2005 VIMS Service Awards
2005 VIMS Service Awards |
The following remarks were read by Dean and Director Dr. John Wells during VIMS' annual Awards Ceremony on May 25, 2006 to honor recipients of the 2005 Service Awards. |
Robert M. Freeman Volunteer of the Year Award This award was named for Robert Mallory Freeman, a former VIMS Council member and supporter who passed away in 2004. Bob was chairman of Signet Bank in Richmond until 1996. He was active with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Virginia Environmental Endowment, among many other community leadership activities. At VIMS, Bob was interested in oyster restoration, advancing research with cutting-edge scientific equipment, and helping to leverage resources like VIMS newest vessel, the Pelican. The Pelican is a former Mike boat now being renovated for research at VIMS with help from the Freeman family and other generous donors. The winner of this year's Freeman Award is Candy Campbell. Candy serves as Chair of the Annual Fund Committee, a group of volunteers who work with the Development Office to raise private funds and promote VIMS in our community. Candy's energy and enthusiasm are contagious. She is such a supporter of VIMS that others naturally follow in her footsteps. When she took on the responsibility of chairing the Annual Fund Committee, she met every Monday with a different faculty member to gain even more knowledge. During the last six months, Candy has led the way in acquiring items for the VIMS Auction. Due to her leadership, the Auction raised more than $50,000 for the educational needs of the Institute. There can be no doubt that Candy Campbell is an excellent choice for the ROBERT M. FREEMAN Volunteer of the Year Award. Please accept this certificate as our appreciation of your dedication, loyalty, and efficiency while volunteering at VIMS. | top |
Outstanding Classified Employee AwardsThese awards are chosen by nominations received by the Awards Committee from all faculty, staff, and students at VIMS. They are awarded in the categories of Facilities/Safety/Trades, Research and Advisory Service, Technical Support, and Administrative Support. |
Facilities/Safety/Trades The Awards Committee is pleased to present the Outstanding Classified Employee in Facilities/Safety/Trades for 2005 to Ms. Janette Millen. Janette Millen joined the VIMS community in July 2002. Today, Jan continues her great work in the Housekeeping Department. She maintains Nunnally Hall and the Boat Basin buildings in tip-top condition and is a versatile worker who can be counted on to fill in wherever needed in the department. She is extremely dedicated, and takes great pride in her job. Thanks to her efforts, VIMS can rest assured that our buildings will always sparkle. Jan always has a kind word or a moment to ask how people are doing as she goes about her duties. She is a team player and can always be counted on, even during her courageous battle with cancer. Even though Jan is dealing with chemotherapy, she still shows up to work and insists on getting her job done with a smile. VIMS would certainly not be as bright without her. Away from VIMS, Jan spends her time with her two children, wearing a path to Busch Gardens and Wal-Mart. She is an avid gardener and has frequently provided support to the Grounds Department. Jan is a well-deserving recipient of the Outstanding Classified Employee Award for Facilities, and we are proud to acknowledge the outstanding manner in which Jan has always, and continues to, serve the Institute. Congratulations, Jan! | top |
Research/Advisory Service The recipient of the 2005 Outstanding Classified Employee in Research/Advisory Service is Ms. Marcia Berman. In many ways, Marcia Berman epitomizes the exceptional qualities of VIMS professional staff engaged in research and advisory service. From her beginnings as a coastal geologist, Marcia came to VIMS to direct the Institute's Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program. This program was one of the first in Virginia to incorporate GIS as a framework for its operations. Under her direction, the Inventory program has become a recognized leader in its field both regionally and nationally. Recognition of Marcia's expertise has resulted in numerous invitations to join advisory committees and provide lectures at the state, regional, national, and international levels. Another indication of her excellence is a grant proposal record that would be the envy of most of the faculty at VIMS. Her colleagues have nominated her for this award, not only because of her sustained excellence, but because she is a "personality-to-be-reckoned-with." Marcia's enthusiasm for her work, her style in representing VIMS, and her compassion for her coworkers have earned her their continuing respect and admiration. She truly embodies the best VIMS has to offer. Marcia is valuable resource to VIMS in her professional life as a researcher and as co-worker. She is most deserving of this award. Congratulations, Marcia! | top |
Technical Support The winner of the 2005 Outstanding Classified Employee for Technical Support is Mr. Joe Cope.
Joe has worked in the Zooplankton Ecology laboratory at VIMS for the past 5 years and truly provides outstanding technical support and expertise in the laboratory and in the field. He is multi-talented—able to dissect and identify small zooplankton less than 1 millimeter in length, just as expertly as he can take apart a 2 meter-wide, 2-ton electronic plankton net to troubleshoot a faulty connection. Joe is extremely proficient at computer programming and data management too, and his expertise in statistics serves the zooplankton laboratory group and many others at VIMS well. He has traveled around the world these past several years, tirelessly supporting the zooplankton lab's oceanographic research expeditions and making them a success. Joe is also exceptionally supportive of the graduate students in his lab—he is a boat driver extraordinaire, teaching the students how to drive and dock the boat, and making their plankton collecting trips fun. Joe is simply a remarkably capable, helpful, and dedicated technician that we are lucky to have at VIMS. Joe's exceptional and selfless contributions in support of VIMS' research, advisory, and educational missions are outstanding. We are proud to honor Joe Cope as the Institute's most Outstanding Classified Staff in Technical Support for 2005. Congratulations, Joe! | top |
Administrative Support The winner of the 2005 Outstanding Classified Employee for Administrative Support is Ms. Fonda Powell. Fonda is exceptional. As the face of the Graduate Dean's office, Fonda serves as Mother Hen, confidant, friend, and occasional taskmaster to most of the graduate students at VIMS, and to the Graduate Dean as well. Our students recognize how much Fonda does for them and how much she cares about their success. In addition to the help and succor that Fonda provides to graduate students, she also plays an exceptional role in helping to run the Graduate Dean's office. When Graduate Dean Iris Anderson first took the job, Fonda educated her in the ways of the office. Iris would not have survived without Fonda. Fonda is knowledgeable about all the administrative details of the graduate program and takes responsibility for numerous aspects. These include budgeting for fellowships and courses; tracking students to ensure that stipends, tuition, and insurance benefits are paid in a timely manner; and organizing the many admissions files. In most cases, Fonda is also the initial and continuing contact for applicants during the admissions process. She also, along with Sue Presson, responds to the many requests for statistics regarding the graduate program at VIMS. Fonda is also actively involved in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program. There are as many applicants to the REU program as to our graduate program, so it is no mean feat for Fonda to communicate with, arrange for travel, track, and "mother" these undergraduates. Congratulations, Fonda for all your hard work! | top |
The Dean's Prize for the Advancement of Women in Marine Science The Dean's Prize for the Advancement of Women in Marine Science is awarded for outstanding contributions toward the promotion of women in science. The award for 2005 goes to Dr. Debbie Steinberg. Dr. Steinberg embodies all of the qualities of a strong role model for other women in marine science as a mentor, teacher, and researcher. As a mentor, Debbie currently advises three female students who all speak very highly of her contagious enthusiasm for her research, which promotes success in her students. In addition, Debbie is an outstanding teacher who displays an infectious passion for the subject. She teaches the 501 Fundamentals of Marine Science core course and her teaching style is prized by the students. Students comment that her sections of the course are enjoyable and her teaching is not only comprehensible but also exciting! In 2005, Debbie won the College of William & Mary "Term Distinguished Professor of Marine Science" Award for her contributions to the academic program. She also maintains a strong research program with projects both within and outside Chesapeake Bay. She is known internationally for her outstanding research and was recognized as one of the noteworthy "Women in Oceanography" in the March 2005 issue of Oceanography. She publishes her research in highly respected journals such as Marine Ecology Progress Series, Limnology and Oceanography, and Deep Sea Research (where she serves as associate editor). In addition, it is remarkable that Debbie balances her career with a personal life with two young boys and a husband who is also a professional. Debbie Steinberg provides an outstanding role model for the many women at VIMS and in the broader Marine Science community. She embodies all the strengths of an effective mentor, an outstanding teacher, and a leading researcher. Because of her support of all women at SMS/VIMS she is highly deserving of the Dean's Prize for the Advancement of Women in Marine Science. Congratulations, Debbie! | top |
Outstanding Faculty Research Award This is an alternating award given every three years to a faculty member who has excelled in teaching, research, or advisory services. This year's winner of the Outstanding Research Award is Dr. Hugh Ducklow. Dr. Hugh Ducklow has been a member of the VIMS faculty for 12 years, and holds the endowed Glucksman Professor of Marine Science chair. Hugh is a giant in the field of oceanography and has had an enormous impact in the areas of microbial ecology and global carbon cycling. He moves effortlessly from the microscopic scale of bacteria, his specialty, to long-term trends in the global ocean ecosystem, and between mathematical models, experiments, and large-scale, complex observational data sets. Importantly, he has used that broad and deep expertise to great effect in the larger mission of furthering global ocean science, via his leadership of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, and the Palmer Station Long-Term Ecological Research program in Antarctica. The quality of his research is reflected in numerous publications in prestigious journals including two publications in Science and four in Nature, as well as the publication of influential books within his area of expertise. Hugh has mentored an impressive list of highly successful graduate students who have benefited immensely from his breadth of knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and keen eye for where the field is heading. It is a pleasure to honor Hugh with this award as an expression of our appreciation for the standards and accomplishments he has brought to this institution and its research mission, and for the credit he has brought to all of us. Thank you, Hugh—you are an excellent role model for those that wish to pursue scientific research. You continue to be an excellent representative of VIMS and we all are grateful for your contributions. | top |
Recognition of Special Accomplishments The following section acknowledges some of the many accolades bestowed on VIMS faculty, students, and staff in 2005. For more details visit the VIMS' Top Stories page at www.vims.edu/topstories.
|