Three outstanding staff recognized for their service to MechSE

This year’s MechSE Staff Award for Exemplary Service was awarded to Hannah Dorsey, Amy Rumsey, and Kathy Smith. They were recognized for their contributions to the department and for their outstanding service to faculty, students, and colleagues.

The award criteria include: Demonstrates excellence in overall work performance; promotes positive morale through a congenial, supportive attitude and by providing service to others; puts forth an effort to improve self as well as to develop and recognize others; exhibits initiative and creativity resulting in improved operating efficiency of the department; and enhances the image of the department.

Dorsey has served as Human Resource Coordinator for the department since December 2018 and in other HR roles on campus since November of 2000. 

“Hannah has stepped up tremendously in the past two years to effectively lead the HR staff during inclement times. During this period of evolving policies and issues arising due to Covid-19, she exceeded expectations in identifying the appropriate actions needed to operate all HR functions remotely. Hannah provides beneficial guidance on staffing plans, positions and appointments, and how overall HR processes can be improved that will benefit the overall organization. She also took the initiative to learn the complexities of and assume the role of USC (University Security Contact), which manages all employees’ systemic access. One of Hannah’s greatest strengths is the thoughtfulness in being able to assess different stakeholder needs and address them accordingly,” said Rebecca Seymour, Assistant Head for Administration.

Rumsey is an Administrative Aide in MechSE’s business office, where she has worked since November 2018.  September of this year will mark her 22nd year at the University of Illinois.  

“Despite working in a busy environment, Amy is always pleasant and professional, especially when assisting faculty, students, and visitors. Amy consistently provides outstanding customer service to everyone she works with, whether they are within the department, university, or visiting campus.  Oftentimes, Amy is one of the first people in the department that visitors and faculty recruits meet. She is always welcoming and personable, providing helpful information about the department and their agenda for the day. She is among the most reliable of staff, coming into the office or freeing up time in her schedule whenever necessary to greet and escort visitors. Amy readily volunteers to come in when there is a business need or to help others with anything unexpected,” said Sarah Power, Senior Coordinator of Business and Finance.

Smith is the Assistant Director of Graduate Programs. She has worked at the university for 28 years, 18 of those in MechSE.  

One of the nominations for her stated, “Kathy Smith has always been professional and supportive of the needs of graduate students. She has always replied to emails with details and has often gone out of her way to solve issues. It would be difficult to think of the department's graduate administration without her.” Another nominator said, “Kathy has demonstrated excellent work performance, always being helpful, supportive and patient to all students, especially to international students faced with a lot of challenges in their coursework and life. She is willing to learn and adapt to new systems in the department and provide guidance to others when they need it. Kathy did a great job in improving efficiency during the pandemic by offering online document submission, holding online office hours, and replying to email at lightning speed.”