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Mary Eiden, social work academic department associate, has been named recipient of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh July 2012 STAR Award.

Eiden was nominated by Elisabeth Schettle. Portions of her nomination submission follow:

“I’m nominating Mary Eiden for the STAR award because she is the brightest star I know. I began working as an LTE in social work in Oct. 2011, and had the pleasure of working alongside Mary Eiden as my primary trainer. All of the wisdom and capabilities I now bring to my job are her credit entirely, and I never fail to be impressed by her grace, skill, and professionalism int he workplace.

“Since working in social work, I’ve been an LTE in several other departments, but have yet to meet another ADA that shines as brightly as Mary does. Although she’s been working in social work for only a few months, she’s already made quite an impact. She is a constant, positive and energetic point of contact for both students and faculty, and is incredibly reliable and smart.

“Mary Eiden is a wonderful staff member of social work and UWO is lucky to have her. She has an MBA and 16 years of professional experience in marketing, and began working in social work last August full-time all alone. She undertook responsibilities such as managing the complicated tri-part budget, coordinating UWO’s collaborative social work program with Green Bay, and managing both graduate and undergraduate courses on her own. Rather than be overwhelmed, Mary rose to the challenge, exceeded expectations and mastered every duty assigned to her.

“In addition to managing an undergraduate, graduate and collaborative program single-handedly (and keeping track of three separate, complicated budgets!), Mary has also become an ally to professors, locating lost archives for them swiftly and assisting them with every degree of problem that arises. In addition to communicating with students and faculty, Mary communicates with hospitals and other social work organizations to achieve “field” placements for upcoming and current students. Legal issues and compatibility issues are everyday problems for Mary, and she handles them with remarkable calm and speed. She is a guardian angel to the dept. of social work, and everyone that meets her feels lucky to have her as a friend.

“In addition to being a busy worker, Mary somehow finds the time to be involved in campus programs and actively attends all training sessions offered. She is a member of campus Weight Watchers and is planning to enroll herself in photography courses over the summer for self-improvement. Mary is, in short, who I strive to be in five or ten years. She is a remarkable woman – a true star.”

The CSAC Awards & Recognition Committee submitted this announcement. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.