March 31, 2011

The vision for the college 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 critical to achieving this mission.  The offices, laboratories and classroom of the College could not function without the dedicated service of our staff.  

There are 195 “A-funded” classified employees in the College.  This award is meant to single out five outstanding individuals within our College.  These individuals were nominated by their colleagues and co-workers to receive the 2010 Pamela W. Young Classified Staff Excellence Award.  Each of these individuals has consistently performed at a level of excellence within our departments and programs.  These individuals also represent the many other talented individuals on our staff.

This year’s award winners are:

DIANE JACKSON
…is the Assistant to the Business Manager in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  She has been with the department since 1998 and at USC since 1981.

Diane overseas all personnel paperwork within her department of 200+ employees and works closely with the business manager and assistant department chair to ensure all documentation is correct and submitted in a timely manner.

Despite the very complicated and detail-oriented nature of her position, she remains courteous, kind, and always willing to assist others with efficiency and accuracy.  Her seemingly endless knowledge of the various human resource processes makes her sought out by her peers for her guidance.

Her value to the department is evident in the remarks of one referee who states, “Her 13 years serving in the department have been marked by a consistency in exceeding expectations. Not only is she proactive in ensuring that all paperwork is in order, so that day-to-day activities can run smoothly, she also takes tremendous initiative in providing dedicated support to students, faculty and staff in the department and does so with a smile.  ”

The College applauds Diane for her continued generous and selfless efforts and dedication, on behalf of the department, the College and the University. 

SHERRY MORRISON
…is the Business Manager in the Department of Psychology.  She has been at USC for 20 years.

Her attention to detail is impeccable and instrumental in maintaining a smooth operation of the department budget which encompasses a base budget of approximately $6.5 million per year.

Furthermore, Sherry is noted for her diligence and works tirelessly always maintaining a positive and helpful attitude. 
One referee notes, “Perhaps even more importantly given the magnitude of these budgets and the potential negative consequences of mistakes, her work is of the highest quality and well beyond that expected or required by this position.”  Another remarks, “Sherry exemplifies honesty, integrity and efficient performance on a daily basis”.

The College commends Sherry on her untiring loyalty, excellence and commitment to the department, the College and the University. 

In her position as administrative assistant, Valerie has to wear many hats to include that of business manager, office manager, human resource manager, event and meeting organizer, class scheduler, as well as manage community outreach and faculty candidate visits.

Valerie has a team spirit and dedication to improving and promoting the African American Studies Program not only throughout the University, but throughout the State and Country.
She puts 110% of herself into everything with commitment and overall excellence in her performance. 

She was instrumental in the success of last year’s Robert Smalls Lecture where she coordinated and managed every detail of the lecture exceeding all expectations. 

The College commends Valerie for her continuous fortitude, relentless dedication and diligence to the department, the College and the University. 

Vicki manages and is responsible for a great variety of duties in a large department of approximately 75 personnel. She is the HR manager, the assistant to the chair, and office administrator.

Her vast knowledge of the department as well as the University enabled her to assist the new department chair transition seamlessly into his new role.  It was her ability and willingness to go the extra mile on a consistent basis that led the department through this transition and continue to run smoothly and effectively. 

One referee notes, “When you ask her to do something new or out of the ordinary, she reacts with curiosity and with a willingness to learn and to help as much as she can.”  Another comments on the same quality, “Vicki is always willing to take on new tasks for the good of the department.”

The College commends Vicki for her continuous fortitude, relentless dedication and diligence to the department, the College and the University. 

RONA AVERY
…is the administrative specialist for the Dance Program. She has been at the University and Dance Program since 2006. 

Because of her dedication, Rona has become a very important member of the Dance Program educational team as well as the administrative operations.  She diligently and methodically organized the entire dance program office upon her arrival and has managed to maintain a sense of order even while the program tripled in size.  Prior to Rona arriving in the program, the majority of the faculty knew nothing of computers.  She painstakingly but without complaint, managed to teach them all to be fairly independent and proficient in the use of computers.

It has been said her, “Rona’s contributions to the dance program have helped to make it the “cathedral of excellence” it is known to be today.”

The College commends Rona for her continuous fortitude, relentless dedication and diligence to the department, the College and the University. 

Go back