Olivia DrakeMarch 2, 20154min
#THISISWHY Linda Cummings, administrative assistant in the Sociology Department and for the Public Affairs Center, was recently presented with a Cardinal Achievement Award for her efforts in taking on the responsibility of cleaning the PAC basement storage rooms. These large rooms were so full of old furniture, papers, books and assorted other items that it was almost impossible to enter them. Cummings worked with Physical Plant to arrange for multiple rounds of removal of usable furniture, assisted current and emerti faculty with review of their stored materials, arranged with the university archivist to remove historical files of interest to the university,…

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Olivia DrakeDecember 12, 20141min
#THISISWHY The Office of Human Resources presented three Cardinal Achievement Awards to University Relations staff in December 2014. Charles "Chuck" Fedolfi '90, director of annual giving, was honored for his work on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, when the Wesleyan community joined together in an unprecedented show of support for students.  Led by Fedolfi, a team of colleagues and volunteers inspired alumni, parents, faculty and staff to make 2,059 gifts totaling over $500,000 – far exceeding the original goal of 1,000 gifts (more…)

Olivia DrakeNovember 26, 20143min
#THISISWHY The Office of Human Resources awarded two Cardinal Achievement Awards in November 2014. Library assistant Jennifer Hadley received a Cardinal Achievement Award for her volunteer work as coordinator of the Friends of Olin Library. Over time, Hadley has become the primary organizer for the activities of the Friends that include a semi-annual book sale, two or three annual issues of the library’s newsletter, Check it Out, and the sponsoring of an annual Constitution Day lecture by an invited scholar. For the recent book sale this fall, Hadley coordinated the sorting of books, publicized the sale on campus and in the community, arranged the…

Olivia DrakeNovember 18, 20143min
#THISISWHY Lynne Gambell of the Finance Department and Krystal Gayle O’Neill of Residential Life each received a Cardinal Achievement Award in November. Gambell, accounting specialist provided assistance to the Physical Plant-Facilities Department by processing more than 100 vouchers in one day. If the vouchers were not processed on time there were concerns that it would negatively impact Wesleyan's local contractors. “Lynne demonstrated extraordinary initiative in helping Wesleyan ensure that our contractors were paid in a timely fashion,” said Joyce Topshe, associate vice president for facilities. O’Neill, area coordinator, was honored for taking the initiative to create a women’s group on…

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Olivia DrakeOctober 29, 20143min
Scott Backer, associate dean of students, and Rick Culliton, assistant vice president/dean of students, received a Cardinal Achievement Award in October for completing the federally mandated campus crime (Clery) report for the past two years. This special honor comes with a $250 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. They completely revised and updated the report from previous years and incorporated additional edits to ensure the data in the report was accurate. This involved collaborating with various offices on campus. They took on this responsibility in the absence of the Public Safety Director who is typically responsible…

Olivia DrakeMay 29, 20142min
Nicola Bennett, administrative assistant in the Office of University Relations, and Lorna Scott, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, received a Cardinal Achievement Award in May. Bennett was acknowledged for her efforts in supporting the 50th Reunion. According to her award announcement, "Bennett played a vital role in the development and production of this year’s 50th Reunion Class Book. Her creativity and organization skills, coupled with her eagerness to take on a new challenge, made this project a huge success. The Class of 1964 and University Relations are very fortunate to benefit from her great work." Scott was…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20143min
Mike Conte, associate director in Physical Plant, recently was presented with a Cardinal Achievement Award for his expert handling of serious building emergencies during the winter holiday break, which occurred at all hours. "We are grateful to Mike for going above and beyond the call of duty by responding to an unusual number of late night and weekend emergencies during the especially cold winter break this year," said Joyce Topshe, associate vice president for facilities. Stacy Baldwin, project coordinator in Physical Plant received a Cardinal Achievement Award for her work in advance planning for the winter adverse weather conditions. In November, 2013 Stacy proposed that the…

Bill HolderOctober 2, 20132min
Scott Backer, Jonathan Connary, Rick Culliton, Maureen Isleib, Tanya Purdy, Joyce Walter and Michael Whitcomb were presented recently with Cardinal Achievement Awards for their efforts on the National College Health Improvement Project (NCHIP) Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking. Over the past two years, they led Wesleyan’s participation in this project, which required a significant ongoing commitment above and beyond their usual duties. Over the course of the project, all the members of the team were constantly designing and conducting tests of different interventions, gathering data in order to assess impact, and refining tests based on what was learned. Because of…

Olivia DrakeApril 22, 20132min
Joe Hopkins, Ed Manter and Mike Berzenski from Physical Plant and Dan LaBonte from Residential Life were all recently presented with awards for their outstanding efforts during a February snow storm. Ensuring the safe operation of the Central Power Plant during a storm is critical to providing campus buildings with the necessary heat during freezing temperatures. Hopkins, Manter and Berzenski made their way to work either by driving in treacherous driving conditions at the height of the storm or by walking to work the next day along roads impassable to cars. They all worked beyond their scheduled shifts in order…

Olivia DrakeJanuary 30, 20132min
Jen Jurgen from University Relations, and Ali McFadzen, Margaret Neale and Shannon Sarver from the Financial Aid Office, received Cardinal Achievement Awards in January. The staff members were honored for demonstrating extraordinary initiative or providing outstanding service with regard to specific tasks in their department. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. Jen Jurgen, associate director of University Relations operations, was nominated for being a "a cheerful and responsive problem solver who provided invaluable help to administrative support of University Relations during a period of significant short staffing, and she hasn't hesitated…

Olivia DrakeJanuary 25, 20131min
Four Physical Plant-Facilities staff received a Cardinal Achievement Award in December. They are: Mike Conte, assistant director of mechanical trades; Dean Canalia, plumbing shop foreperson; Sean Kane, utility mechanic; and Philip Cotharin, temperature controls mechanic and EMS specialist. The staff members were honored for demonstrating extraordinary initiative or providing outstanding service with regard to specific tasks in their department. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. The award recipients are nominated by department chairs and supervisors. Nominations can be made anytime throughout the year. For more information or to nominate…

Olivia DrakeNovember 15, 20122min
Five Wesleyan employees received a Cardinal Achievement Award in November. They are: Gayle Gibbons, administrative assistant in University Relations; Gladys Fountain and Evelyn Harris, payroll coordinators for Human Resources; Denise Skura, payroll and human resources assistant for the Human Resources; and Lisa LaPlant, assistant to the president. The staff members were honored for demonstrating extraordinary initiative or providing outstanding service with regard to specific tasks in their department. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. The award recipients are nominated by department chairs and supervisors. Nominations can be made anytime throughout the year. For…