Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

McKinley Award, June 2003 Winner -- Teresa Faulkner
UA's OIRA Shines at State Meeting

McKinley Award, June 2003 Winner -- Teresa Faulkner

Teresa Faulkner

Teresa Faulkner, manager of Human Resources Development, has been employed at the University for almost 15 years. According to one of her nominators, Margie Karrh, executive secretary, Human Resources, Faulkner has tireless energy and is always willing to do anything for anyone. Other nominators are Daphne Wright, HR assistant, and Victoria Perry, senior HR generalist. Both note Faulkner's pleasing personality and ability to motivate all who work with her.

"In addition to effectively managing her area, Teresa, while delivering training, serves as an excellent ambassador for the Human Resources Department," Perry says.

"Last year, we were in the process of distributing service award items," says Wright. "Teresa would personally deliver these items to each employee. You can bet this is a true meaning of customer service with a smile," she said.

Wright points to a specific and valuable characteristic -- her dedication to and compassion for her job. "She devotes many early mornings, nights, and weekends to facilitate training for other departments only because the time is more convenient for that department."

Perry explains in several ways how Faulkner goes beyond what her position calls for. "She is extremely knowledgeable about resources campus-wide and takes time and care to refer employees to any resource that they might find useful," she said.

The McKinley Award was established by Helen H. and John K. McKinley of Darien, Conn., and Tuscaloosa in honor of John McKinley's father, Vergil Parks McKinley. The award recognizes enterprising employees who, by action or idea, contributed to the University's mission of teaching, research and service. The monthly award carries a cash prize. Vergil Parks McKinley came to UA in 1918 and retired as head of the College of Education's trade and industrial development department in 1945. If you would like to nominate an employee for future awards, contact Human Resources at 348-6690.

UA's OIRA Shines at State Meeting

Hanne Delbridge

Hanne Delbridge, assistant director of UA's Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA), recently received the Joseph T. Sutton Leadership Award at the Alabama Association for Institutional Research (ALAIR) conference. At the same meeting, OIRA's 2002 Fact Book received the award for Best Factbook, and UA's Dr. William Fendley, director of OIRA, Dr. Jon Acker, coordinator for student assessment in OIRA, and Billy Hughes, OIRA's senior programmer analyst, received the award for the ALAIR 2002 Best Presentation for "Assessing the Impact of Freshmen Midterm Grades on Retention."

The Sutton award was named in honor of Dr. Sutton, former UA vice president for institutional analysis and planning and operations from 1969-1981, after which he was named executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Sutton was the first to be recognized by ALAIR for professionalism and leadership. The award is presented annually for recognizing leadership and outstanding accomplishments in institutional research and related fields.

At last summer's national meeting in Toronto, Canada, Fendley, Acker, and Hughes, presented their 2001 Southern Association for Institutional Research Best Paper, "Implementing a Recursive Retention Assessment System for Engineering Programs," to the national audience.

Fendley is ALAIR's immediate past president and will serve with Hughes on the 2003-04 executive board.