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Pat on the Back Awards 2021-22

The Ferris State University Pride Committee continues to recognize and reward the small ways that we show our Ferris Pride. The Pat-on-the-Back Award is a quick, easy, fun way to let someone know that they did a good thing and someone noticed.

This award is an easy and excellent way to thank a Ferris employee or student for exhibiting pride and doing something good for others through their actions.

To nominate someone, email [email protected] with your name and address, the nominee's name and address, and the reason you have chosen this faculty, staff or student for a Pat-on-the-Back Award.

Thank you for the great participation for this fun and important award.

Congratulations to the following individuals for receiving a Pat-on-the-Back recognition. Each candidate will receive a Pat-on-the-Back certificate.

Awardees for June 2022

I would like to give a Pat-on-the-Back to Manuel Lamarche in Financial Aid/Student Employment. Whenever I contact Student Employment with questions or obstacles he delivers with helpfulness and kindness.

More than once a conversation has been ended with, “I got you!”

Keep up the good work. You are appreciated.

Awardees for May 2022

I would like to nominate Josie VanAvery for a well-deserved Pat-on-the-Back. Josie will be retiring, and we had the honor of having her as our co-worker, mentor, and friend. The knowledge and work ethic she brought to EIO have been a tribute to her character. We will miss her. Godspeed.

I wanted to share my absolute appreciation for the FABULOUS Commencement Team. I know how much work goes into the event and everyone was fantastic. We were a little rusty after a few years off, but they handled questions with great care. The entire event ran so smoothly and everyone we encountered had a smile on their face and were ready to help. A special shout out to Jennifer Stevens, as I know she does much of the coordinating - she is always so great to work with.

I would like to nominate Susan Roberts from the College of Business for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Susan is a huge asset to the Dean’s office. She always takes time out of her very busy day to assist faculty and staff in ensuring the continued alignment of processes. She has what it takes to handle the large load of demands that are put on her and she always rises to the occasion. She has been amazing through the transition of our interim dean to our acting dean and has never skipped a beat and has done it all with grace and a smile. Thank you, Susan, for all that you do for us!

Ferris Outfitters deserves a Pat-on-the-Back for their regalia customer service during Commencement Week. Our college had a student who received regalia in the wrong color, which meant he wouldn’t match his fellow classmates. We also had another student who did not receive a tassel with his regalia. In order for the students not to miss mandatory coursework, staff members took the incorrect regalia to Ferris Outfitters, who immediately exchanged it for the correct colors. They also gave us a tassel in the correct color, no questions asked. Thank you to Ferris Outfitters for providing exceptional customer service for our graduates!

I would like to Nominate Leeann O’Neal from ITSC. During the week of May 9th Leeann was tasked with installing new Point of Sale machines around campus. Leeann took charge of the process, improving productivity and coordination. The images below show before and after at Starbucks. She went above and beyond. She cleaned and organized the counter and the area below the register, which is where all the cabling is located. A job done very well. 

Awardees for April 2022

I would like to nominate Lori Griffith from the Financial Aid office for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Lori goes above and beyond for every student that comes to her desk. She is unbelievably knowledgeable and always goes the extra mile for the student. She is amazing at her job, provides excellent advice and guidance to the student, and her exemplary work ethic is undeniable—what a great asset to the University and the Financial Aid office. Keep up the great work, Lori.

Katie ThomasAngela Roman and Michele Albright deserve a Pat-on-the-Back for this year’s Torchbearer Awards at the Williams Auditorium. It was truly an elegant ceremony, and many deserving students, RSOs and staff were recognized. Thank you for a job well done.

Congratulations to Entertainment Unlimited and their advisor, Nick Smith, for an awesome Spring Fling event. They made a Ferris Wheel appear on campus for the first time ever and chose the perfect food and games to go along with it. The weather even cooperated! Great way to finish the year, EU. You deserve a Pat-on-the-Back!

Hannah Crouch deserves a Pat-on-the-Back for always supplying top-notch photography at our events. She is always there, snapping away, and quickly gets top-quality pictures to us. Thank you, Hannah!

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs deserves a Pat-on-the-Back for their awesome Pignic and Yard show this weekend! When the weather didn’t cooperate, with the help of Nicholas Campau and the David L. Eisler Center Staff, they moved inside without a hitch. Everyone had a blast! Pat-on-the-Back Awards for Danyelle GregoryDarnell LewisChelsey Carpenter and Trudy Roersma, Nick Campau and the UC Staff. This cooperation shows how Bulldogs work together and get things done. Great job, people.


Awardees for March 2022

I would like to nominate Elise Bohn for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Elise is always ready to help in any way she can. I ask her to introduce the library to freshman each spring and she always does so with enthusiasm. Her wonderful smile and friendly disposition is always welcome. She is her “sunny self” to faculty, administrators, staff and students and always brightens the day.  

I’m nominating Sonia Trevino for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Sonia has helped me with a number of questions I’ve had on student requirements. She has a commitment and passion for what she does and that’s clear in the way she interacts with her students, faculty and staff. Thank you, Sonia!

I would like to nominate Angie Ryan for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Since the time she arrived to Ferris State University, four days before everyone was sent to work from home due to COVID, her work ethic and dedication to learning to assist our students in the best way possible should be commended. She always welcomes students with a smile and has a caring yet self-empowering way she communicates with them. She’s not only ‘doing the job,’ but she’s exceeding what’s required and finding new and better ways to advise and make the student experience a better one as a whole. She’s involved with a new project that will also help streamline processes university-wide. Angie is a Bulldog through and through and we’re so happy she’s a part of our team! Thank you for all you do for CHP and FSU Angie.

Thank you for this opportunity to nominate Wendy Stapp. Wendy is the Grants Administrator in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. She is instrumental in coordinating grants at FSU. Our team received notice of a grant with a short turnaround. Wendy was available to answer many questions, accepted meeting invites, and helped give us examples of what we needed to write the proposal. She also coordinated with many key people on campus, including the Provost, Deans, Legal, and point people for submission. We wouldn’t have been able to have a successful application if Wendy hadn’t been involved. Thank you for all you do, Wendy! We are amazed at how you juggle all the grants.

The custodial staff would like to nominate Mark Falsetta for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Mark is our equipment repairman and when we enter a repair order, the equipment is usually repaired by our next shift. Thank You, Mark. We appreciate how quickly you respond to repairing our equipment!

The EIO Division would like to nominate Tim Pullen (HVAC staff) for the Pat-on-the-Back Award. We had a problem with a disturbing noise coming from the ceiling in one of the offices creating an uncomfortable working environment for the occupant. We appreciate that he was diligent with finding the cause of the noise and going through extra efforts in order to fix the problem. Thank you, Tim.

I want to thank everyone who volunteered to help make the Ferris Employee Leadership Development program tour of the FSU Grand Rapids locations a success. Laura Porritt for organizing the morning schedule of events at FSU-GR and for leading the leadership statement awards. Dawn SchaveyDavid BakerMohamed AbusharkhKymberli Flanagan and Timothy Vander Laan for spending time to share about the programs available in Grand Rapids. Mandy Zweifel-HughesEmily MohillJon Moroney and Susan Bonner from Kendall for providing the best tour of the facilities I’ve ever experienced since I took over the program in 2014. Jill Schneider for her flexibility in scheduling and understanding when we are a few minutes behind schedule. And Tara McCrackin for making the time to represent Kendall and sharing with us her passion for Kendall’s mission. Kendall’s accreditation visit was on the same day as our tour, and they were able to make it appear as if it was just another day, although I know differently. Everyone who contributed demonstrated our shared core value of collaboration.

Awardees for February 2022

I would like to nominate April Bigelow for her unfailing patience in helping others and her standards of excellence in her accounting work with grants awarded to Ferris. The number and complexity of grants have grown exponentially in the last few years. Not only does she stay on top of this ever-changing landscape, but she takes the time to instruct others on grant details so we better serve our faculty and the University. April is a huge asset to Ferris. Thanks for your incredible work, April.

I would like to nominate Daniel Campbell for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. I appreciate how quickly he responds and how courteous he is. He answers my, and others, questions no matter how trivial. He is a valuable member of the FSU family.

I would like to nominate the following individuals for a Pat-on-the-Back Award, Catherine Belkowski, Jocelyn Goheen and Dawn Schavey. With several unique testing arrangements in ECDS, we have reached out to these individuals for assistance at satellite campuses, and they have been so accommodating and helpful for our students. We appreciate their hard work and willingness to go the extra mile when needed. Thanks for all you do for FSU and ECDS.

I would like to nominate Steve Beck, with IT Services, for a big ol’ Pat-on-the-Back. Why? Because whenever Printing Services has needed something and I enter an IT request, Steve is there quicker than I expect. He’s helped us for hours get computers talking to machinery. Yesterday and today, he’s been at the print shop working with our Vendor Service Tech trying to get our equipment operating as it was before it recently had issues – although he knows nothing of print equipment, he’s working well with the tech to get the issues figured out. He takes the time to explain what is happening and why to me. He’s patient and he’s pleasant to work with. The work he does must be frustrating, but he’s calm and cool until he sleuths out the solution for us. Thank you, Steve, for all you do for us.

I would like to nominate the following people for a Pat-on-the-Back Award: Darla J Szpiech-Bailey & Brad Moulter. They were an amazing help to our department during recent weeks and we couldn’t have gotten everything done if it hadn’t been for their help. Thank you, Darla and Brad.


Awardees for January 2022

I would like to nominate Paul Mulder for the Pat-on-the-Back Award for his attention to detail, awareness of FERPA regulations, and commitment to serving the needs of our students and the institution.

I would like to nominate Emily Hicks for her work with Dawg Days. She came into her role with new ideas and has changed up the event to cater to current times with COVID and has done so amazingly … All while traveling during recruitment season. She is great at collaborating, taking constructive criticism and rolling with the punches. She’s been a great addition to our Enrollment Services team.

I would like to nominate Angela Buys for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. Angela was a huge help with the First-Gen Bowling Event (Nov. 9). I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without her help. She helped to get the students checked-in and organized on the lanes and stayed until 11 p.m. to ensure everything ran smoothly. The event was a great success due to her tremendous work.

I would like to nominate Niyant Bhavsar in ITS for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. He's always willing to jump right in and help with any coding issue that comes up. Niyant is easy to get along with, super smart and comes up with great solutions to problems. Thank you for all you do behind the scenes for Ferris.

I would like to nominate Marty Brockschmidt for his assistance with automating getting info from Banner and adding it to Bulldog Connect. He has been incredibly helpful with making this process happen.

The Finance Department would like to nominate the Ferris Printing Services staff for their outstanding work and support on our “Print Orders and Projects.” They have worked with us on special and yearly projects with deadlines and never disappointments. Melinda and her staff are so easy to work with and full of great ideas. This level of professionalism and support is very much appreciated.

I would like to nominate DeeDee Stakely and the Office of Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships team for a monster pat on the back. My son takes classes as a dual-enrolled student, and this group of colleagues is always friendly, helpful, and efficient during registration. Not only do they respond quickly and professionally to our inquiries, but they are appreciative of each other's efforts. This is all the more impressive considering the volume of information they must process daily. Knowing that we provide students with such excellent service makes me proud of our institution and hopeful for our future. 

Kudos to Kathryn Thomas and Michele Albright on a well-planned in-person and virtual Career and Internship Fair this November. Considering staff illness and re-engagement of over 210 employer groups on campus in five different locations, the behind-the-scenes work was extensive.  Also, a huge Thank You to the faculty/staff and student volunteers who greeted employers and directed students to where they needed to be: Justin Harden, Stephanie Augustine, Nick Smith, Teresa Fogel, Jody Gardei, Ben Avery, Jacob Schrot, Brandi Behrenwald, Raven Hills, Diane McGuire, Sarah Meiser, Anne London, Jennifer Amlotte, Kim Hancock and Brooke Moore.

 

Awardees for December 2021

I would like to nominate Dan Campbell, instructional designer/tech, for a Pat-on-the-Back award. Dan always responds to my “emergencies” and answers all my questions with patience. I can confidently refer my colleagues to him, knowing that he will assist them. I don’t know what we would do without him.

I would like to recognize master electrician Fred Roersma’s efforts to help us repair a door access problem at a critical time when students needed access to computer labs to prep for exams. Fred stopped what he was doing and came right over to help us diagnose and repair the problem and get the student access working again. Fred has always been willing jump right in and help others when they are in a pinch. Thanks Fred, we notice.

I would like to nominate Joy Pulsifer for a December Pat-on-the-Back award. She makes a point to reach out to students on a regular basis in order to keep them updated and informed on the happenings at FSU. She’s kind, she listens, and she’s such an asset to the students, faculty and staff on our campus. Thank you Joy, for all you do.

I’d like to nominate Kelley Dennert for a Pat-on-the-Back award. Kelly is one of the best problem solvers I have ever met. She digs into the details she receives and frequently will work students, staff and faculty through complex processes. This week she assisted a student in trying to find course descriptions from an out of state college that closed several years ago. She spent considerable time digging into the mystery on where the old records were for this school. She’s CASE’s very own Sherlock Holmes and we appreciate her so much. Thank you Kelley.

I would like to nominate Wes Thompson and Jason Swearingen for all their work for the College of Pharmacy in 2021. Whether it is pulling off our virtual Hooding Ceremony last spring, making our White Coat event this fall a success, or making alumni/donor videos (often at the last minute). Thank you, Wes. They are a joy to work with and consummate professionals. As we know, they graciously help everyone, the Ferris community, and especially the College of Pharmacy is extremely fortunate to have them as colleagues.

Lingfei Xu (FLITE) – Ms. Xu provided exceptional support for the many student employees working in FLITE; she checked in on students who were struggling and assisted students who were unable to work due to COVID by working with campus partners to help secure financial assistance

Brenda White (Financial Aid) – Ms. White provided exceptional service to support struggling students; she collaborated with faculty and staff colleagues to help secure financial assistance for needy students, including those most impacted by COVID.

Karen Royster-James (Academic Literacies Center) – Ms. Royster-James provided outstanding support to Ferris students through academic success programming, tutoring services and structured learning assistance; she supported students through highly adaptive engagement opportunities to help ensure access to helpful academic supports; Karen also assisted students impacted by COVID through collaborations resulting in additional financial assistance; because of Karen, a number of students experiencing financial hardship received assistance.

Joy Pulsifer (Student Life) – Ms. Pulsifer provided timely, highly-responsive assistance to numerous students throughout the past semester; she collaborated with faculty and staff to engage with struggling students and secured additional financial assistance to assist needy students, including those most impacted by COVID.

I’d like to send a Pat-on-the-Back toward April Bigelow. I am very grateful for her knowledge and kindness. She has been wonderful to work with, and I really value her expertise in implementing grants. Thanks, April.

Awardees for November 2021

I would like to nominate Paul Mulder for the Pat-on-the-Back award for his attention to detail, awareness of FERPA regulations, and commitment to serving the needs of our students and the institution.

I would like to nominate Emily Hicks for her work with Dawg Days. She came into her role with new ideas and has changed up the event to cater to current times with COVID and has done so amazingly … all while traveling during recruitment season. She is great at collaborating, taking constructive criticism and rolling with the punches. She’s been a great addition to our Enrollment Services team.

I would like to nominate Angela Buys for a Pat-on-the-Back award. Angela was a huge help with the First-Gen Bowling Event (Nov. 9). I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without her help. She helped to get the students checked-in and organized on the lanes and stayed until 11 p.m. to ensure everything ran smoothly. The event was a great success due to her tremendous work.

I would like to nominate Niyant Bhavsar, in ITS, for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. He’s always willing to jump right in and help with any coding issue that comes up. Niyant is easy to get along with, super smart, and comes up with great solutions to problems. Thank you for all you do behind the scenes for Ferris.

I would like to nominate Marty Brockschmidt for all of his assistance with automating getting info from Banner and adding it to Bulldog Connect. He has been incredibly helpful with making this process happen.    

The Finance Department would like to nominate the Ferris Printing Services staff for their outstanding work and support on our “Print Orders and Projects.” They have worked with us on special and yearly projects with deadlines and never disappointments. Melinda and her staff are so easy to work with and full of great ideas. This level of professionalism and support is very much appreciated.

I would like to nominate DeeDee Stakely and the team in the Office of Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships for a monster pat on the back. My son takes classes as a dual-enrolled student, and this group of colleagues is always friendly, helpful, and efficient during registration. Not only do they respond quickly and professionally to our inquiries, but they are appreciative of each other’s efforts. This is all the more impressive considering the volume of information they must process daily. Knowing that we provide students with such excellent service makes me proud of our institution and hopeful for our future. 

Kudos to Kathryn Thomas and Michele Albright on a well-planned in-person and virtual Career and Internship Fair this November. Considering staff illness and re-engagement of over 210 employer groups on campus in five different locations, the behind-the-scenes work was extensive. Also, a huge Thank You to the faculty/staff and student volunteers who greeted employers and directed students to where they needed to be: Justin Harden, Stephanie Augustine, Nick Smith, Teresa Fogel, Jody Gardei, Ben Avery, Jacob Schrot, Brandi Behrenwald, Raven Hills, Diane McGuire, Sarah Meiser, Anne London, Jennifer Amlotte, Kim Hancock and Brooke Moore.
 

Awardees for October 2021

The Academic Literacies Center would like to nominate Emily Perton, executive director of Ready For Life, Dr. Deedee Stakley, Office of Transfer & Secondary School Partnerships, and Sandy Baker, Ready For Life at Ferris Instructor for the Pat-On-The Back-Award. Emily Perton and Dr. Stakely facilitated a presentation for the ALC Speaker Series entitled "Ready for Life at FSU: Get Involved and Make a Difference." Sandy Baker's class participated in an ALC tour and presentation. A note of appreciation is extended to all of them for their outstanding work to support our students.

I would like to nominate Mitzi Day, Jerome Forbes (both of Institutional Research & Testing) and Rob Wagner (Enrollment Services) individually for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. If you need any university-related data, they are the go-to people. They are never “too busy” to help. They are always gracious, quick, and never make you feel like you are disturbing them. Thank you all for doing what you do.

I would like to nominate Wes Thompson for a Pat-on-the-Back award. Wes and his student worker, Mackenzie Curtis, are working three days a week to assist a professor with recording lectures to provide access for a student with a disability. A big thank you to Wes and Mac for helping to make Ferris a more accessible place.

I would like to nominate Sarah Lowen for a pat-on-the-back. Every interaction I have with her, she exhibits professionalism and dedication to Ferris. She is always organized and a great problem solver. Thanks to Sarah for the work she does.

I recently needed an apartment for a mock domestic violence scenario video presentation. I reached out to Lisa Ortiz, the director of Residential Programs and Services and associate director of Housing. Despite a busy schedule, Lisa immediately searched for and found the perfect furnished apartment for our video. I was impressed that Lisa went the extra mile in finding a vacant furnished apartment that fit the needs of the scenario. I would like to recognize Lisa’s extra effort. Thanks, Lisa for answering my hectic emails and taking the time to find the perfect location. 

I nominate Nick Campau, Nick Smith and the Center for Student Involvement Team for their awesome Robinson Orchard event last week. Another Pat-on-the-Back for Scott Wilcox and the Grounds Team for their quick response in getting water for the animals and providing lots of firewood. Also, special thanks to Kaitin Zies for her help all afternoon. The students loved the event – it was truly a success.

Awardees for September 2021

I would like to nominate the ROTC members who volunteered to help set up for the Bulldog Bonanza – Casey French, Chloe Miller, Nick Dennison, Johnathan Brown, Edward Lara and Bradley Moore. Without you, we would have been out there for hours. Thank you so much.

I’d like to extend a Pat on the Back to Laurie Mumby. Laurie’s patient, kind, and thorough approach is so appreciated. Whenever I have a complicated question about withdrawals, appeal options, and other grade and schedule related questions, she works to connect me with various sources to help find answers. Thanks again Laurie for the amazing work you do.

I would like to nominate Jeff Gabalis for a Pat-on-the-Back award. We were working with a student needing a Double robot for access to lectures. Jeff was instrumental in working with a student and instructor to provide access for the student. Jeff was very helpful in trouble shooting connection issues. We could not have made this work without his help.

I wanted to send out a Pat-On-the Back and a virtual High Five to these five incredible humans. Charlotte Tetsworth, Jason Daday, Dave Schrock, Kelley Dennert and Christine Bark were instrumental in getting a student admitted and ready to start classes and feeling great about their move to Michigan, in record time. The family of the student they were assisting were incredibly grateful as well as the student. I appreciate so much, the dedication and perseverance of this group. Nicely done.

I would like to nominate Melinda Isler for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. She went above and beyond to assist me with locating a prior employee’s employment file in the University archive files from 2000. When the request was submitted to her I expected to wait a few weeks if the file could be located. Melinda located the file within one day of the request and dropped it off to me in Human Resources. I was surprised and very thank you for her swift action on this request. I appreciate you. 

The Academic Literacies Center would like to nominate Amie Calhoun, advisor in the School of Criminal Justice and FSUS Instructor, for the Pat-on-the-Back-Award. She scheduled a tour and presentation for her FSUS classes at the Academic Literacies Center. A total of 53 students were in attendance. Thank you for your expertise and support! YOU matter.

I nominate Dan Campbell in E-Learning for a Pat on the Back Award. Dan has been responsive and helpful with Canvas instructional support. He responds to emails and phone calls with clear directions of how to do a multitude of things. I have been able to meet my students’ needs because of Dan’s support. As Canvas support has had exceptionally long wait times, I appreciate having a dedicated Ferris employee to respond to faculty.

I would like to nominate Jonathon Eaton with eLearning for a Pat-on-the-Back Award! Jonathon has been amazing at making sure classrooms have the technology, specifically Robots for remote accommodations. Each day, the eLearning team delivers and sets up the robots, without additional help from other areas. By doing so, they go above and beyond what a regular day has looked like in the past.  We appreciate the hard work and dedication Jonathon Eaton and his team have put forth this first month for our students.

I would like to nominate Carla Kleinheksel and Marie Delamater in Disbursements for their help in unraveling the tangles in the TCF/Huntington/Horizon Bank transition.  They were very helpful in a very confusing situation, and went above and beyond to make sure people’s accounts where taken care of.  The emails and call-backs were greatly appreciated!  Thanks again.

Awardees for August 2021

I would like to nominate Randy Dahlstrom, an optician at the University Eye Center for a Pat-on-the-Back Award. I recently brought him a pair of broken sunglasses that I thought were broken beyond repair to see if he could fix them. He ended up taking them home and working on them after hours with extra tools he had and brought them back to me good as new. Randy has exemplary customer service and is always aiming to please. Thank you Randy for always going the extra mile and going above and beyond! You are appreciated.

I would like to nominate Amber Morgan, who is the Campus Service Coordinator for the Pat-on-the-Back Award. Amber works in shipping and receiving and has many different jobs associated with her title. Having been the Electrical and HVAC Supervisor for the past seven months she has been an invaluable asset to me and the men I work with. When we need parts to fix equipment throughout this campus she has always found the time to find the equipment, works to expedite shipment, and keeps us informed on delivery dates. In these economic times that is saying allot! If we can’t find the parts we need it goes to Amber and if it is available she will find it. She has a pretty good track record! Every time I walk back to the stores office she always greats me with a big smile and asks me how I am doing. Makes my whole day. The Electrical and HVAC guys feel the same way as I do, thank you, Amber, for doing what you do.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs would like to nominate staff from the IT department for their work ensuring the 2021 Student Research Fellowship Symposium held during Kickoff Week was a success! Thank you to Scott Thede, Jason Swearingen, Joe Strohkirch and Zach Kipfmiller for ensuring we had the technological resources needed to hold the event live in SCI 126 as well as via zoom. Thank you to Joe for meeting with us in advance to understand our needs and to Zach for staying the duration of the event to ensure sound and microphones were working properly throughout. Your assistance helped ensure this program was presented professionally, thank you!

I would like to nominate Joseph Parker from catering and Cindy Ottobre, the food service stock room coordinator for their tremendous last-minute help in lugging 150 gallons of ice cream destined for the Founders’ Day Ice Cream Social. If you are thinking, “that’s a lot of ice cream!”- you would be right. It was. A very large amount. But Joseph and Cindy both dropped what they were doing to cart, lift and find a home for each of those five gallon pails in the midst of one of the busiest weeks on campus. Teamwork does in fact make the dream work, and I truly appreciate that they are on our team.

Awardees for July 2021

I would like to nominate Shane Montague, Academic Affairs Budget Office, for the outstanding support that he has provided and continues to provide to the colleges, especially at year-end!  We would be lost without his daily help, direction and expert knowledge of processes across campus throughout the year.  He is always very supportive, thorough, collegial and always goes that “extra mile” when we need it!  We appreciate you Shane and thanks for being YOU!

Hello, I would like to submit a nomination for a Pat-on-the-Back recognition. The individual I would like to nominate is Susan Thrush, Pharmacy Administrative Specialist, College of Pharmacy. Susan is always willing to go the extra mile to do what needs to be done, and she exemplifies the words “team player.” She is highly organized and dependable. With recent staff departures, Susan has stepped up to take on additional responsibilities quite successfully, relying on existing skills and learning a few new ones along the way. She has done all of this while maintaining her high standards in fulfilling her other departmental responsibilities.

Zach Leslie has been a student dispatcher for the Ferris State University Department of Public Safety since April 2021.  On June 26th, 2021, Zach was working a midnight shift at FSU DPS. At or around 4:00am, a fatal accident occurred just off campus where a Ferris officer and others responded.  Zach was quick to provide information to the officers as well as Central Dispatch swiftly and efficiently. He went above and beyond to assist law enforcement personnel with looking up nearby cameras on campus hoping to find more evidence of what occurred prior to officers’ arrival.  These scenarios are something that can’t be taught - it is a matter of knowing what is the “right thing” to do, and Zach has proven to have a great judgment on that during the short time he has been here.  This alone supports my nomination of him being awarded a “Pat-On-The-Back Award.” 

Kim Buckingham put in a work order for me when the staff member who normally would do it was not here that day. I was very pleased with this above and beyond. However, Kim went a step further, since the problem was physically affecting me she called physical plant to see if the project could be escalated. Kim not only took on a task that was not normally hers but went above and beyond just creating the work order. Thanks Kim.

I would like to nominate Harrison Norkus in IT for a Pat On The Back Award. He assisted with my office move transition, set up my computer in two different locations in two days. (My permanent office space was not ready the first time.) He also came back the next day to set up my bigger and better monitor! Harrison went above and beyond and helped re-set up my Wi-Fi on my personal phone. All this with the friendliest customer service!!

I would like to nominate Kelsey Walch, student employee in the ITS department, for a Pat-On-The-Back Award. After my recent interaction with Kelsey, I feel like I’ve just had the greatest student assist me with my Microsoft and Outlook problems. She was knowledgeable, took the time to explain what happened with the Microsoft invasion, was efficient, and above all she was personable! I thought everyone would like to know about such a positive experience with the Ferris ITS department.

If you would like to nominate someone for the Pat-On-the Back Award, please send your nomination to [email protected]. Recognitions are made monthly.