On January 29, 2019, Southwestern University President Edward Burger presented the 2019 Mundy Awards for Exemplary Service. The award was created in 2002 as a memorial to the leadership of Southwestern alumnus and former trustee Joe S. Mundy. The awards are given to faculty and staff members who have been nominated and have demonstrated outstanding service to the University. The names of the honorees will be added to the plaque of all previous winners on display in SU’s Bishops Lounge, and they will be invited to sit on the stage at this year’s graduation convocation ceremony, where they will again be recognized. The following are this year’s recipients:

Josh Barrington, Lighting Technician

Josh Barrington is one of the most dedicated and highly skilled members of Southwestern’s Facilities Management team. Around campus, community members recognize him as the masterful technician moving wall outlets or installing TVs, sound equipment, and most anything that has electricity associated with it. Among his many accomplishments, Barrington recently rescued the University when a contractor was unable to effectively complete the job of installing variable frequency drives, or VFDs, for the University’s central plant. Barrington stepped up and volunteered his expertise, completing the job himself. He saved the University $17,000.

Barrington is also a strong leader in energy conservation. He has continually championed conserving electricity by proposing LED solutions for our streets, parking lots, and pedestrian walkways; to date, he has helped change 91 pedestrian walkway lamps to LEDs. He has also collaborated with Professor of Theatre John Ore to upgrade lighting in the Fine Arts Building and assisted Dr. Ore with his solar-panel energy project.

Barrington is always delivering exceptional service in a timely manner. He is the first responder to any emergency and will happily volunteer to work overtime to complete a job. He also passed his journeyman’s exam this past year, earning his electrician’s license.

Melanie Hoag, Instructional Technologist

An exemplary member of the staff whose service to the University consistently rises above and beyond her job description, Melanie Hoag embodies the spirit of the Joe S. Mundy Award. Hoag began her tenure as the campus instructional technologist in Information Technology and remains with the Smith Library Center today. Yet she is truly a citizen of the entire campus. Her primary responsibilities—meticulously managing the Moodle LMS and serving as our Google guru—have a daily impact on every student and most faculty on campus.

Hoag brings the same careful preparation to her other pursuits. Currently, she is an academic advisor, a First-Year Seminar instructor, and chair of the Staff Steering Committee. She has also taken over responsibility for Southwestern Makerspace Studios—the audio, video, and 3D printing production labs in the library. She embraces the spirit of Paideia® in her approach to everything, intentionally finding and forging connections and encouraging her advisees and First-Year Seminar students to open their minds to new perspectives.

Perhaps Hoag’s most admirable trait is her deep commitment to inclusivity and social justice, which she brings to bear on all her interactions with the campus community and the world at large.

Debbie Pauley, Director of University Events

Debbie Pauley began her role as director of University Events in 1999. She coordinates several major events for the University, including Board of Trustee meetings, the Shilling Lecture, Homecoming, Parent Orientation, the President’s Appreciation Celebration, Greek Reunion Weekend, and Spring Family Day. Ever calm, collected, and full of energy and ideas, Debbie is always thinking of ways to make events more meaningful and fun for alumni, parents, and students.

Pauley also manages Southwestern’s online space-reservation program, Series 25, and is responsible for the development and enforcement of building policies. She markets and coordinates on-campus summer camps and conferences, collaborating with the Office of Admission to recruit prospective students and bringing nearly $650,000 in revenue annually to the University’s budget.

Beyond SU, Pauley also organizes the annual Georgetown Quilt Show. Proceeds from the Quilt Show support the Georgetown Handcrafts Unlimited Store, an outlet for seniors to display their artistic endeavors and contribute to the community.

Southwestern is very fortunate to have had Pauley on its team for nearly two decades. Her work impacts nearly every department on campus as well as the experiences of visiting alumni, parents, and donors. Working behind the scenes to advance the University’s vision is no small feat, and Pauley does this with precision and diligence.

Dr. Willis Weigand, Director of General Chemistry Labs

Dr. Willis Weigand is an associate professor and director of the General Chemistry Laboratories. He regularly serves on a number of important committees, such as the University Safety Committee and the University Committee on Fellowships. He has also consulted on the design and construction of Phase I and II of the Fondren–Jones Science Center.

For the past three years, Weigand has served as a mentor for our National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholars Program. He regularly engages in the SCOPE program and helps students present their work at national conferences. Weigand is not required to participate in original research with students, but he makes these contributions because of his love of chemistry and his dedication to our undergraduates.

Students regularly comment that Weigand is one of the best professors at Southwestern, praising his knowledge, compassion, and enthusiasm. It is particularly impressive that he manages to cultivate close personal relationships with each of his students when he often teaches more than 100 students per semester.

Weigand is always the first person to sign up for Admission events, and he loves serving at Late-Night Breakfast and assisting new students with move-in. In addition, he coordinates a large annual community outreach project at a local elementary school and volunteers his time working with students to analyze the water quality of creeks in the Southwestern Ecolab.

Weigand consistently goes above and beyond to support his department, his students, and the University. We are all extremely fortunate to have such an outstanding colleague.

Staff Service Years Recognition

Following the Mundy Awards presentation, Associate Vice President for Human Resources Elma Benavides recognized Southwestern staff members for their years of service. The following individuals were recognized and presented a pin for their service and dedication to Southwestern:

35 Years of Service: Helyne Knauth

25 Years of Service: Kenneth Cervenka, Mary Martinez, Scott Sandoval, and Derek Timourian

20 Years of Service: Denise Barnes, John Dixon, Gregorio Hernandez, Jennifer O’Daniel, and Tracy Tackett

15 Years of Service: Brenda Cornett, Brad Dunn, and Dyana Shearer

10 Years of Service: Nora Juarez, Pam Leatherwood, Kelly Lessard, Elvira Palacios, Christine Schaller, and Brenda Thompson

5 Years of Service: Joshua Barrington, Susie Bullock, Jefferson Ellinger, April Hampton-Perez, Michelle Hohman, Viola Hunt, Taylor Kidd, Veronica Luna, Daniel Orozco, Mary Peck, Brandon Quintanilla, Doug Ross, Justin Smith, Jennifer Spiller, and Edward Trevino