Marcia Holleran joined the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences as an administrative specialist in 1991. And there she has stayed for the past 14 years.
Along the way, she has risen in the ranks while at the same time remaining aware of what makes any successful department work — the students.
Holleran, now grants, budgeting and accounting supervisor for the department, was honored with the 2004 Gloria W. White Distinguished Service Award in a May 24 Staff Day ceremony in Edison Theatre.
“Marcia has been an amazing staff member in earth & planetary sciences, showing a great deal of initiative and intelligence in approaching and successfully completing all of her jobs,” said Raymond E. Arvidson, Ph.D., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of earth & planetary sciences.
“We are lucky to have her work with us on our drive to attain excellence in all that we do.”
One faculty member described Holleran as “the star in a department of dedicated, loyal and talented individuals.”
A graduate student stated that she is “a rock of stability in an all too often transitional, temperamental and subjective academic environment.”
Other students have shared experiences when Holleran would repeatedly follow up with graduate students to turn in paperwork or take care of department requirements so that they wouldn’t inadvertently sabotage themselves further down the road.
Time and time again, students spoke of her “shepherding students through the program,” and her genuine concern for students, that they believe is beyond the scope of her job.
Her broad responsibilities include: supervision of the submission process for approximately 100 research proposals and contracts, administrative support for approximately 80 funded research grants; administrative support of the academic and curricular requirements for faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students; and various other duties.
Staff Day also featured many events for Hilltop Campus personnel to participate in.
Student Fianancial Services won the volleyball tournament, and public affairs took the softball trophy.
The golf tournament had three different divisions. Winning the coed flight for the third time in four years was the team of Joe Angeles and Terri Nappier, shooting a 34.
Sarah Melson and Dannette Hutton teamed to win the women’s division with a 43, while Randy Mariani and Joe Sklansky shot a 34 to win the men’s title.
University staff members later gathered in Bowles Plaza for the grand-prize drawing and Ted Drewes frozen treats.
The University also held a canned-food drive in conjunction with Staff Day.
According to the St. Louis Area Food Bank, University employees collected 382 pounds of food, which provides approximately 255 meals for needy families.