The Serving Our Community honorees who we are about to meet have three things in common:
They continually work to enhance the level of service they provide; they bring a solutions-oriented approach to every challenge, and they forge strong, productive relationships and serve as role models to others
The first recipient of the Serving Our Community award is Ellen Rushman, the Academic Programs Manager in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. In that role, Ellen coordinates committees, schedules rooms and classes, shapes new procedures, processes admissions, and keeps faculty and hundreds of students on track. Her colleagues say, "Ellen is famous for putting out brushfires before they start." And although her organizational genius is notable, it's her exceptional kindness and humanity that are at the core of many of her successes.
Ellen brings empathy to everything she does, always thinking of the emotion behind the challenges. She is passionate about her work and brings to every dilemma a wise, human-centered perspective that leads to brilliant solutions. Ellen's philosophy is to cultivate a culture that is user-friendly, thoughtful, caring, and communal. And she illustrates the power of that philosophy every single day.
Her colleagues say she is an example of MindHandHeart in action, "Ellen is the embodiment of what it means to think (mind), to do (hand), and to be honestly, lovingly, determinedly open and understanding of others (heart)."
Congratulations, Ellen!