McPherson Awards for 2007 Recognize Students, Faculty and Staff for Excellence and Service

Each year, a few outstanding members of the Bryn Mawr community are recognized for excellence and service to the community, either inside or outside the boundaries of Bryn Mawr College, with the Mary Patterson McPherson Award, one of the highest honors Bryn Mawr bestows. Three undergraduates, students from the College's two graduate schools, staff members and a faculty member received the awards over the course of the spring; the final awards ceremony honored the staff winners at the College's community picnic last week. Quotations from nominators and awards committees about each honoree follow this roster of the 2007 winners:

Undergraduates: Rachel Francois '07, Sara Mackin '07, Gilda Rodriguez '07

GSAS Student: Mary Riggio

GSSWSR Students: Page Buck, M.S.S, '04 and current doctoral candidate, and Sarah Hollister, M.S.S. and M.L.S.P. '07

Faculty Member: Professor of Physics Elizabeth McCormack

Staff Members: Sue Joceville, Admissions (Clerical/Technical category); John Amoriello, Facilities Services, and Steven Carter, Dining Services (Service/Craft Category); and Aaron Tsay, Computing (Administrative/Professional Category).

Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science Dale Kinney announced the winner of the $5,000 GSAS award: Mary Riggio, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Developmental Psychology Program. According to Kinney, this was the second year Riggio was nominated for the award. Said her nominator, "Mary has served on the GSA executive board for almost the entire time she has been a student here and she has served as co-chair for the past two years.

"In addition, she volunteers in the wider Philadelphia community and is an integral part of the psychology department." A previous recommender, a faculty member, noted her impact on undergraduates as a teaching assistant, as well as her positive influence on preschoolers attending the Phebe Anna Thorne School.

Riggio was recently selected to be the graduate-student representative to Bryn Mawr's presidential search committee, representing both the GSAS and the GSSWSR. She also recently completed the Dean's Certificate in Pedagogy.

President Nancy J. Vickers announced the undergraduate student winners – always three seniors – at May Day convocation. Each received $3,500 to support an internship that allows her to pursue academic, career, personal or service interests. The selection committee's statements about the honorees follow.

"Rachel Francois came to Bryn Mawr as a leader. A member of Bryn Mawr's third Posse, she was elected co-president of her class her first fall here and has been re-elected to that position each year. Somehow or other, she has also found the time and energy to be involved in a significant number of other activities on campus, from Sisterhood to the varsity track team. A sociology major and education minor, Rachel has done an enormous amount of tutoring and teaching and has also participated in initiatives at Bryn Mawr to make teaching more culturally responsive and to increase learning interactions between students and teachers. She will use her McPherson grant to extend research on African-centered education that she started as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. Eventually, she hopes to start her own school."

"Sarah Mackin, who also came to Bryn Mawr through the Posse program, has brought enormous amounts of energy and commitment to her time at Bryn Mawr. She has been an intern in the Office of Intercultural Affairs, a Community Diversity Assistant and a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. A sociology major, she frequently took advantage of the opportunity offered through the Praxis program to get off campus and to bridge the gap between theory and action. Over time, her general interests in diversity and social justice coalesced around issues of public health. Sarah has volunteered in Guatemala and studied abroad in Chile. She is now seeking to broaden her experience of international cultures and social issues by spending a year teaching English in Vietnam. In preparation for that year, Sarah will be using her McPherson grant to fund a summer language program in Vietnamese at the University of Wisconsin. Eventually she hopes to earn a master's degree in public health.

"Gilda Rodriguez has served the Bryn Mawr community in a range of roles, including peer mentor, hall adviser and, most notably, co-editor of the College News. She sees journalism as a form of public service and has worked hard to make the College News a vital forum for self-expression and communal reflection here at Bryn Mawr. A double major in French and Feminist and Gender Studies, Gilda impressed the selection committee with her ability to integrate her intellectual pursuits with her other activities. She will be pursuing a Ph.D. in political science at UCLA in the fall. Before that, though, she will use her McPherson grant to fund an editorial internship at a feminist news agency in Mexico City."

At Commencement rehearsal, Co-Deans of the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Raymond Albert and Marcia Martin announced two GSSWSR student winners, each of whom received a $3,000 award.

Ph.D. Candidate Page Buck, M.S.S. '04, was nominated for her work with the GSSWSR's first group of 12 students placed at several agencies in Norristown through a new enhanced field-placement project. She not only served as their field liaison, but also developed and facilitated a series of seminars that introduced students to the Borough of Norristown itself and provided them with a conceptual framework for community practice.

One nominator commented, "Page developed and facilitated the Norristown seminar to help students further develop an understanding of what it means to be a 'community,' who is and who speaks for 'the community,' and how 'community' politics, tensions, relations and beliefs impact the social worker, the agency and the delivery of services." Another nominator observed, "If I didn't have the Norristown seminars I wouldn't know anything about this area. The program opened my eyes to the full community and through Page's leadership, I have been given the education and knowledge that could never have been achieved in a classroom setting. I now have a fuller understanding of services that are mandatory for the survival of many residents of this community and I have the fundamental tools needed to become the best advocate for my clients."

Sarah Hollister, who graduated this year with Master of Social Services and Master of Law and Social Policy degrees, was lauded for her work as the student representative to the Curriculum Committee. She not only worked with the committee on establishing the process and timeline for Council on Social Work Education reaccreditation work; she also facilitated many meetings that brought together students and school administrators to discuss key student concerns, especially focusing on field instruction and the scheduling of classes for part-time students. "To Sarah's enormous credit, these discussions occurred in a way that has led to very real changes," noted GSSWSR Co-Dean Marcia L. Martin.

One nominator remarked, "Sarah led important discussions around issues that aroused strong feelings. She avoided taking sides and instead focused on enabling people to hear each others' concerns. In the end, the emphasis was on carving out solutions rather than getting on complaints and accusations." A second nominator noted that "Sarah was tireless in seeking student input on their experiences with class scheduling and the field-placement process. She was also fair in reporting this feedback, strong in advocating for some changes and committed to seeing that all voices were heard."

During Commencement, President Nancy J. Vickers announced the 2007 faculty winner, Professor of Physics Elizabeth McCormack, who came to Bryn Mawr in 1995 and established a research program in molecular physics with funding from a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. A fellow of the American Physical Society, McCormack has also assumed leadership roles in Project Kaleidoscope, a national alliance working to build strong learning environments for undergraduate students in mathematics, engineering, and the various fields of science.

Said the award committee, "As the first Chair of the General Faculty, a member of the Committee on Academic Priorities and, now, the Presidential Search Committee, and as an excellent teacher/scholar, Elizabeth McCormack exemplifies the spirit of Bryn Mawr College. In each of these roles and other less obvious ones, she carries her responsibilities with a great respect for others, a superb understanding of the College, and a quiet and purposeful strength. Since she arrived in 1995, Professor McCormack has demonstrated the kind of commitment to the entire College community that reflects the values of Mary Patterson McPherson. For her past achievement and future promise, she richly deserves the Faculty McPherson Award for Excellence."

At the community picnic in June, Director of Human Resources Joe Bucci announced the staff McPherson Award winners. Each received a $1,000 award.

In the Clerical/Technical category, Sue Joceville, the administrative assistant for the Undergraduate Admissions Office, took the prize.

"Sue is referred to as 'The Glue' in the Undergraduate Admissions Office," said one nominator. "No matter what is going on in her life, Sue greets everyone with a smile and says, 'So, how are you?' Sue is always ready to help, even when she has her own work to do. For Sue, helping people is the absolute right thing to do.

"Sue commits herself to a life well lived, and that means doing your best, every day, whether or not you feel like it. We consider ourselves blessed to work with Sue and we are inspired daily by her humor, grace and courage."

In the Service/Craft category, the committee this year presented the award to two employees.

Dining Services Catering Assistant Steven Carter was not present at the picnic, but his son Tyree Carter, also a member of the Bryn Mawr College staff, accepted the award on his behalf. Said one nominator:

"Nine times a year, the Continuing Education Department in Social Work holds large full-day courses for as many as 160 participants in a single day. Steven is in charge of catering these events. Steven arrives early; we never worry that we've been forgotten. He works quickly and quietly to set up tables and lay out food and always works with a ready smile. Steven makes sure that our guests are greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and warm bagels to start their day. He also sees to it that the delicious lunches are beautifully presented.

"Steven makes a difference in our day, in our ability and confidence to accomplish our work and in providing another positive feature at Bryn Mawr to attract students. He adds to the comfort, professionalism and nurturing environment at Bryn Mawr."

HVAC System Mechanic John Amoriello was the other winner in the Service/Craft Category. A nominator characterized Amoriello as "dedicated, considerate of others, always in good spirits, always ready to help out co-workers," continuing, "John is unselfish and kind-hearted which makes work pleasant for all who are in his presence. John is admired for his attitude toward life which is always positive. Besides being a great employee, John is a great co-worker and friend, and a great team player. John does a wonderful job every year, for the past 20 years, setting up for graduation."

The final award, in the Administrative/Professional category, was presented to Database Programmer/Analyst Aaron Tsay, of whom a nominator said," Aaron is one of the finest employees we have here at Bryn Mawr College, both as a person and as a technical support individual. His technical skills are superb. He makes possible many of Human Resources departmental functions, including several that affect every single employee – faculty, staff and students. Aaron does his job with speed, accuracy and a genuine enjoyment in finding solutions to our needs and problems."

A second nominator notes, "There has never, ever been a time when we were not comfortable calling Aaron when we need help. He has always come up with a solution – no matter how large or small our problems are. In doing his job so brilliantly, Aaron manages to make the sometimes daunting prospect of new or changed technology seem easy and accessible to users all across campus. He builds digital bridges between various software systems and offices, but always keeps the process human for those of us who use them. Aaron is creative, efficient, excellent at what he does, and above all, great to work with."

The McPherson Fund For Excellence was established in 1997 to honor President Emeritus Mary Patterson McPherson's contribution to the Bryn Mawr community, and to inspire outstanding faculty and staff members, graduate students and undergraduates with the McPherson Awards.

Back to Bryn Mawr Now 6/28/07