Department office has not missed a beat. Carrie has not only handled her responsibilities but some of the senior staff duties. Several faculty and graduate students continuously comment on her efficiency and initiative. Carrie is also uniformly liked. She is a remarkable employee and richly deserving of this recognition."

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May - Shelley Everett

With an amazing TEN nominations, our Applause for May goes out to Shelley Everett in Computer Science & Engineering. As her nominations say, " Shelley Everett takes great pride in being a very essential part of the CSE office staff. In the 2 1/2 years she has been in CSE as the Graduate Committee Secretary, she has had anywhere from 100 to 160 graduate students to juggle at one time. She loves working with the students and they love working with her. In addition, she coordinates the class scheduling with the Chair, Vice Chair and Chief Undergraduate advisor. She keeps on top of the ever changing schedule and can tell you exactly what is going on at any given time. Recently, she has been involved with curriculum changes and works closely with the Curriculum Committee Chair. I am always impressed with the professional style in which she presents any materials for submission, whether it be for someone at the departmental level or for other UNL offices. You can always count on Shelley to be at work early and whatever you ask of her, she is always willing to oblige. She is a joy to work with and she has told me many times that she really loves her job. It is a pleasure to work with someone that truly loves coming to work...

"Last August I took over as chair of [the] curriculum committee, and didn't have a clue how to submit our many curriculum changes to the Arts & Sciences and the Engineering Deans' offices. Shelley carefully and patiently gathered information on both colleges' requirements and forms (which, of course, are quite different from each other), and became invaluable in converting my disorganized paperwork into the correct format for each college. Without her, we would still be trying to figure out what to do... To put things in perspective, work involved with the Grad. and Curriculum Committees is, in my opinions, the most time-consuming and energy-demanding among all Departmental committees, considering that both committees' work is critical for the missions of the Dept. and continuous on a daily basis. It would not be an exaggeration to say that without Shelley, either committee would be rendered dysfunctional..

"As a graduate student and as a TA I interact with Shelley almost daily. Shelley does not only have a great and kind personality but she is amazing in organizing and keeping track of each student record. I was astonished the other day when I found an email from her reminding me of an important due date in my paper work. Even more, she offered to finish the paper and take it over to the graduate studies office. Shelley does that for every single graduate student in our department. Her care and kindness makes me feel I that I have part of my family here at school... Shelly is the steady, patient and thorough hand behind our graduate admission and degree progress effort. This system only goes smooth because of the personality and strength of character that sits in the human being that makes that system go - SHELLY!! Quiet, conscientious attention to detail and a very pleasing personality when added together makes Shelly a most worthy recipient of this award..."

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April - Joyce Hurst

Position: Secretary II with the Department of Anthropology and Geography
Years at UNL: 10
Biography: I started working at UN-L in 1997 in Geography and am still here today--only it is now Anthropology and Geography. I have three children, Tera 23, Ryan 22, and Lucas 14. My husband is a retired from the National Guard.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know?
I couldn't decide what to put--so listed three.
I like to go four-wheeling.
I know how to milk cows the old fashioned way.
I am a member of the WOWs with Corie Dolphens (Women Of the Wilderness). (A fictitious club we created when we went camping together years ago. )

If you could have dinner with one person from the past or present who would it be?
Jesus Christ

What is the one goal you would most like to accomplish?
I would love to be physically fit!

As Joyce's nominations say, "One blessing, at least, of being Chair is to be able to recognize members of the department for exemplary performance in the job. In this case, proposing Joyce Hurst for an Applause Award, I can make a recommendation without a single reservation; in fact, this is probably the most unequivocal endorsement I have ever given. Joyce has been employed half-time in the Department of Anthropology and Geography for seven years. She is our face to the world, our forward connection with the students and the general public. She greets everyone as if they were the only person on earth, and on a number of occasions it has been her welcoming manner that has made the difference in a graduate student choosing to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln rather than elsewhere. She is never too busy to give full attention to a faculty member's or student's needs, and in general she accomplishes far more than a half-time appointment requires. I particularly rely on her as an editor, and frequently seek her advice on the content of what I have written, not merely on the grammar. Joyce also initiates projects: better ways to organize files, better procedures for the functioning of the office, better ways to keep in contact with students. She really needs no supervising, but when I ask her to do something, it's done quickly and well. She also attends every feasible workshop offered at the University to enhance her skills; my only fear is that someone else will recognize her skills and take her from us! There is more, however, than just effectiveness at the job. Joyce brings an attitude to the office, a combination of intelligence, work ethic, and humor, that is of immeasurable benefit to the functioning of our department....

She'll bend over backwards to help the students as much as she can. If she can't help them with their questions, she'll find the source to get the answer (or answers) for them. She makes the new students, as well as our current ones, feel so welcome and at ease with our department. We had many students telling our department that she is the reason why they had chosen to come to the University of Nebraska to seek their degree in one of our programs. Not only does she assist the students, she also comes to the aid of our faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants... She provided me with an enormous amount of help preparing my tenure file. She has helped students run down obscure information concerning curriculum, etc. In addition, she is always cheerful, friendly, and more than willing to help anyone who looks lost... Even though I am now an emeritus professor, Joyce continues to greet me with a warm smile whenever I visit the Dept. office, asks about my wife, how we are doing, etc., and overall makes me feel welcome. When I do have a question for her, she gladly provides the answer or promises to find the answer. She is truly a first-class person and a diligent worker...

Considered a part-time employee, Joyce efficiently manages a full-time workload with a light-hearted, friendly and courteous manner. And, even though she takes her responsibilities seriously, Joyce also enjoys a good laugh and is able to find humor in the unexpected. She is able to change an ordinary day to one of pleasant anticipation with her creativeness and spontaneous sense of humor. The department, and the University as a whole, benefit from her dedication, quality of work, and unselfish contributions... Those who have contact with Joyce sense her genuine interest in them and respond to her openness and ability to make them feel welcome and valued. I believe it is to Joyce's credit that many students have made the final decision to attend UNL. She's a great person to know and work with...."

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March - Melissa Dow

Our Applause awardee for March is Melissa Dow. This is Melissa's second monthly award. She also received our Applause in August 2001. As her nominations say, "Melissa Dow has been a member of the College of Arts & Sciences Business Office Team since June 1, 1999 and currently holds the title of Sr. Budget Analyst. In these five years Melissa has excelled in every task and challenge presented to her. She is a model employee who understands the 'big picture' aspect of her responsibilities yet has a keen sense of the minute details that keep things running smoothly. In the last year the Business Office experienced a transition in staff as one 'seasoned' co-worker was forced to resign due to health issues and another employee was hired to fill the void. Through this transition, responsibilities were shifted to present Melissa with new challenges of personnel and budget/salary management. Responsibilities formerly held by Melissa were consequently shifted to the new team member. Melissa accepted an essential role of training and overseeing the day-to-day activities of this new employee with exceptional skill and patience. As a result, the new team member is a very proficient and productive employee thanks to Melissa's very capable guidance. Melissa successfully guided the college through the annual budgeted salary building process this past spring and worked closely with the staff of the City Campus Budget Office, who were also new to the process. She monitored the budget on a daily basis through this process and skillfully identified and resolved all variances. Melissa has an exceptional grasp of the PSL Budget System and is considered one of the 'go-to' persons on campus. Melissa processes and oversees the processing of hundreds of permanent and temporary budget transaction each year. She routinely gives each transaction critical analyses which often allows her to identify potential problems before they are even entered in to the system... In short, Melissa has accepted every challenge and responsibility presented to her and is becoming a true leader in the College. She is reliable and self-sufficient. She leads by example and is a true role model... Melissa is able to interact well with people. She has a knack for explaining what she needs or if there is a problem so that you feel she is working with you, not questioning or disagreeing. Melissa is extremely polite but still very professional... she always seems on "an even keel". She is a joy to work with! ... Melissa amazes me with her analytical skills -- picking out details and determining which need to be examined more closely before an accurate decision can be made regarding expenditure of the funds. She doesn't make assumptions; Melissa thoroughly and meticulously researches the facts to determine the intent of each commitment. Even though the process may be time consuming, she is conscientious about carrying out the commitment as proposed... She's a great role model... The College relies upon Melissa for many of its most complex and important business processes... Many times, she has prepared the perfect report to answer a critical question. Although she is intensely focused when working on a project, her dry humor and wit is never far below the surface..."

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February - Peg Bergmeyer

With an amazing ten nominations, our Applause awardee for February is Peg Bergmeyer in Chemistry. As only a small part of her nominations say, "Peg Bergmeyer is the staff secretary in our general chemistry office. This office is directly responsible for the several thousand students who take CHEM 105, 109, 110, 111, 113, or 114 each year. In addition, Peg is the person who coordinates assignments in our Chemistry Resource Center, the large help center that we staff with teaching assistants and which is used by a huge number of students... However, where I think Peg deserves Applause is for her many other duties she has taken on. For example, she runs the informal "wait lists" for any overenrolled laboratory courses, monitors the teaching assistants to make sure that resource room assignments are covered. She has participated in undergraduate recruiting and outreach activities. Perhaps most significantly, as the first person seen by students trying to contact the general chemistry program, she is the visible face of the Chemistry program to the thousands of studnets described above, and I have observed how effectively she interacts with those students (many of whom are concerned, frustrated, or upset)...

"My first 2 semesters as a graduate student were incredibly challenging. Balancing my courses with teaching and research was a nightmare. Fortunately, I was able to work with Peg in the Resource Center everytime I did my office hours. She is incredibly helpful to not only the undergraduates but also for the teaching assistants. Peg is the go-to person if you have a question or problem. She is the glue that holds that center together... One minute she might collect a late homework assignment from a general chemistry student, and in the next, she might be filling out the paperwork for an organic lab grade change. Professors teaching in the undergraduate program greatly benefit from Peg's assistance. She delivers rosters, types exams, makes copies, orders textbooks, and enters final grades. Peg also works with the graduate students in the department, by helping to oversee the teaching assistants and helping to coordinate graduate teaching assignments. She is unquestionably one of the biggest assets present in the Chemistry Department. From questions on class registration, to borrowing a pencil, Peg is the person to see in the Resource Center. You can't miss her...she is the one that greets you with a smile!...

"Peg has taken on the challenges of the Undergraduate Resource Center and transformed it into a smoothly run, very student friendly area. Ensuring that the Teaching Assistants are adhering to their schedules, Peg has made a big difference in undergraduates having a TA available to help them when needed. Friendly, affable and good natured, Peg makes students, faculty and staff comfortable and helps them with exams, rescheduling classes or exams and anything that needs to have her touch to get it done. Peg can be counted on to go the extra 10 miles to get something done...

"Peg Bergmeyer is ahead of the game... involved in making life easier for all TAs, professors, and students. Peg consistently improves the massive exam night activities by organizing exams, sign in/out sheets, as well as the answer keys. There are over 800 students taking the General Chemistry exam all on the same night and all over campus; without Peg's organizing of the exams and all we would have mass chaos... She is always helping us with the big and small things! THANKS PEG!! ... You might be asking how can she do all this? I don't know, but she does. I know, because I teach in the general chemistry program. And to top it off she does all this with a smile..."

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January - David Pinkelman

Our Applause awardee for January is David Pinkelman in Biological Sciences. As his nominations say, "Dave Pinkelman is the Building Services Technician II for the School of Biological Sciences. He has been working for the School for many years. He is responsible for Manter Hall and the Biological Science labs in the Beadle Center. I will not pretend to know what all of his responsiblities are, but will mention some things that I have experienced and observed, especially this past year. He has been helpful to me on several small projects that have benefited the BioS 101L lab classes in the past year or so, for which I am very grateful. Also,this past year he has been involved in the moving and refurbishing several labs in Manter Hall. Over the summer, there was linoleum flooring put down in the hallways and several of the teaching lab rooms in Manter Hall. As the fall semester drew near and the flooring work in the teaching labs was not finished, many faculty and associated staff become concerned about the completion of this work. Dave worked hard and spend long hours as a liason between the faculty and staff, the contractors and Facilities Services to work out time lines and schedules for the work to be done so that would be the least disruptive to course preparations that needed to take place in those lab rooms. Several of the rooms were finished in time for use and look great! It is beneficial to the students to have brighter, cleaner looking rooms, as it show the sense of pride that we have in our programs here in the School of Biological Sciences and Dave Pinkelman is an intergral part of this. I believe it is important to recognize Dave for all the "behind the scenes" things he has done over the years for the School of Biological Sciences...

"Dave Pinkelman deserves our applause for so many reasons. He is always willing to lend a hand in order to keep the research moving forward. If there is a problem with almost anything, the first person to turn to is Dave. The problem could be a new piece of analytical equipment with a European style electrical plug, a leaking gas tank, a broken regulator valve, or a lab flood of biblical proportions. Dave fixes everything, and does so happily. He is a man of many talents and uses them to the betterment of everyone in the department. Recently we found ourselves in a position of having to spend $17,000 on plastic PVC sticks manufactured specifically for holding biolgical materials in the ground to study the decompostion process. The cost was outrageous but there was only one vendor. About to panic, we approached Dave with our problem. He chuckled out loud and said, "Don't worry, I can teach you how to make them yourself." He told us where to order the material and in fact, did teach us to make them. The project was completed in time and Dave saved us $15,000. He has been such a huge help to so many of us, it is time to thank him for a job well done..."