Spokane honors staff for excellence

In recognition of their contributions to campus and community, two employees have received the WSU Spokane Staff Excellence Award for the 2002-03 academic year. The annual award recognizes classified and administrative professional staff members.

Doug Stephens, office assistant for the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, received the award for classified staff. Kiley Schenk, academic coordinator for the Department of Health Policy and Administration, received the administrative professional award.

This is the third consecutive year Stephens was nominated for the Staff Excellence Award, this time by more than 20 faculty, staff and students at WSU Spokane.

“No problem is too large, and more importantly too small, for Doug,” said Jeff Winikoff, research associate for the Child and Family Research Unit. “I have never known him to be anything but pleasant and a joy to be with. He is an asset to this institution and his community.”

Stephens has worked for WSU Spokane for four years; he worked at WSU Vancouver 1987-99. He earned an associate of applied science degree in electronics technology and a bachelor of technology degree in automated manufacturing from ITT Technical Institute in Portland.

Stephens is active in the community as the founder of the Inland Empire Puppeteers Guild and a volunteer instructor for the Spokane Parks and Recreation’s Physically Challenged Ski Program.

Schenk has been nominated for the administrative professional excellence award for two consecutive years by several faculty, staff and students.

“Ms. Schenk serves as a critical liaison between the students, the faculty and the university bureaucracy,” said Jae Kennedy, assistant professor for health policy and administration. “It’s a difficult job, but she does it with professionalism, grace and good humor.”

During her two years of service at WSU Spokane, Schenk’s recruiting and retention efforts have accomplished a 20 percent or greater increase in the health policy and administration program’s full-time equivalent student numbers, noted her supervisor, professor and department chair Winsor Schmidt.

Schenk worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation for five years prior to joining WSU Spokane. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s degree in health service administration from Eastern Washington University.

Nomination criteria for the Staff Excellence Award are based on the quality of the nominee’s work and contribution to an improved work environment and the larger community.

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