Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

Crimson Spirit Award -- Denise Cates Butler
Crimson Spirit Award -- James P. Hill

The Crimson Spirit Award recognizes individual staff members who make extraordinary contributions and demonstrate teamwork and a winning spirit. To nominate an employee, who must be a current non-faculty employee, contact UA Human Resources at 348-6690 or Human Resources Development at 348-7125. Crimson Spirit Winners who wish to have their picture taken for Dialog and for office records may come to the photography department in G-5 Rose Administration Building on every third Thursday of the month, anytime between 2 and 4 p.m., to have photos made. No appointment is necessary. For information, contact Jennifer Sanford at 348-8332. Nomination forms are available on the Human Resources Web site at http://bama.ua.edu/~hr/.

Crimson Spirit Award -- Denise Cates Butler

Denise Cates Butler

Denise Cates Butler, grants and contracts specialist in the Office for Sponsored Engineering Programs, provides a strong institutional knowledge of UA's policies and procedures in many areas. According to her nominator Ginny Keene, administrative secretary in the Environmental Institute, Butler can answer many questions beyond those related to contract and grant activity, as she is proficient with computer applications and the Internet. Keene noted that Butler created and maintains a research database on the engineering contract and grant activity, which was previously maintained manually. "Denise often has many requests for proposal submissions with close deadlines, and she can return information quickly," Keene wrote.

According to the nominators, Butler brings out the Crimson Spirit in others by being active in many areas of the University. She is currently completing work toward her Ph.D. in higher education administration. She is active in the National Alumni Association, and dedicated to the success of the University.

Crimson Spirit Award -- James P. Hill

James P. Hill

James P. Hill, mechanician in the department of chemical engineering, has a big job. He is responsible for building and maintaining the experimental apparatus for the chemical engineering summer lab. Some of the units students learn with are three-and-a-half stories high.

The lab accommodates 40-50 students in the intensive course that runs from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday-Saturday for five weeks. The equipment, located in Bevill and in MIB, has many instruments, controls, computers and auxiliary equipment such as large industrial-scale vacuum pumps. His nominator, Dr. David Arnold, lab coordinator, says, "James gracefully handles this enormous task."

"James is indispensable to the smooth functioning of the department," says Arnold. He brings out the Crimson Spirit in others by being so positive in the daily aspects of his work that it inspires others. "James could find employment elsewhere at a higher rate, but his love of the University keeps him here," wrote Arnold.