2020 Staff Merit Awards

Fortunately, a powerful resource for reaching that goal already existed—keepteaching.iu.edu. The website was originally designed as a platform to provide faculty and students with uninterrupted contact during emergency situations such as fires, floods, or other localized disasters. Tom Mason and his colleagues in the training group had been refining the site in 2019 and planning a launch of a new version in early 2020. But with the arrival of COVID-19, Mason rose to the monumental challenge of customizing the site to meet the pandemic-specific needs of IU faculty throughout the state.

Mason has succeeded to such an extent, and the site aggregates information and apps so effectively, that under his direction it has become indispensable at institutions worldwide. Michele Kelmer, manager of UITS Digital Education Programs and Initiatives and Mason’s supervisor, says, “Tom’s leadership and calm demeanor were essential in the collection and organizing of content from many sources into a coherent, helpful, and accessible site available not just to faculty at IU, but across the world. IU’s Keep Teaching website content and structure have been reused with permission on four continents by more than 50 colleges and universities.”

In the early days of the shutdowns, continued modification of the site presented Mason with complex and demanding tasks. According to John Gosney, director of faculty engagement and outreach in learning technologies at UITS, “Tom was faced with a tsunami of requests to update the site; any single request could involve not just a content change, but some type of structural or format change to the site, too.... In addition to addressing these changes to the website, Tom was also responsible for distributing messages about these changes to faculty. In addition to the need to think strategically about how all of these requests fit together in the moment, Tom had to simultaneously anticipate other requests that were likely to come (and did come) over the forthcoming weeks.”

Cinda Haff, who directs the UITS Emergency Management and Continuity Program, praises Mason’s dedication under unprecedentedly trying circumstances: “Tom’s ability to organize and track this volume of changes, plus navigate all the different input sources, was a true testament to his professionalism. He maintained impressive organizational skills during the entire time and gracefully navigated all the personalities involved during the entire process. He truly is a role model of someone who is dedicated to his job and the university.”

As fiscal officer, she oversees expenditures and fund management throughout the College, taking on extra responsibilities in some smaller College departments that have no fiscal officers of their own. In addition, Sherrill manages more than $200 million in funds donated through the IU Foundation and IU quasi-endowments.

Melissa Ritter, now the business manager and fiscal officer in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, previously reported to Sherrill. Ritter recalls, “She was always available to answer my many questions, would drop anything to help anyone, all the while still giving 100 percent to her own job responsibilities.”

Mike Fowler, Sherrill’s supervisor and the College’s assistant dean for administration, echoes this assessment. “Throughout my career,” he says, “I have yet to meet another person with such a positive infectious energy that spills over to others. Sheri is genuinely concerned about others and the problems they are facing that day, that week, or that month. She embodies the personality traits that inspire us and give us meaning, in that moment, to see the best in whatever problem is facing us.”

Her co-worker Misty Cummings says that Sherrill’s commitment to guiding and advising her fellow staff members is unsurpassed. “Sheri loves to mentor and teach,” Cummings says, “and her dedication to the mission of Indiana University and the welfare of the students shines through in all her work. I have witnessed her being instrumental in helping to further the careers of several IU employees who have had the privilege of working with her and have therefore directly benefitted from her unselfish sharing of IU institutional wisdom. These individuals have great praise for Sheri and her amazing, selfless, professional mentoring. I can say confidently that Indiana University is a better place because of Sheri Sherrill.”

Aydt also helps to staff the Facility Operations glass shop, where he repairs, cuts glass for, and replaces broken windows, as well as mending damaged window frames and hardware. In addition, Aydt has applied his woodworking expertise to the campus woodshop mill, helping to fulfill demand in times of staff shortages.

Aydt not only fixes and creates many of the essential ingredients of a functioning campus; he also serves as a carpentry instructor in Facility Operations’ apprenticeship initiative. This four-year program enables the unit’s entry-level employees to train as skilled craft workers, thereby advancing their careers and meeting service needs as the campus continues to grow. “Teaching others is what IU is about, and Paul is a great instructor, with his knowledge and friendly, positive, hardworking attitude,” says Danny Martindale, shop coordinator for Facility Operations.

Aydt’s versatility and flexibility are often noted by his managers and co-workers. “There isn’t a task I’d be afraid to give him to do,” says Lyle May, Carpenter Shop foreman, adding that Aydt “is an outstanding employee who outperforms the standards that are set for his position.”

Thomas Lirot, Facility Operations supervisor, says of Aydt, “In his current position, he deals with door locks, cutting keys, glasswork, drywall installation, general construction and maintenance of wall framing, and ceiling installation. Paul goes above and beyond in his craft to help aid the appearance of Indiana University buildings and spaces.”

With his well-earned reputation for dependability and his excellent attendance record, Aydt stands out among the employees charged with keeping the campus safe, sound, and beautiful.

“He understands that Facility Operations’ mission is to maintain a quality environment here on the Bloomington campus,” says Lirot. “Employees like Paul make accomplishing projects for all of us a whole lot easier. Paul’s willingness to make the necessary adjustments to his work allows our department to count on him during our time of need.”

He recently came to the attention of the larger IU community after members of the Floyd family of Illinois were guiding themselves around the Bloomington campus to determine if it might be a good fit for their high school junior Ainsley. As reported in the Inside IU newsletter, Shipley was having lunch outside Hodge Hall when he spotted the Floyds and offered them a tour.

“For a family who'd visited no less than 10 other Big Ten and Midwestern colleges within two weeks, Shipley's kindness in going out of his way to serve as an impromptu tour guide helped IU stand out in the ‘sea of same,’” wrote Bethany Nolan in the Inside IU article. Burton Floyd, Ainsley’s father, later emailed Shipley’s supervisor, expressing appreciation for his considerate and friendly actions. “As Marty stood there in his IU hat and told us about the building and its history, about the campus, about his work and the work of his peers, about his son who is hoping to get into a special program at IU, you could just tell he thought the world of it all,” Floyd wrote.

Keith Wright, area supervisor, readily concurs. “In the Building Services business area,” he says of Shipley, “we are lucky to have such an outstanding staff member. The integrity with which he conducts himself both personally and professionally is unparalleled.”

William Hetrick, chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, says that the Inside IU article spurred dozens of faculty and staff members to provide other examples of Shipley’s exemplary service. Char Wozniak, manager of the Cognitive Development Laboratory, told Hetrick about the time Shipley gently freed a live bat from the hallway outside her office. Professor Ed Hirt recalled Shipley offering to meet Hirt at the Psychology Building after hours to let Hirt into a studio to record lectures for his COVID-exiled students. “At a time when our essential workers are that much more visible, Marty stands out among them,” Hetrick concludes.

“The pride he feels for IU is apparent in everything he does,” says Teresa Kase, assistant dean for finance and administration in the Kelley School of Business, which counts Hodge Hall among its facilities. “He is dependable and thorough; if he says he'll take care of something, you can be confident it will be handled properly and professionally.”