Ten Staff Members Lauded for Exemplary Service to Campus, Community

Ioana Patringenaru | May 26, 2009

You think winning American Idol is difficult? Try winning UC San Diego’s Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year awards. Every year, the university receives more than 100,000 job applications. In all, 11,000 UCSD staff members are eligible for the award and just 10 receive the distinction every year, said Tom Leet, assistant vice chancellor of Human Resources.

Chancellor Marye Anne Fox poses with this year's 10 recipients of the Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year award.

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Nurse Who Works with HIV Patients Around Globe Among Exemplary Employee Awardees

“This is a very important recognition,” Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said during an award ceremony to recognize exemplary employees Wednesday at the Faculty Club.

In these difficult budget times, it’s especially important to be able to celebrate outstanding staff members, said Assistant Vice Chancellor Leet.

“You are the people who make UCSD work,” Fox told the audience. “You are the people who make UCSD a success.”

This year’s awardees distinguished themselves by excelling in their job performance and by serving the UCSD and San Diego communities, Fox also said. The Employee of the Year Review Committee—consisting of representatives from each vice chancellor area, the UC San Diego Medical Center and the Chancellor's Office—went through 123 nominations to select this year’s crop of award recipients.

Terry Alexander, a nurse and supervisor in the neurosciences department, was recognized as the Principal Staff Employee of the Year. He received a cash award of $1000, an additional $2000 earmarked for his professional development, a certificate and a bag full of goodies.

Alexander oversees clinical evaluations on patients and quality assurance in a large international program investigating the impact of HIV on the brain and the nervous system across the globe. That job often takes him to far-flung destinations, such as India, Brazil and Romania. He also conducts patient evaluations himself. When he is not as work, he counsels recovering drug addicts and, until recently, took part in a support group for cancer patients.

During the ceremony, Fox said the award is an important recognition.

“I am really humbled after hearing what everyone else has done,” Alexander said after the ceremony.

The other nine recipients were recognized for a variety of good deeds, including stepping in and resolving difficult problems; saving the campus a considerable amount of funds; and volunteering in their community.

Jeffrey Borden, an inspector and planner, demonstrated his skills when a serious, after-hours flood erupted in Engineering Building 1. The incident took place at the beginning of the winter holiday break. But Borden, his crew and contractors stayed put, working late into the night to cut walls open and dry out the building. He also worked with other departments to make sure the building would be safe for employees when they returned after the break.

When he is not putting in long hours at work, Borden builds houses and churches in Baja California. He also supports the City of Children orphanage, California veterans with Disabilities and Helping Hands of El Cajon, among other charities.

Meanwhile, Natalie Powell, an administrative analyst in the mathematics department, was recognized not only for her outstanding job performance, but also for her tireless service to the campus, said Jeanne Ferrante, an associate dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering and the campus' first associate vice chancellor for Faculty Equity.

Powell served as the president of the UCSD Staff Association in 2007-08. During her tenure, the association launched the popular “UCSD Idol” competition at the campus’ all-staff picnic. Powell ensured the competition’s success by organizing rehearsals for contestants to help them overcome stage fright, Ferrante said. Powell also takes part in the “Celebrate the Night” appreciation event for staff members who work late hours on campus. She also is active in her church.

Marguerite “Margie” Wilson, a supervisor in the department of ophthalmology at the UCSD Shiley Eye Center, volunteers for the Flying Samaritans at an eye clinic in Tecate, Mexico. She travels there once a month for a whole day and screens 30 to 40 patients. Recently, one of the patients was a 5-year-old boy who suffered from cataracts and was nearly blind. Wilson helped get him referred to Shiley for surgery and follow-up care. The little boy has now recovered normal vision.

“Margie is extremely friendly and caring to all who know her whether it be patients, faculty or staff,” said David Brenner, vice chancellor for Health Sciences.  “Her can-do spirit is contagious and motivating.”