Ollie is extremely knowledgeable, efficient and resourceful. In biology, ultra low freezers are critical for storing valuable research samples and expensive reagents. Ollie is able to diagnose and repair these units when they malfunction. He has saved numerous experiments and loss of research materials. He communicates well with other departments and keeps our equipment working in top condition.
Jen Koop is an amazing colleague whose dedication and hard work improve the lives and experiences of students, faculty and staff in the Department of Biological Sciences. For example, she graciously accepted an invitation to lend herself and her expertise to lead a lecture and activity on evolution for the introductory course. She did so with energy and thoroughness that was well received by all. Additionally, she has been an advocate for graduate students, doing far above what’s required of her. Our department is better with her in it.
I have been throwing proposal curveballs at Kellie for the better part of two months now and she has been hitting them out of the park! First we had a collaborative proposal with another institution that she helped us figure out a way to get through on a really tight deadline and then after I didn’t realize how close my grant supplement application was to due and gave her the materials less than a week in advance, she quickly worked into overdrive to secure approvals for moving forward despite missing the internal deadline, and assigned the work to someone who got the job done efficiently and with care. Everyone at SPA, and especially Kellie, are doing such an incredible job with limited personnel resources!
I was so behind when the semester started that I only gave SPA less than a week to submit a supplement to my grant proposal. Dana ended up being assigned the project and she was diligent, reassuring and efficient! It was such a pleasure to work with her and see that proposal get submitted on time, despite my shortcoming submitting it unacceptably late. All the folks at SPA, and Dana especially, are incredible!
Dawn provided valuable feedback to me. She went above and beyond. She really helped me in my time of need.
Donald Peterson is an amazing engineer, teacher, dean and maybe most importantly an outstanding person. Dean Peterson’s ability to help me problem solve and develop my skills are greatly appreciated. He is never too busy to take five minutes and help me when I need it.
He has so much knowledge to share, and he does it in the most respectable way possible. He handles tough and hairy situations with grace and empathy.
Martha and Kara were a big help with HRS’s move to Lowden Hall. Without them we would not have been able to have an organized office in such a small timeframe.
Martha is a wonderful asset to the HRS team. Her customer service skills are top-notch and she takes time to decipher what callers and walk-ins need. If they have an issue that she can help them with or knows the answer to, she takes care of them. If not, she is excellent at directing them to the proper person. We are so lucky to have her as a first contact representative of HRS. Thanks for all you do, Martha – we appreciate you!
When I shared some major medical issues that my family is dealing with, Mike was extremely compassionate and accommodating and worked to develop a schedule that allows me to care for my family members while also fulfilling my obligations to the students and the university. Thanks, Mike! You’ll never know just how much your leadership and humanity has meant to me in recent years.
Diane consistently goes above and beyond to support our CHHS advising team, faculty, and students. She is highly responsive and informative each time we need her help. Her expertise in processes and policies is an asset to NIU, especially when we are trying to find solutions to difficult problems. Thank you for being awesome, Diane! We greatly appreciate you!
Jon Sall, Suzanne Tennant and Patrick Kunzer did an amazing job creating visuals to go with the commencement spotlights for the December graduation, especially with the current story about our 90-year-old graduate. The video footage Jon and Patrick created does a wonderful job of showcasing all the students’ accomplishments. Suzanne’s amazing photographs of Joyce are as inspiring as the student’s story. It is great to see these visuals picked up in the local media, including the Chicago stations. Thank you for all the amazing work you do to showcase NIU!
Todd did an amazing job debugging and fixing a high voltage supply for an X-ray setup.
