Teamwork, leadership, innovation recognized
By Caitlin McCullough
The School of Public Health presented the inaugural Staff Awards in August to honor exceptional effort and dedication through teamwork, leadership, innovation and contribution to school, University and community culture.
"The Staff really are the backbone of all that we do," Dean Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, said when presenting certificates to awardees at the school's annual staff recognition picnic. "There is no difference in impact between faculty and staff. Without the staff, we are not a school."
Lichtveld had previously charged the School of Public Health's Staff Committee with creating and coordinating the program, which will become a yearly endeavor and includes a cash prize. Twenty-four staff members were nominated by both staff and faculty throughout the school. Exceptional comments noted in each nomination highlight the breadth of impactful work being done in each department and unit at the school.
Nominations were scored by 11 volunteers and awards were presented by David Arndt, information technology manager and chair of the Staff Committee; Mike Friend, MS, communications specialist in the Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM); Emma Mairson, MPH, HPM data analyst, and Adam Orbell, MS, information technology manager in the Dean's Office and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
"The staff really are the backbone of all that we do."
Maureen Lichtveld
Arndt was honored for his work as the Staff Committee's first chair and for the thoughtful effort with which he approached that volunteer role.
"He has made a lasting impact, leading the committee through the first drafts of organizational bylaws and instituting an online comment box to solicit concerns and ideas from the staff at large."
Friend was honored as "the voice of the department" who is always collaborative and collegial. He is regularly recognized by students as supportive of their needs, even taking his personal time to drive them to conferences.
"Mike brings people together and makes everyone part of the mission of the school and the department."
Mairson encourages people to share their ideas and is a great problem-solver. She appreciates people from diverse backgrounds and is particularly good at ensuring that international colleagues feel safe and included. She recently joined other volunteers to develop an algorithm to track National Institutes of Health-terminated grants.
"Emma rises to lead whenever there is opportunity."
Orbell is committed to solving the school's IT problems, including supporting events and working on personal devices. He brings a wide range of skills to his job and learns new programs when the need arises.
"Adam always does his work with a smile and professional demeanor regardless of the size of the task at hand."