Congratulations to Teresa Hall, Sheila Hulick, Andrea Linkous, Missy Thomas, Linda Fitzgerald, and Julia Costello for earning certifications offered by University Organizational and Professional Development (UOPD).
Andrea Linkous– Office Software Skills Training Program and Customer Service Excellence Certificate Program
Sheila Hulick– Research Administrator Level I and Research Administrator Level II
Teresa Hall– Research Administrator Level I
Missy Thomas– Research Administrator Level II
Linda Fitzgerald– Administrative Professional Development Program Certificate and Customer Service Excellence Certificate Program
Julia Costello– Computer Software Skills Training Program
From left to right: Andrea Linkous, Sheila Hulick, Teresa Hall, Missy Thomas, Linda Fitzgerald, Linda Fitzgerald, and Julia Costello (not pictured)
Virginia Clayton, retired business manager in the Department of Computer Science, has received the university’s 2015 Staff Career Achievement Award. Clayton retired from the university in August 2015 after 30 years of service.
Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to as many as five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university careers. Nominees must have worked a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech. Each recipient is awarded $1,000 cash prize.
As business manager for the Department of Computer Science, Clayton used her fiscal expertise to help navigate budget cuts, pay back departmental loans, initiate and design the faculty grant incentives program, as well as to pass both external and internal audits successfully.
The grant incentives program rewards faculty members who received larger research grants, with incentive awards of increasing magnitude for larger grants. As a result, research funding saw an increase from $20 million to $43.4 million in six years. Clayton’s fiscal and facilities responsibilities directly related to her support in an increasingly high caliber of faculty and graduate student research.
Clayton was considered the “go to” person in the department, as well as in the College of Engineering, among other business managers on campus, and the Office of Special Projects. She was known for her ability to solve problems without hesitation.
Alongside her work within the Department of Computer Science, she also served on the Total Quality Management Team and Steering Committee for University Research for more than two years. Clayton was also a member of the Virginia Society of Research Administrators.
Jessie S. Eaves (pictured above) retired from her position in December 2014 after 28 years of service. She served as receptionist and fiscal technician for the Department of Computer Science. Most recently, Jessie received the university’s 2015 Staff Career Achievement Award. Some of her many contributions to the department and university include organizing speaker events and serving on university search committees. Her former colleagues describe her as a generous and warm individual who built strong relationships with students and colleagues across campus. Dr. Barbara G. Ryder, CS department chair, said, “Jesse is a gregarious, welcoming individual who most recently has been the “face of the department” in the McBryde CS advising office. Jesse had personal connections with CS students and faculty, and also has been an amazing and effective volunteer in the community. We have been lucky to have such an extraordinary person in our department.”
Ginger Clayton Long (pictured above) will retire on September 1, 2015 after 30 years of service to Virginia Tech. She spent 14 of those 30 years in the Department of Computer Science. Her path leading to the department includes positions in the Library, Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Mathematics (ICAM), and Sponsored Programs. During this time, Ginger built networks and gained experience and new skills that made her an ideal candidate for the Business Manager position. In her current role, she oversees facilities in four locations and all financial management areas in the department. When asked what she enjoys most about her career her response is “bringing order and simplifying processes”. Ginger is a solutions driven individual who takes initiative to deliver quality results. This ingenuity helped strengthen the department’s fiscal status.
Some of her many accomplishments include re-structuring Commonwealth Technology Research Fund (CTRF) Hires which resulted in increased profit margins. Another monumental assignment she oversaw was the department’s move to the Corporate Research Center. Ginger spent long hours over the course of a year working with administrators and construction teams to ensure a smooth logistical transition. She also managed the renovation of the first floor space in McBryde Hall that is now the Undergraduate Learning Center (ULC). Dr. Barbara G. Ryder, CS department chair, said, “Ginger has been a wonderful steward of CS finances during some challenging times. She has an amazing ability to understand and manipulate the low-level details of complex financial arrangements — and Ginger has always gone the extra mile in working at her job. We have been fortunate to have such a tremendous contributor in our department.”
Ginger looks forward to being spontaneous and not having a schedule. As a Virginia Tech alumna, Ginger plans to stay connected to the university and department through personal relationships with colleagues across campus.
Susie Marion
Susan Marion (pictured above) will retire from the Department of Computer Science on June 30, 2015 after eight years of service. In her role Susie supports Professor Ed Fox. She serves as an essential link that connects Dr. Fox with his students, the department and colleagues across campus. Her work in assisting many graduate students and visitors during her time here has been valuable. She is very happy to advise students on department processes and life issues. Dr. Fox said, “Susie has played the mother role to many graduate students who have young families”. She enjoys this role and relies on her own life experience as a mother of two children to help others.
Both Susie and Dr. Fox share the same sentiment for each other and describe one another as “incredibly caring”. One of her accomplishments includes the role she plays in keeping the Digital Library Research Lab (DLRL) in top condition for future students. Her impact and contributions to computer science students and colleagues will be missed. Dr. Barbara G. Ryder, CS department chair, said, “Susie has provided outstanding support to the Digital Library group — faculty, visitors and students. We very much appreciate her excellence service to our department.”
Jessie Eaves, a retired CS staff member, was selected as one of the 5 winners for the 2015 University Staff Career Achievement Award. Jesse was selected for this university-wide award because of her outstanding commitment to Virgina Tech and community service contributions to Southwest Virginia. She will be honored and presented with her award at the College of Engineering Dean’s Staff Luncheon in May. Read the full VT News Story.
Join the CS department in congratulating Jesse for 28 years of service to the university!
Matt McGarvey, CS staff member, was recently recognized by the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation for his website design work. He designed the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad’s website, which can be viewed here. Matt is a Rescue Squad volunteer and serves alongside more than 40 other student volunteers. According to the VT News article, the squad has served the Virginia Tech community since 1969 and is the oldest collegiate rescue squad in Virginia and the second oldest in the nation. Click here to read the full story here.
