L&S workers recognized for achievement

Twelve individuals in the College of Letters and Science have been recognized for their exemplary work during the past academic year.

“Our academic and classified staff members are vital to our mission, and these individuals have distinguished themselves by making excellent contributions that have made this a stronger college,” Gary Sandefur, dean of the college, said in announcing awards for academic and classified staff.

This year’s winners of the L&S Academic Staff Excellence Awards are:

Patrick Barrett, administrative program specialist in the Havens Center in the Department of Sociology, and Emily Hall, associate faculty associate in the Writing Center in the Department of English, who each won the Early Career Award.

In this category, the academic staff member has been in the college for three to eight years, has a record that demonstrates outstanding performance in his or her position, shows substantial promise of future contributions and demonstrates a high degree of professionalism.

Nelly Halzen, senior lecturer in the Department of French and Italian, and Matthew Sanders, assistant academic program director in the Department of Chemistry, won the Mid-Career Achievement Award.

In this category, the academic staff member has been in the college for seven or more years, demonstrates outstanding performance, leadership and service beyond one’s position, and shows substantial professional competency and the promise of continuing contributions.

Jeffrey F. Petersen, associate director of the Center for Demography and Ecology, won the Judith S. Craig Distinguished Service Award.

Here, the recipient must be an L&S academic staff member for 15 or more years and have a record that demonstrates outstanding service and professionalism to the college and the university.

Five classified staff were also honored for their work with Classified Staff Excellence Awards. This year’s recipients are:

Phyllis Fass, academic department supervisor, Department of Astronomy; Arnold Gudel, shipping and mailing clerk 2, Department of Spanish and Portuguese; Gail Johnson, program assistant 4, School of Music; Anita Lightfoot, program assistant 4, Department of Jewish Studies, and Sue Martin-Zernicke, program assistant 2, Department of Chemistry.

Winners of the L&S Academic Advising Awards were also named.

The faculty recipient is political science professor Neil Richardson, and the academic staff recipient is Christine Schindler, a senior adviser in International Studies.

These awards go to advisers who show exemplary practices in couseling students, development of student potential, contributions beyond the call of duty, and working across school and college lines to serve student needs.