March 5, 2008

College of Engineering Announces 2008 Awards for Excellence

In a ceremony on March 5, 2008, Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering, and Dr. Richard Keltie, associate dean for academic affairs, recognized Dr. Russ O'Dell, Annette Maynard and Joe Sutton as this year's 2008 Award for Excellence winners. Also recognized were award nominees Amoret Dunlap, Shirley Kow and Harold Underwood Jr. Pictured (clockwise) are Keltie, O'Dell, Underwood, Martin-Vega, Maynard and Dunlap. (Photo: Kathi McBlief)

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University announced the 2008 Awards for Excellence winners in a ceremony held March 5 in Mann Hall. Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering, and Dr. Richard Keltie, associate dean for academic affairs, recognized Dr. Russ O’Dell, Annette Maynard and Joe Sutton as this year’s award winners.

O’Dell, director of development for the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was nominated for his commitment and many services to the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the NC State Engineering Foundation. Maynard, administrative support associate in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, was nominated for her dedication, dependability, timeliness, great attention to detail and positive attitude. Joe Sutton, technology support analyst for the Industrial Extension Service (IES) and Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Army Reserve, could not be at the ceremony because he is serving a tour of duty in Mosul, Irag. He was nominated for his outstanding service and heroism.

Martin-Vega presented plaques and gift checks to O’Dell and Maynard. Harold Underwood Jr., information technology manager in IES, accepted a plaque and gift check on behalf of Sutton.

Also recognized for their service to the College were award nominees Amoret W. Dunlap, information and communication specialist in IES; Shirley Kow, technology support specialist in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and Harold D. Underwood Jr.

—30—

Dr. Francis (Russ) O’Dell

As director of development for the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Dr. Russ O’Dell is a devoted NC State Engineering Foundation staff member and generous philanthropist.

Russ keeps connections fresh between alumni and the College with personal visits to encourage continued engagement and commitments and serves on the CBE Alumni Advisory Board, organizing meetings, agendas, and presentations. He assists with a senior design class, soliciting donations and bringing in speakers, and has become the advisor to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter at NC State.

An unofficial College archivist, Russ has collected an exceptional amount of history, alumni, and industry information. He also started the engraved brick program for the Oval Walkway outside the new Engineering Buildings that has brought in over $60,000 in contributions.

With a B.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from NC State, Russ is committed to future engineering students. He has funded an endowment for CBE scholarships and contributes a substantial portion of his pay to a Charitable Remainder Trust that will be used for future scholarships and fellowships in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Annette Maynard

As an administrative support associate in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Annette Maynard has been an exemplary employee for 28 years. She is dedicated, timely, and dependable, with a great attention to detail and a positive attitude. She is committed to the University and represents it well, often acting as an excellent community ambassador.

In her career with NC State she has mastered the critical skill of adaptation and change, reinventing her job to meet changing needs and tackling new tasks expertly and with a smile for the challenge. She has learned how to develop course materials and can be a great help to students. She is a dependable and irreplaceable asset to the department, handling promotion, tenure, and other personnel matters with the utmost professionalism. She is a master at handling the Department Head’s calendar and resolving scheduling conflicts.

Friendly, helpful, thoughtful, and courteous, Annette’s positive approach to every challenge serves as a boost and an example for her coworkers.

Joe Sutton

A dedicated and hard-working technology support analyst for the Industrial Extension Service, Joe Sutton is highly regarded for his outstanding service to department and country.

Joe maintains all IES computers and plays a vital role in developing and implementing IT improvements to increase the success of IES. One specific example of Joe’s many contributions is his implementation of alternative methods for remote users to access the mission-critical information of central servers in the Centennial Campus office. By setting up firewalls, activating Web-based VPN service, and pre-testing every method he introduced, Joe ensured that deployments and transitions were smooth and effective.

In September 2007 Joe’s duties as Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Army Reserve pulled him away from IES to serve in Mosul, Iraq. He is not due to return home until July 2008.

Joe’s personal sacrifice and commitment in serving his country, in addition to his dedication to IES, make it a special honor to recognize him with this award for outstanding service and heroism.

/ News Index / News Archives Index /