Staff Performance Award

The FCSM Staff Performance Award is given for demonstrated outstanding skills in the staff member’s position, for a proven ability to maintain a high-quality efficient and effective operation, and for being an outstanding team player.

After a successful 30-year career as a highly motivated and seasoned management professional in food services, our awardee attended a laboratory skills training program to prepare for a career in bioscience.  In 2009, he/she began his/her career at TU as a Laboratory Assistant and then in 2018, as a Laboratory Research Technician at TU’s Center for STEM Excellence (TUCSE), located in downtown Baltimore’s Inner Harbor under the direction of Dr. Mary Stapleton, Director of Bioscience Education and Outreach. This center serves Maryland’s K-12 school through outreach programs supporting science.  Interestingly while working at TU, our recipient returned to school and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2015 from Morgan State University, a degree that he/she had begun 35 years earlier.

Colleagues working with our awardee feel that our recipient is most deserving of this award because his/her dedication goes above and beyond. As a matter of fact, Dr. Stapleton commented that when she was leaving work with him/her, one day, she asked our recipient what she planned to do over the weekend.  Our recipient’s immediate response was "What do you need?  I can come into work if you need me!"  This response was pretty amazing, considering that not many people who would be willing to drop everything to help you out on their day off!  Our recipient is, in addition a great mentor to students, since she takes the time to get to know each of them in order to best serve and support them.

Another colleague commented how our recipient prepares for classes being taught at TUCSE, each day, to ensure that the students have everything they need in order to succeed with their science investigations.

A student shared her thoughts about our recipient and commented that she was “hardworking and passionate about his/her job.  I enjoy coming every morning knowing that she is here.   She spreads her knowledge by teaching students who, in return, will never forget what he/she taught them.  Our awardee comes in every day ready to work giving two hundred percent to his/her duties and team.”

For an excellent work ethic and commitment, the 2019 Staff Performance Award goes to Ms. Debra Phillips from TU’s Center for STEM Excellence.

(As presented by Associate Dean Vonnie Shields at the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics Forum on December 5, 2019.)