The West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences has named four recipients of its 2018 Outstanding Staff Award: Andrea Bebell, Allen Burns, Selena Engebretson and Christopher Ramezan.
“Our Outstanding Staff awards are the prime opportunity to showcase the talented, committed people we work with every day in the Eberly College,” said Gregory Dunaway, dean. “Our College is defined by our people, and I’m proud to take the time to recognize and celebrate their successes.”
Bebell is a program coordinator in the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science . As an academic adviser, she leads the department’s #studentsFIRST initiative focused on recruiting and retention and meets face-to-face with over 250 prospective students and parents annually.
“(Bebell) has performed well beyond expectations and quickly became indispensable to the department,” said Suzanne Bell, chair of the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science. “She is proactive in developing new ideas and quickly responding to problems and inquiries as they arise.”
Burns is a supervisor lab instrumentation specialist in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry. His colleagues especially appreciate his skilled craftsmanship on their laboratory equipment and his time spent after hours at the Children’s Chemistry Show.
“(Burns) is the kind of classified staff that other staff members notice as an example of an exemplary employee,” said Michael Torries, academic lab manager for the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry. “He always completes high-quality projects with expert skill and a great attitude.”
Engebretson is an administrative assistant with the Department of Psychology. She has developed training manuals for the MyTravel and MyExpenses programs that have been used across the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
“(Engebretson) is proactive and plays a critical role in keeping our large and complex department running smoothly,” said Tracy Morris, senior adviser for leadership development and special initiatives and professor of psychology. “In my book, she is simply fabulous.”
Ramezan is a professional technologist in the Office of the Dean. He performs routine weekly check-ins to see if the College’s technology is performing well and ensures there are no issues.
“(Ramezan) is persistent and can anticipate problems before they arise,” said Ángel Tuninetti, chair of the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics. “If a problem puzzles him, he will not stop until finding a solution.”
The 2018 Outstanding Staff Award recipients will be announced at the Eberly College’s annual spring faculty and staff meeting in April.
