University thanks staff for dedication

The university is presenting its annual Support Staff Recognition Awards and its APO-FSO-Librarian Recognition Awards at the Horowitz Theatre Nov. 19 at 3 p.m., at which time it also presents long-service awards.

The recognition awards recognize support staff and APO-FSO Librarians for contributing to a positive culture, being ambassadors for the university, and giving the best of themselves in the workplace. This year's recipients are:

APO-FSO-Librarian

Phil Stack

Phil Stack joined the U of A in 1996 as executive officer to Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, then dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Today, Stack serves as director of resource planning, supervising a staff of 13 people.

His group is responsible for the integrated budgeting process the university operates on - it involves close working relationships across each of the vice-president's portfolios and with several key units, such as the university's infrastructure planning and financial services.

"It is a big, diverse team that comes together to make this happen," Stack said of the process which leads to the creation of three key documents: the University Plan, the Four-Year Capital Plan and the annual Budget and Three-Year Forecast.

It sounds like a lot of responsibility and stress, but Stack tries to keep a positive atmosphere in the workplace and strives to balance his professional and work life.

A bulletin board in the hallway has M&M Awards tacked to it - Momentus Moment Awards presented to team members during staff meetings. The reward includes a bag of M&Ms for staff members who have done a particularly good job. The bulletin board also features photos from retired staff members, an office bowling outing and awards from external organizations.

A father of two, Stack is an avid runner, and he coaches one of his son's hockey teams and is a fan for the other's team. He's also active in professional associations and is co-chairing the Society for College and University Planning's international conference in Montreal next year.

Earning the award was exciting. "I had no idea this was going on," said Stack.

Left in the dark when it comes to awards, yes, but Stack does know what keeps him coming back to work every day: a belief in the university's mission.

"It's the future of this institution that gets me excited," he said. "It's the excitement and enthusiasm of the students, the incredible capacity of our research scientists and the vision of our president - these are all things that I can contribute to in a meaningful way."

Mark Ackerman

Mark Ackerman joined the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering in 1979, when he was heavily involved in studies of energy efficient homes. Today his work involves setting things on fire.

Well, that's the simple version. More specifically, Ackerman works as a Faculty Service Officer in Engineering and is involved with the Department of Human Ecology's Protective Clothing and Equipment Research Facility, Canada's only flash-fire research facility.

"I do all the things any other academic does around here - I have a research program - I spend a good part of my summer up in the Northwest Territories setting huge fires," he said.

Ackerman has picture to prove it - the walks of his office are lined with images of forest fires and their aftermath.

"We look at wildland fire operations . . . my area is performance of protective equipment we spent quite a bit of time doing development of a new fire shelter with U.S. forestry service."

He also serves on committees and conducts a senior design course for fourth-year students in which companies present technical problems they're grappling with to students. The students, in turn, propose working solutions.

Ackerman is involved in student projects such as the SAE Formula race car and a heavy lift aircraft design project.

"I think it's because I never learned to say no," Ackerman said of his full schedule.

And while receiving the recognition award is "really nice," Ackerman says the job has its own rewards.

"The payoff is that this is a pretty neat place to work. I cannot imagine having a job where you wake up and don't want to go to work. It would be hell on Earth. One of the most interesting places in the world is a university because everyone is doing something interesting."

Support Staff Recognition Award

Mary Marshall Durrell

Mary Marshall Durrell is an undergraduate advisor in the Department of English and Film Studies who has clearly made a positive impression. During an interview to discuss her recognition award, professor Christine Wiesenthal strolls by purposefully, and deftly slips Marshall Durrell a gift - chocolate, with a hand-written note offering her congratulations.

Marshall Durrell has been at the U of A for 18 years - when she started, her job was categorized as a 'records clerk.'

"The position has evolved quite a bit over the years, and it is still a great position - it's never the same day twice," Marshall Durrell said.

She handles student questions on everything from simple scheduling to complaints, handles course schedules and organizes a departmental awards event. More serious queries of an academic nature are referred to an academic advisor, but Marshall Durrell is at the front line - she is the face of the university to many students.

"Some of them have come from small towns and this place is so big and overwhelming." she said, noting that stress levels are typically high at the beginning of the school year.

Marshall Durrell clearly enjoys dealing with students - one of which has become a U of A professor.

"Thomas Wharton did his masters here a few years ago," she said of the English professor and International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award-nominated author. "And there was another student - Matthew Skelton, who wrote that fantasy novel Endymion Spring."

And while she clearly enjoys her job, Marshall Durrell feels a little self-conscious about earning an award.

"I just heard about this the other day and frankly, it feels a little weird," she said.

But if there's chocolate involved, well, how bad can it be?

"Oh my word," she said. "Marzipan - it's lovely!"

Donna Richardson

Donna Richardson is one of those people who can't sit still. Not unless she's digging into a project of some sort, that is.

Richardson started working at the U of A in October, 1999, as a part-time communications co-ordinator for the Centre for Health Promotion Studies. Things have changed - today she is manager of faculty communications for the new School of Public Health.

"I guess what keeps me going is that I am the kind of person who doesn't like work that is 'make-work.' I like knowing I am making a real contribution," said Richardson, who also feels a passion for the work the university, and her public health colleagues in particular, do.

"A couple of months ago I hired someone, and during the interview, because of the way the job market is, she asked me 'Why should I come and work here?' And I said that I thought she'd find a real alignment between her values and the university's. So I think that's another thing that keeps me going."

"There are lots of days here when it is stressful, but parts of every day that are fun."

Richardson has worked with academics who are at the top of their field - earning much-deserved praise and accolades. So to be on the receiving end of an award means a lot.

"This is an absolute highlight," she said. "I am surrounded by so many very accomplished people and this is just thrilling. What drives me is to know my work is valued, to know I am a valued member of the team."

Lee Ramsdell

Lee Ramsdell gets a little flustered talking about the Support Staff Recognition Award he's being presented with.

"I really don't know what to say. I'm somewhat humbled - it's awkward," said Ramsdell, who is the technical supervisor of the Arts Resource Centre in the basement of the Old Arts Building.

The centre houses the computer-assisted language learning centre and a bank of audio and video recordings is housed in Ramsdell's work area - students make a request from the centre and the recordings kick in.

It also hosts an instructional design group that assists academics and graduate students with various software programs, and his group provides multimedia service to the faculty and in some cases, like the recent launch of the Lois Hole Digital Library, provides video conferencing across campus.

"I am surrounded by an incredible group of people and if the truth be known, that is who should be recognized," he said. "It is an incredible honour but without the rest of the team none of this happens."

Ramsdell cites a project his office took on a little over a year ago. A group of students had been given assignments to make documentaries about life in the city's Latino community. Ramsdell referred the students to his video technician, Grant Wang, who provided incredible support.

"You look at those documentaries and they look like they were produced by National Geographic," Ramsdell said. "I supervise Grant but he's the man with the magic. We do a lot of really good work here but it isn't just one person."