OUR VALUES

Patrick Reyes

Institutional Advancement

Since his first day at the Health Science Center, Patrick Reyes has truly lived Our Values, particularly in serving others first, collaboration and being visionary, his nominator says. He not only brings fresh ideas from past experiences, but also shares them in a productive way that fits into the larger picture.

“That’s not my job” isn’t in his vocabulary, says his nominator. Anyone who works with Reyes knows that collaborating is one of his own core values, and he thrives in an environment that allows him the opportunity to do so.

“On several occasions, I have needed to ask Patrick to assist with a task outside his typical role,” his nominator says. “Without prompting, he takes the initiative to anticipate my needs and overall goal, taking my idea one step further and bringing my vision to life, saving me time and effort.”

Whether it’s designing a solicitation letter to alumni, welcoming guests at a presentation or sharing feedback about needed improvements to a communication plan, Reyes is a dependable team player and contributes to his department’s overall goals.

“Although he may not be the overall manager of the specific project he’s working on,” says his nominator, “he takes ownership of projects he’s assigned and approaches his piece of the project with enthusiasm, passion, expertise and openness to accomplish the project’s goal.”

Nominator: Patrice Buffkin

Sydney Adams-Basped

Institutional Advancement

“For almost four years, Sydney was our Administrative Coordinator in Institutional Advancement, a role she molded, expanded and made her own,” her nominator says. “It’s not an exaggeration to say our department simply could not have functioned without her leadership, initiative and support.”

In August, Adams-Basped applied for and was promoted to Gifts Processor & Prospect Research Specialist, an achievement her nominator says was well-deserved and is a position she excels in.

Due to delays in filling the Administrative Coordinator spot that was left vacant by her promotion, she stepped up at the busiest time of year to help Institutional Advancement with gifts processing and prospect research. She seamlessly handled the extra workload and responsibilities with a can-do spirit, shouldering work for the Legends concert and helping onboard several new team members.

“When asked to work after-hours events or stay late to help co-workers finish projects, Sydney has selflessly served others first, always keeping the greater good in mind,” her nominator says. “Some of these tasks have required a great deal of advance preparation, careful organization and attention to detail. And a few have required her to rearrange her schedule several times over. But Sydney made certain everything was in order to ensure our department and her team members would be successful. We are so fortunate to call Sydney a colleague and a friend!”

Nominator: Marla Morris

Sara Correa

Honored for her past work in Physical Therapy (she is now a team member in Institutional Advancement)

“Sara is always willing to help others,” her nominators say. “She consistently goes above and beyond by assisting our department with tasks in addition to her role as Clinical Site Coordinator.”

Correa assisted with an accreditation site visit that occurs once every 10 years for the Physical Therapy department. She completed many assignments for the accreditation process in addition to her regular responsibilities. As a result, the site visit was a success. She also provided support to the Student Performance Committee for the Department of Physical Therapy.

“Sara has a very professional and positive attitude,” her nominators say. “Sara makes consistent and helpful contributions so that our Clinical Education for the DPT program is a success. Sara is respected by our faculty, staff and students, and she is very respectful in return. She is compassionate and truly cares by serving others first.”

Correa takes the initiative and volunteers for tasks outside her scope of practice and expectations to assist the department, faculty and staff in functioning well. Examples of tasks for which she volunteered in Physical Therapy included organizing and managing continuing-education events; managing the PT Website, social websites and Canvas; assisting the department chair with the accreditation process; taking on additional department contracts not related to clinical education; gathering DPT graduate information data/surveys; providing input for the career coalition; and serving as the Student Performance Committee coordinator.

Nominators: Shelley Smith and Yasser Salem

Sandra Clapp

Center for Anatomical Sciences, Physiology and Anatomy

The nominators of Senior Administrative Coordinator Sandra Clapp say their department depends on her for day-to-day functions, and also for initiatives that improve processes and uphold the university’s integrity.

“She is the oil that moves our department,” says a nominator. “She does the job of at least two admins.”

One nominator observed, “Our department houses many personalities; she is able to not only navigate all our beliefs but also unify us.”

Clapp also encourages her teammates’ non-academic interests, including Fitness Bingo, and directs them to university activities such as the annual Crawfish Boil.

A nominator who is a DO/PhD student says, “During my recent international travel, my paperwork got a little bit complicated, but she was able to sort everything out and submit all the paperwork to the correct places . . . . Sandra takes the time to figure it out and do it right.”

After an employee departed, in addition to her already demanding workload, Clapp temporarily functioned as a one-person Willed Body Program. She worked long hours to ensure that the families of body donors were kept updated on the status of their loved ones’ bodies. Most important, Clapp meticulously oversaw the return of cremated ashes to the families. While some of these activities likely could have been delayed until new employees were hired, her nominator says, “Sandra wanted to ensure these families received closure as soon as possible — no matter how much of her time it required.”

Nominators: Magdalena Muchlinski, Scott Maddux and Sarah Kim

Debbie Hall

Family Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

“When she says she will do it–it gets done,” says one of Administrative Coordinator Debbie Hall’s nominators.

All her nominators echo that endorsement. Throughout recent faculty turnover, consolidation of staff and various logistical challenges, “Debbie has been right there with her positive attitude and attention to detail,” says a nominator.

Travel arrangements, credential renewal, new equipment acquisition – Hall is ready to rearrange her priorities when warranted and “devote her full time and attention to your specific problem and get it solved,” says a nominator. “She lives the value of serving others first in so many ways both big and small, and I am thankful for her expertise.”

A physician says, “When I needed to update my annual medical specialty dues, she streamlined the process and even emailed that office to make sure my name was in their system. When my 3D printer needed repair, she called the company and ordered the part. Then I was able to print three patients their neck braces.”

Nominators: Sajid Surve, Yein Lee, Todd Dombroski and Kendi Hensel