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Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Staff Council |
For those wishing to donate to the Staff Council Account, the account number is 32-P000-12-1. Thank you. Staff Council Office Union Building, Room 403 (317) 274-2215 (317) 274-2970 Updated 5-23-08 We welcome your feedback on our site! |
Congratulations to our 2008 winners: Nancy Lemons Nancy Lemons is the Director of Student Services at IUPUI for the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Nancy is a long-time employee of IUPUI, although she has only been in her current role for the last 3 ½ years. Her nominators say, “Nancy embodies the “spirit” of IUPUI’s students in a very specific way. In pursuing her graduate degree in Higher Education Administration, she was a nontraditional student facing many of the same challenges our students face today. She returned to school, worked and devoted herself to her young family. She reveals her story to students very thoughtfully, letting them know she understands and appreciates their specific issues.” It is said that Nancy performs the “most thoughtful job searches for staff.” Once hired, she gets to know the staff members and helps them work toward their professional goals. She is looked upon highly by the staff members and is the first to recognize others when she is the recipient of praise. Nancy has been a part of creating a new program in SPEA for “at risk” students. The school has been able to “fashion a Success Seminar incorporating work with goal setting, learning styles, time management, note-taking and writing for an innovative and fun way to connect with our students in a positive way” all through Nancy’s creativity. Nancy embodies the spirit of the person for which the award is named! Nancy Roof Nancy Roof is the Associate Director for International Admissions. Her nominator describe as “a true leader who inspires those who work for her. She has been an encouraging force through times of change, staff turn-over and record numbers of applications and admissions. She cares for her staff and shows them the utmost professional respect.” Under Nancy’s leadership, international admissions rates were up a record percentage despite staffing changes. “She encourages all to reach the common goal, to provide excellent service to the students and to maintain consistency in our treatment of files. She is quick to look for ways she can increase the value of the experience our international students have and to provide an international experience for our domestic students. She is vital to the strategic goals IUPUI has set for internationalization.” “Nancy is a quiet leader who commands a great deal of respect from those she leads” – pretty much the same way Chancellor Bepko led! Rachel Sipes Rachel Sipes is the MSW Recorder/Student Services Assistant in the School of Social Work. Rachel’s nominators note she is responsible for over 600 students in the program and she is “attentive, supportive and always ready to work with a student until their questions are answered/needs are met. She has an uncanny ability to ascertain when a person needs her extra support, guidance, encouragement.” Her supervisor hears regularly from other staff members about how Rachel makes a difference in the morale of the unit even in the short time she has been there – three years! Rachel is a team member in every since of the word. Her team is comprised of 14 faculty and staff. It is said that “she exemplifies the team concept. As a team member - she puts forth 110% effort and is always willing to do what it takes for an event to run smoothly.” Not only is she a staff member, but she is a student as well. It is probably her knowledge of what being a student is like that helps her understand those she assists. “Ms. Sipes is very loyal to the School and the University. As a consumer, she takes her coursework very seriously. As an employee, she sees herself and part of a larger group that is dedicated to making sure that the MSW program is the best it can be.” Rachel is an active member of the Staff Council, serving on the Membership Committee. “She is very serious in her commitment to representing the needs/concerns of the staff in that venue.” Her spirit to staff, students, and her position is well regarded by those she works with, and they believe she possesses all the qualities intended in naming an award for Chancellor Bepko. Marla Zimmerman Marla Zimmerman is the Coordinator of PhD Student Services at the Indiana University School of Nursing. Her nominators say Marla, “tirelessly and enthusiastically interacts with faculty, staff, students, and the Indianapolis community to help advance the education of nurses, as well as advocate for access to healthcare for all people.” Marla has developed curriculum as well as partnered with more than 30 community agencies coordinating the service learning portion of a course for pre-nursing students. She has presented widely on the subject of service learning as well and was selected a Boyer Scholar which allows her to do research in that area. Just as Chancellor Bepko believed in service to the community and our very own students, Marla’s “civic engagement and community leadership is profound.” She is a member of many community-related organizations ranging from the American Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team, the IUPUI United Way Campaign Executive Committee, and collaborated with the IUPUI Office of International Affairs to create a Model for Tsunami Trauma Recovery Training and Infrastructure. “In 2006, Ms. Zimmerman published Growing through Our Past into the Future: Journeys of Educators on the Path to Cultural Competence, allowing educators to speak through a retrospective lens about their personal paths on the road to cultural competence and how that impacts their work with students and colleagues today. This book serves as a teaching tool for students, staff and teachers from K-12 to higher education. All of these activities are a clear reflection of Marla Zimmerman’s commitment to assist IUPUI to fulfill its mission and goals as a “servant leader” in the Indianapolis community. In that role, Marla works with the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs to help students navigate complex systems during their course and research work.” Marla is described as projecting “integrity and deep commitment, as well as a sense of humor. She is a valuable member of the School of Nursing, the IUPUI campus and the Indianapolis and surrounding communities, and is an inspiration to her colleagues and friends.” |