Top Row: Donald O. “Donny” Johnson, Linus Ronald “Ron” Pryal, and Margaret “Peg” ChalusRow: Andrea J. Leibfreid, William E. “Bill” McGahey, and Gregory L. Rodden

Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg has named the recipients of the 2006 Chancellor’s Awards for Staff Excellence in service to the community and to the University.

Each honoree will receive a $2,500 cash prize and be recognized Feb. 24 during Pitt’s 30th Annual Honors Convocation. Their names also will be inscribed on plaques to be displayed in the William Pitt Union.

Two staff members will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence in Service to the Community, which recognizes staff members whose work in the community surpasses the expectations of the organizations they serve and whose commitment and effort have made a significant impact on the community.

Donald O. “Donny” Johnson, a mail carrier at Pitt’s Bradford campus, was cited by the selection committee for his service to a number of community and campus organizations. A former competitive swimmer at the McKean County Special Olympics, Johnson has volunteered with that organization for more than 20 years as a fundraiser and as a track and field coach and events timer. Johnson also has done volunteer work for the Bradford Area High School Owls Athletic Boosters, Bradford Family YMCA/Bradford First Night, Bradford Little League, the Frown Inversion Clown Troupe, and the Salvation Army. In addition, Johnson has volunteered during Pitt Band Camp and has been manager of Pitt-Bradford’s intercollegiate baseball and basketball teams. Johnson has worked at Pitt-Bradford since 1980. Over the years, the campus’ interoffice mail has come to be known as “Donny Mail.”

Linus Ronald “Ron” Pryal began working at Pitt’s Johnstown campus in 1983 and is currently a precision production machinist in the campus’ Engineering Technology Machine Shop. After hearing former President Jimmy Carter talk about Habitat for Humanity, an organization of volunteers who build new homes and renovate existing ones for disadvantaged people, Pryal in 1993 became one of the first Somerset County residents to join the county’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. He serves as chair of the chapter’s building committee and as a construction site foreman. Under his leadership as a foreman, the chapter has constructed or rehabilitated 11 homes. Fellow Somerset County Habitat for Humanity board members credit Pryal with keeping construction projects on schedule and on budget, citing his good working relationships with suppliers as a major factor in getting materials at significant discounts.

Regional Campuses Announce Awards for Staff Excellence Patty La Mantia, director of the Pitt-Greensburg campus Health Center, last month received the campus’ 2005 Award for Staff Excellence. Pitt-Greensburg President Frank A. Cassell chose La Mantia for the award based on recommendations from a panel of civic leaders. Under La Mantia’s leadership, Pitt-Greensburg has participated in relief efforts following Hurricane Ivan and the December 2004 South Asian tsunami. She also has organized campus blood drives and has participated in first-aid and CPR training. The 2006 Pitt-Johnstown President’s Staff Awards went this month to Jeanne Susko, UPJ Office of Outreach coordinator of community programming, and Linus R. Pryal, a precision production machinist who also has been named to receive a 2006 Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence in Service to the Community. See story on page 1 for details on Pryal’s public service. Susko has been involved with numerous projects at Pitt-Johnstown, including engaging the campus community in donating items to send to UPJ military personnel serving in Iraq; purchasing and distributing flowers on Veterans’ Day to UPJ employees whose spouses or children were serving in the Middle East; helping to collect, organize, and pack donations for the UPJ Hurricane Katrina Relief Project for the American Red Cross; and participating in the UPJ Salvation Army Project Bundle-Up event. She also serves on the boards of directors for the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center and the Women’s Information Network. Each June, the Pitt-Bradford Staff Association’s Staff Recognition Award honors an outstanding UPB employee. Last June, the award went to Donald O. “Donny” Johnson, who also has been named to receive a 2006 Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence in Service to the Community. See story on page 1.

Four staff members will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Service to the University, which recognizes staff members whose performance not only exceeds the standards and expectations of their positions, but who also make a significant impact on the University through their commitment and performance.

Margaret “Peg” Chalus began at Pitt in 1989 as a staff specialist in the Office of International Services. A year later, she joined the Department of English as a staff specialist, moving in 2001 to the Department of Communication, where she is a secretary and administrator to the William Pitt Debating Union. There, she has implemented cost-saving measures to ensure that the debate union takes full advantage of the University’s tax-exempt status when traveling, while also negotiating lower airfares from University travel agents. Chalus worked with Pitt’s Office of Institutional Advancement on a fund-raising drive for the debate union, culminating in the establishment of the Robert P. Newman Debate Fund in 2004. Chalus also serves as the debate union’s liaison with the University’s Office of Public Affairs and Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. Chalus’ interactions with high school students and their families have been cited as a recruiting boon for Pitt’s debate program.

Andrea J. Leibfreid is a secretary in the Division of Social Sciences at Pitt-Johnstown. Her duties include providing administrative support to the division chair and 32 full- and part-time faculty members, including preparing exams, syllabi, and other course materials, as well as maintaining academic records for more than 800 students. The selection committee commended Leibfreid, a 25-year Pitt-Johnstown employee, for serving as president of the Pitt-Johnstown Staff Activities and Concerns Association; organizing a “Meet the Staff” breakfast to introduce new employees to the campus; coordinating Pitt-Johnstown’s Annual Family Holiday Project, which supports families of deceased faculty, staff, and students; participating in numerous community and charity events, and encouraging other members of the Pitt-Johnstown community to join her; working to improve staff morale; and encouraging and supporting students who are struggling with their studies.

William E. “Bill” McGahey joined the University in 1978 and currently is a systems analyst with the School of Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The selection committee noted McGahey’s 12-hour workdays and off-campus “house calls” to help faculty, staff, and students with computer problems. In his nomination letter, department technician James A. Lyle described McGahey returning to campus at 2 a.m. to let a student into a computer lab. McGahey’s nomination was supported by more than 30 letters of support from colleagues, faculty members, and former students. The letters praised his expertise and dedication to Pitt, noting that McGahey assumed the responsibilities of the position of electronic technician for 18 months until that position was filled; served as a member of Pitt’s Information Technology Committee and Staff Association Council; installed the IT/Network structure in Benedum Hall; and served as the engineering school’s liaison to Pitt’s Office of Computing Services and Systems Development.

Gregory L. Rodden joined Pitt in 1975 as an electrician, and currently serves as electrical foreman with the Office of Facilities Management. In that job, he supervises 17 electricians; is responsible for maintenance, renovation, and repairs of the University’s electrical system; serves as the liaison with Duquesne Light for maintenance switching requests; and works with Pitt electrical engineers to implement standards for equipment and installations. Letters supporting Rodden’s nomination provided examples of his dedication and skill, which have included devising an emergency patch to restore power to the Chevron Science Center following a waterline break that shut off power to the building; developing strategies to reduce the University’s energy consumption, including upgrading to high-efficiency fixtures and automated lighting controls; and implementing a Web-based scheduling system to allow for comments prior to weekly meetings of the Facilities Management trades foremen. (It’s estimated that this scheduling system saves Pitt approximately $40,000 annually.)