Shout-outs to Staff
The following are Libraries staff who have received a shout-out from one or more of their colleagues for going out of their way to be extra awesome at their job.
Maurika Smutherman
Maurika is my partner-in-collaboration and I could not have implemented as many outreach programs for the Digital Media Lab as I have without her. She is one of the most perceptive, reliable, and friendly colleagues I have ever had the pleasure of working with at the Libraries and she's able to bring out the best in every person she shares space with. I have only grown as an instructor and manager through working alongside her. Thanks, Maurika!
- Tim Mensa, Sep 11, 2024
Bertha Chang, Danica Lewis
When several colleagues in the CoRE department recently took on collections responsibilities, Bertha and Danica provided outstanding training and support to get us started! They organized comprehensive overviews of our collection development approaches as well as training on specific tools and actions to take. Danica and Bertha also made themselves easily accessible to answer all of our questions (and continue to do so). With their help, getting started with collection management has been interesting and enjoyable. Bertha and Danica, thanks for being such great colleagues and sharing all your expertise!
- Kim Duckett, Sep 6, 2024
James Chittum
James helped me use the new IT setup in the MSC for my presentation to Management Council on August 20th. Before the meeting, he walked me through each step of the setup and he stayed through the presentation to make sure everything worked right, answering my questions and assisting as needed. He was patient, knowledgeable, and supportive through the process with me.
It's employees like James who creative a positive and productive environment for all of us.
- Laura Blessing, Aug 29, 2024
Kaitlin Kehnemuyi
You've probably heard Kaitlin give a talk or share about her ingenious use of AI to write a script that can help populate the Ask Us desk calendar. (Side note: if you haven't you should remedy that.) But don't be fooled that the script or the computer is doing even the majority of the work. A TON of *high-quality human hours* go into thoughtfully, carefully, and compassionately reworking the schedule to make it not only correct and feasible but truly manageable. She wields her calendaring power to grant us kindnesses and breaks we often won't grant ourselves, removing shifts that run up against other responsibilities and taking preferences into consideration. To do that for 50 people (with wildly different responsibilities) at least three times a year is a truly incredible feat and I am so grateful for such a *high-quality human* who devotes so many hours and so much mental and emotional energy to keeping the desk and our staff running smoothly. Thanks, Kaitlin!
- Alison Edwards, Jul 31, 2024
Troy Hurteau
Troy is the kind of co-worker you dream of being on a committee with! They are so smart, have so many amazing skills, and are excited to share all of it with you. The Collections and Materials Working Group of the Accessibility Committee just completed an evaluation of our ebook platforms and it would not have been possible without Troy's advice, expertise, and work to create documentation on the best way to evaluate websites and PDF documents. Accessibility is a discipline where you are always learning and I learn so much from Troy every time we get together.
- Beth Ashmore, Jul 22, 2024
Robin Davis
Robin did such an amazing job getting the Accessibility Committee off the ground. It can be so hard to chair a new committee and Robin made it look easy. We not only got off to a very productive start with a lot of great projects and events to address the accessibility needs of the libraries and NC State communities, but we also have created our own community of accessibility champions within the libraries. I am always learning new things from Robin and I feel lucky to work with someone who has so many great skills and is so generous in sharing them.
- Beth Ashmore, Jul 22, 2024
Kristen Rivers
Big shout out to Kristen for all her work organizing the catering and food on a writing retreat organized as part of a grant award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Kristen was able to make all the arrangements go incredibly smoothly, even with the event taking place outside of Raleigh. All the participants commented on the fantastic food. Thanks, Kristen, for making the food part of the trip amazing, we really appreciate it.
- Mara Blake and Emily Griffith, May 30, 2024
Oliver Morris
Huge shout out to Oliver for all his work on a writing retreat organized as part of a grant award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He made sure that multiple, complex travel arrangements were seamlessly completed and reimbursed. In addition to the positive experience of colleagues from the Libraries, Oliver also interacted with several external people involved in the project. Without exception, every person mentioned the amazing help that Oliver provided to make things run well. Thanks, Oliver, you made the trip fantastic and we are so grateful!
- Mara Blake and Emily Griffith, May 30, 2024
Alexa Carter
Alexa consistently makes the workplace a little bit brighter by going above and beyond — sending kind notes to her colleagues, adding thoughtful touches to meetings, and making it a point to ask people how they're doing. Alexa is intentional about reaching out and noticing when someone did a good job or when they need a boost of confidence, making her a mentor both to the people she supervises and to her colleagues in general. Shout-out to Alexa for her positive attitude & her efforts in helping to make the libraries a great place to work!
- Kristy Borda, Courtney Hewett , May 16, 2024
Ryan Hunter
Ryan is always a huge help to me in the high-tech spaces. This semester he has been especially helpful when I have had some a/v issues arise in the T&V lab. He came in to help me with an unusual audio set up for a special guest performance on a moment's notice and made the performance a huge success. He is always willing to troubleshoot with me on the fly if an issue arises and get things up and running. His calm demeanor and quick willingness to step in when I need him makes my job so much easier. I learn a lot from Ryan in the spaces and I'm super grateful for his help and expertise.
- Courtney Hewett, Apr 26, 2024