BGSU Zoom News

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Administrative Staff Council presents recognitions | Susan Brown receives national award

Receiving awards at the Administrative Staff Council spring reception were (left to right) Jennifer Buening, Tom Cummings and Sara Thompson.

Administrative Staff Council applauds contributions of staff

Administrative staff celebrated the end of the academic year and the contributions of its members to the success of the University at the annual Administrative Staff Council reception May 13.

Quoting BGSU’s theme of Belong. Stand Out. Go Far., President Rodney Rogers said that administrative staff are an especially important part of helping not only BGSU students to feel they belong but also one another.

“You create a supportive environment that helps students and others thrive, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do for the University,” he said.

In addition to the moral and professional support administrative staff provide, Administrative Staff Council also provides financial support. This year, ASC awarded $2,000 in professional development funds to staff members and $4,000 in scholarships to four students, ASC Chair Beth Detwiler announced.

Awards were presented to Tom Cummings, director of engineering and technical services at WBGU-TV, the winner of the Michael R. Ferrari Award; Sara Thompson, assistant director of annual giving in University Advancement, named Rookie of the Year, and Jennifer Buening, assistant director of strategic enrollments initiatives for BGSU Firelands, who took home the BG Best Award.

Pavuk on tick and mosquito season - WTOL
Brown on older couples - The Oregonian
Forward Ohio - The Blade
Data science programs - BG Independent News
BGSU to return mosaics to Turkey - Sentinel Tribune, The Blade, BG Independent News

Tom Cummings, winner of the 2018 Michael R. Ferrari Award

Michael R. Ferrari Award
Cummings receives top administrative staff honor

The fact that the WBGU-TV, University’s public television station, stays on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year is due in large part to the efforts of Tom Cummings, director of engineering and technical services. In addition, Cummings assists the University community and the external community in numerous significant ways.

His many years of dedication and expertise have earned Cummings’ the 2018 Michael R. Ferrari Award from Administrative Staff Council. He accepted the award at the council’s annual spring reception May 15. As the top administrative staff award, it includes a $1,000 cash prize and a reserved parking spot for a year.

“Whether it’s providing the streaming service for important University addresses or events or managing the vastly more complex transition of the station’s signal as a result of the FCC bandwidth auction, Tom brings his considerable knowledge, expertise and organizational skills to the job at hand,” wrote nominator Dave Kielmeyer, chief marketing and communications officer. “He is a calm and steady presence in keeping the station on the air and in handling the various problems that can arise in such a technical environment.”

Rookie of the Year Sara Thompson

Rookie of the Year Thompson promotes BGSU One Day, Falcon Funded

Sara Thompson, assistant director of annual giving, is this year’s winner of the Administrative Staff Council Rookie of the Year Award. Presented to an employee who has been with the University from one to three years, it recognizes a staff member who has played a key role in implementing a new idea, program or procedure designed to enhance student recruitment, retention or engagement.

Thompson works to build important relationships with alumni, friends and external partners, raising money to enhance the student experience through scholarships and academic programs. She joined the alumni and annual giving team in University Advancement in February 2017.

“Because of her eagerness to learn and work hard, she immediately contributed to the success of our work and continues to do so today,” said Jenny Winsenk, director of alumni relations and annual giving.

Susan Brown receives the 2018 Clifford C. Clogg Award for Mid-Career Achievement at the meeting of the Population Association of America last month in Denver, presented by Kyle Crowder, Blumstein-Jordon Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington.

Brown wins national recognition for contributions to understanding of family demography

Conventional wisdom tells us that family life in America is changing, but it is thanks to the research and scholarly contributions of Bowling Green State University sociologist Dr. Susan Brown that we now have specific insight into how.

In recognition of her achievements, the Population Association of America (PAA) gave Brown the 2018 Clifford C. Clogg Award for Mid-Career Achievement. Presented this year at the association’s meeting in Denver, the biennial award recognizes early career, outstanding and innovative scholarly achievements in population studies and demography. The award is sponsored by PAA in association with the Population Research Institute of the Pennsylvania State University, and commemorates the memory and creative contributions of Clifford Clogg to the field of quantitative methods and labor force demography.

Brown, chair of the Bowling Green State University Department of Sociology and Professor of Research Excellence, has worked with colleagues at BGSU and other institutions to provide a new look into family dynamics, especially how they are changing for older adults. She is the co-founder, with Distinguished Research Professor Wendy Manning, of the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at BGSU.

OBITUARIES
Robert Byler, 87, former associate professor of journalism, died April 28 in Florida. Widely known for his writing about jazz, he taught at BGSU from 1973-91.