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AFSA Members Recognition!

With the Employee Service Awards coming up on Thursday, November 17, the AFSA Leadership Team has written testimonials commemorating their Faculty and Staff’s achievements.

For the years of dedication that each of these members of AFSA have put into their work, the heads of AFSA have written the following:

 

Marsha Yarbo (35 Years)

“Marsha’s longevity made her an excellent resource for the staff working in the instructional labs. She demonstrated significant adaptability as she adjusted to the nuances of each educator. She cared deeply for each student and would innovate over and over to try to perfect the value of each experiment. She also showed loving kindness to her coworkers and used her knitting skills to recognize the births of children, to assuage the pain of bereavement, or to celebrate weddings. We wish her the best in retirement.”

 

Arma White (25 Years)

“Arma has been around through many supervisor and faculty transitions. She has worked even harder as the College of Dentistry has increased class sizes making cleanup of labs a blur of activity between class sessions. She eschews the spotlight but is a great behind-the-scenes contributor.”

 

Connie Childs (25 Years)

“In her 25 years with UTHSC, Connie Childs has provided a quiet, positive, and calm perspective as the leader of the office of International Affairs. She is known as an honest advocate who is always willing to see a challenge through to a solution. Conniecombines her passion for international affairs with her detailed and specific knowledge of regulations and processes. She is the institution’s front door to our international guests and visitors. Her welcoming attitude and her sense of humor lead to regular invitations to participate across our colleges and on various projects. She translates government speak into understandable language in a way that is non-threatening and that always shows she cares. Connie helps us see beyond the ‘here’s how we’ve always done it’ to consider ‘what might it look like done differently.’ She is a valued member of the AFSA leadership team!”

 

Jennifer Stewart (15 Years)

“Jennifer came to the TLC from the College of Pharmacy, where she served for most of her tenure at UTHSC. Since coming to the TLC last year, Jennifer has expanded her reach across the UTHSC community, helping faculty and students from all of the colleges with their technology questions. She has embraced the new challenges and is working diligently to improve the level of service for our academic technologies. The energy and humor she brings to her training sessions puts everyone at ease. Her expertise as well as her ability to carefully listen to, understand, and talk through needs and challenges of those with whom she is talking is remarkable.”

 

Venus Claxton (10 Years)

“Venus has only been with the TLC for a few months, but her impact has already been substantial. She came to us from CHIPS, where she served many years as a resource for a growing simulation center and the transition to a new facility. She has an amazing reputation on campus as someone with whom staff really enjoy working. In the TLC, she has faced the challenge of replacing a beloved director while bringing together a geographically dispersed staff during a building renovation. She has brought fresh ideas and energy to the GEB and is a strong advocate for her team.”

 

Gloria Dobbs (10 Years)

“Gloria has served UTHSC as a financial aid counselor in Enrollment Management for 10 years. She advises students in various colleges about financial aid policies, budgets, and costs of attendance. Her patient approach to students and parents makes a difference in the lives of the students she impacts. She shares in their joy as they approach the finish line and celebrates their achievements along the way. Gloria can also be found volunteering at student events across campus. Gloria is a positive impact to the office, AFSA, and UTHSC through her service to the thousands of students lives she has changed.”

 

Allen Dupont (10 Years)

Allen is always a team player and is often a calming voice in what can sometimes be described as stressful, demanding, and chaotic situations.  AFSA and UTHSC are better places because of the ‘behind the scenes’ work of Allen.”

 

Janice Maddox (10 Years)

“Janice began as a financial aid counselor at UTHSC ten years ago. Over time, she has met with thousands of students to advise them on financial literacy, budgeting, and financial aid processes. Janice often presents at new student orientations and financial planning meetings. Her promotion to Associate Director allows her to continue meeting with students and manage the FLIGHT program, and also to focus her skills on compliance in the financial aid office. Janice can be found volunteering at graduation and other student events on campus where she continues to be a positive impact in the lives of students.”

 

Judith Nyabando (10 Years)

Judith is a valuable member of the Decision Support team and of the Office of Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs.  Her positive attitude, engaging management/work style, and attention to detail are most admirable. When she commits to a project or deadline, she is dependable and always completes them on-time or ahead of schedule.  We are lucky to have Judith with us.”

 

Paul Bury (5 Years)

“Paul began at UTHSC in Information Technology Services. He joined Enrollment Management as the Business Analyst three years ago. In his service to Enrollment Management, he has worked to help the offices of admissions, financial aid, and the registrar’s office become better integrated. He meets with the staff of the offices weekly map processes and problem-solve issues that arise. He has helped streamline processes in EM that have led to better services and positive experiences for faculty, staff, and students at UTHSC.”

 

Susan Cooper (5 Years)

“Susan was a graduate of the UTHSC Clinical Lab Scientist program and understands well the pressures and needs of the students. She has been very active in the Memphis Society of Clinical Lab Scientists and advocates for her profession. Having started her health care endeavors as a nurse, she has a unique dual perspective on the health care field. Her mad skills as a phlebotomist have helped educators and researchers in several colleges. Nobody on the Instructional Lab team does a better job of filling in where needed.”

 

Sandra Mackey (5 Years)

“I would like to share a Quote from Maya Angelou-‘I've learned that people may forget what you said, they may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ Sandra had one of the most important positions in SASSI-the front desk person or the first impression person. Sandra has the ability to create connection with a student as soon as they walk into SASSI, call, or email. She created belonging just from her welcome. This feeling made a difference for students in accessing services and getting what they need. There is a joke in SASSI. Other staff will get excited because they see a student who they think has dropped by to see them then realize, NO, they came by to say ‘Hi’ to Sandra and visit. We call this Sandra's magic, and we are grateful for the way she created belonging for our students, all she did for students, and the difference she made for each of us in SASSI.”

 

Sophia Mosher (5 Years)

Sophia is our most recently hired Simulation Educationalist for the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation.  She has been with our programs since 2019, where she was instrumental in redesigning project management within CHIPS in her role as the Simulation Logistician.  Her work fundamentally improved and streamlined processes within CHIPS to better support our collaborating partners and colleges across the campus.  In her new role, she will carry forward the same innovation and dedication as the Simulation Educationalist. The CHIPS team is grateful that Sophia Moser has chosen us to grow her career in simulation and continues to make positive advancements for our team, the simulation center and our learners and campus.”

 

Keri Snyder (5 Years)

“Dependability, advocacy, and creativity characterize the advantages students, team members, and the campus have benefited from since Keri Snyder started in SASSI five years ago. Although not always vocal or one to stand out, she is vocal and will stand out and stand up to advocate for students and volunteer unselfishly to represent, assist, and give to others on and off campus.” 

 

Kimberly Williams Collins (5 Years)

“Since starting in 2017, Dr. Williams-Collins has continuously in her quiet and caring way supported and advocated for our students and staff's mental health and well-being. She has led us with her professionalism, wit, humility, graciousness, and kindness and makes those who have the honor of working with her feel better just from being in her presence. She makes all of us better people and staff. SASSI is fortunate to be able to work together with her.”

 

Please extend your congratulations to Arma White, Connie Childs, Jennifer Stewart, Venus Claxton, Gloria Dobbs, Allen Dupont, Janice Maddox, Judith Nyabando, Paul Bury,Susan Cooper, Sandra Mackey, Sophia Mosher, Keri Snyder, and Kimberly Williams Collins.

Dec 6, 2022