April 16, 2008

The vision for the College of Arts and Sciences is to transform the lives of our students and to improve the world they will inhabit by creating and sharing knowledge.  The classified staff of the College of Arts and Sciences are absolutely necessary to achieving this mission.  Our offices, laboratories and classrooms college could not function without the dedicated service of our staff.  There are 225 “A-funded” classified employees in the college: 

Three individuals were chosen to receive awards this year.  Nominated by their colleagues and coworkers, each of these individuals has consistently performed at a level of excellence in our departments and programs.  But these individuals also represent the many other talented individuals on the staff.

MINNA MOORE has been the Systems Manager within the Department of Mathematics since 1993 and has been at USC since 1992.  Minna’s expertise lies in the critical area of providing computer support for the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Statistics, and also the Industrial Mathematics Institute.  She continually strives to improve the departments’ environment with the limited resources at her disposal.  It is Minna’s “can do” attitude, no matter what it may demand of her, that exceeds her beyond others.  When a problem or crisis occurs, whether it be after hours or over the weekend, Minna graciously handles each expediently.  This quality became apparent to many last summer when a crisis occurred.  Throughout the renovation of the air-handling system at LeConte, Minna has been working closely with the Facilities’ staff to avoid any disruption of computer service.  Due to the construction, a fire broke out in the attic of the building leading to severe water damage.  Minna was quick to respond on this Saturday morning.  Her promptness and unselfishness prevented computer downtime for faculty, staff and students. One referee states, “…Minna’s adaptability and attention to user needs have allowed the faculty to maximize both their research efforts and their teaching effectiveness and the students to have access to state-of –the art information technology.”  The College commends Minna for her continuous and unselfish dedication and diligence to the departments, the College and the University. 

ROBERT SPROUL is the Laboratory Technician in the Physics and Astronomy Department.  He has been in the department and at USC since 1980.  As laboratory technician, Robert oversees and organizes the undergraduate physics laboratories that handle close to 40 sections of introductory level courses per semester.  His proactive approach to maintaining the laboratory equipment has been very successful in keeping the labs running smoothly.  In addition, he also plays an important role in our community with organizing demonstrations at USC Showcase, various trips to local schools and the Midway Physics Day.  Robert assists in the ordering and setting up lab equipment and computers and continues to help maintain them.  He is very knowledgeable about computer software and hardware, and is often sought out by faculty and staff to assist with their various computer needs.  One referee notes, “In spite of his considerable workload, he is always ready to step in and help faculty and staff meet various deadliness.”  Robert goes beyond his duties, supporting faculty, students and staff to make sure the department is successful.  When a crisis arose as it did in 2004 with a water pipe bursting in the department in the early hours of the morning, Robert once again proved this to be the case as he was one of the first on site.  Due to his leadership and efforts that morning, the catastrophe caused minimal impact to the department’s teaching and research mission.  The College applauds Robert for his continued generous and selfless efforts on behalf of the department, the College and the University. 

LYNN ROBERTSON is the Director of the McKissick Museum where she first began as a curator in 1978.  It has been said of her, “Lynn has a generosity that engages others in working for and with McKissick.  She is an invaluable resource who approaches her work with dedication and enthusiasm.”  Five years ago Lynn was faced with a budget cut, reduction in staff, and the loss of approximately one-third of exhibition space.  She has worked relentlessly over the past five years to build, reorganize, and develop the Museum to what it is today – a leader in research and exhibition of African-American, Native American and other folk art and culture, has spawned award-winning films and exhibitions, developed strong relationships with the Smithsonian Institution and with other national and regional museums, all while supporting teaching in a variety of departments and providing research resources for disciplines across the campus.  With the reduction of staff, many times, Lynn worked side-by-side with her curators to do whatever was necessary to accomplish a task.  She wrote grants to obtain funds in order to move ahead. Throughout the entire process, she has consistently been an outstanding manager and positive leader with a deep commitment to the institution and the state.  Lynn continually demonstrates that the dedication, enthusiasm and technical expertise she brings to her job daily allow her to redefine what one can accomplish with passion.  The College commends Lynn on her untiring loyalty and commitment to the Museum, the College, the University and the State of South Carolina. 

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