Two CS staff members were recognized by the university for their outstanding service. Students Affairs Manager Greta Carl-Halle and Systems Administrator Don Voita received the Citation of Excellence Award from the UCSB Staff Assembly. The purpose of this award is to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding achievements and meritorious service of the career staff. With these two new awards CS staff will have three Citation of Excellence Awards in the last three years. Graduate Program Assistant Amanda Hoagland received the Citation of Excellence Award in 2006.

The excellent job performances of Greta Carl-Halle and Don Voita are best explained by the following quotes from the nomination letters written by the faculty and staff.

The award nomination letter for Greta Carl-Halle states: “Greta Carl-Halle’s performance in our Department as an employee has been stellar. She does not only perform her duties to perfection, but she also takes initiative in improving our graduate and undergraduate programs, and she has had a significant positive impact on our Department. She provides a golden standard for professionalism and ethics. She does her job with extreme efficiency, accuracy, and with knowledge that reflects her 10+ years of service on campus. Furthermore, she does not miss any opportunity to serve the campus through committees, volunteering for events, and actively encourages her staff and others to better themselves in professional and personal ways. Recognizing her with this award would not only reward an extremely deserving employee, but it would also provide an excellent role model for all UCSB employees.”

The award nomination letter for Don Voita states: “Don Voita is a truly exceptional staff member. He has consistently performed well above the call of duty, and, in a number of occasions, he has contributed novel solutions to problems that affected the Department for years. In addition to his extraordinary achievements, Don also deserves praise for his hard-working and positive attitude in the workplace. Don is just one of the most pleasant people to work with. He is a truly exceptional staff member, who has great interpersonal skills, strong dedication to his work, and overwhelming enthusiasm. Don’s service to the Department is beyond any job description and for which there cannot be any adequate compensation. Therefore, this award would at least signify our appreciation for his critical role in the success of the Department.”