2007-08 Outstanding Staff Awards

Back Row: Krystél Mowery, Donna Kepley, Paul Norman, Debra Barco, Andrew Johnstone
Front Row: Dean Ed Macias, Christine Monteith, Jane McConnell, Henry Biggs, Mindy Danner

Debra Barco
Center for Inquiry in Science Teaching & Learning (CISTL)
As Project Coordinator, Debbie enables CISTL to collaborate with science and higher education institutes to improve science teaching and learning through the collaborative use of diverse resources. She manages project budgets, program funding, and grant processing with professionalism and efficiency. She successfully works closely with the CISTL partners, such as the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Community College, University of Missouri–St. Louis, City of University City School District, St. Louis Public School District, plus Riverview and Kirkwood Public School Districts. Debbie’s dedication and hard work have been an instrumental force in CISTL’s success.

Henry Biggs
College of Arts & Sciences
Henry has contributed significantly to the improvement of the undergraduate student experience at Washington University in many ways. His creativity is inspiring. Henry volunteered to serve as the point-person for students experiencing academic challenges and subsequently developed the successful progress counseling program for students on academic probation. He was also charged with developing the Office of Undergraduate Research three years ago and it has grown from a handful of participants to over 120 students presenting their original faculty mentored research at this past fall’s research symposium. Henry makes Washington University a better place for both students and colleagues.

Mindy Danner
Department of Philosophy
Mindy has been a devoted employee of Washington University for fifteen years, six in the Department of Philosophy. Her contributions to the life of the department, her positive attitude, her good humor, and her energy set an example for us all. She plays an important role supporting the Director of Undergraduate studies. Some of her responsibilities include processing and maintaining all of the department’s major files plus philosophy job candidate files, helping to create graduate application files, and entering the departmental course information on WUCRSL. Mindy creates a welcoming and supportive atmosphere that makes working in the department a pleasure.


Andrew Johnstone
Department of Biology
Andrew’s dedication and service has contributed to raising the Department of Biology to new heights in terms of its national and international reputation. He has served the department as Business Manager since 1992 and has worked for four different department chairs. One of Andrew’s many duties is to oversee the departmental accounting and payroll for both operational and research funding. Andrew’s counsel and knowledge of the department have been instrumental to the chair and the department’s overall success. His stability, departmental “memory,” willingness to think in the future, and his flexibility clearly identifies him as extremely deserving of this award.


Donna Kepley
Women and Gender Studies
As Administrative Assistant, Donna deals with countless students, faculty and administrative requests, concerns, and complaints on a daily basis. She manages the budget, handles searches, organizes meetings, enters course information, monitors and facilitates enrollments, coordinates space, and performs countless other tasks critical to the daily functioning of the Women and Gender Studies Program. Donna’s dedication, her creative ways to solve problems and her friendly, cooperative manner is a huge asset to the Women and Gender Studies Program and to the university at large.


Jane McConnell
Department of Psychology
Jane is a staff research associate in the Department of Psychology and assistant to the Dean for Academic Planning in Arts & Sciences. Jane took the lead in scheduling the Graduate Task Force for Arts & Sciences meetings and she spent countless hours on the web tracking down much information about other programs for this committee. She has trained other Arts & Sciences staff in the complexities of looking up citations in the Institute of Scientific Information database and she is the lab manager for two faculty members in the department of Psychology. Jane oversees all the activity of multiple grants, working with Sponsored Projects, and has been instrumental in overseeing the day to day operation of the grants. Jane’s work touches many areas of the university, and she is always helpful, cheerful, and willing to go the extra mile.


Christine Monteith
Department of Physics
Christine is the Grants and Accounting Supervisor in the Department of Physics and is the central contact point for any accounting issue in the department. The faculty has been impressed with Christine’s ability in grant submission, budget preparation, and her efficiency in meeting short deadlines. She knows the rules – both federal and university – or on the rare occasions when she doesn’t - she knows whom to contact to find out. Christine is always calm and smiling, always can-do, never complaining. She is a model employee who sets a high standard for all around her.


Krystél Mowery
International and Area Studies
Krystél managed every aspect of the four-year Visiting East Asian Program (VEAP) from correspondence with and arrangements for our East Asian guests, to advising the nearly 40 undergraduate interns who spent summers working in East Asia. Krystél could always be counted on to handle all matters concerning our foreign guests with great cultural sensitivity. They returned to their respective countries with a great impression of Washington University. It is no exaggeration to say that the impact of Krystél’s hard work and abilities extend far beyond our campus.


Dean’s Award
Paul Norman
Physical Facilities
Paul manages the campus horticultural maintenance and landscape construction operation. Under Paul’s supervision, our campus maintains a beautiful presence throughout the year for our students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Some of Paul’s duties include recommending new landscape designs for enhancing and improving campus environment. He also supervises and trains contractor grounds staff in horticulture tasks. His hard work and dedication can be seen all over the Danforth campus.

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