MOUNT VERNON – Faculty and staff at Mount Vernon Nazarene University celebrated the contribution of peers during the Excellence Beyond the Call awards reception Oct. 7 in Foster Hall.
Dr. Judy Gregg, associate professor of nursing, and Jo Lee Carrier, campus nurse, were nominated by peers and selected by the award committee through a review process.
Gregg was described as highly respected both within the School of Nursing and Health Sciences as well as in the larger community. She was lauded as an extraordinarily hard worker, a person of high integrity and a supportive colleague.
“Judy has worked so hard in support of the university’s success over the last couple of years,” said a peer nomination. “First, she invested heavily in developing and revising a new Master of Science in Nursing program in response to our strategic planning efforts. She performed this creative work on top of a very heavy teaching and administrative load. Second, Judy responded to pandemic-related challenges with steady leadership, firm resolve and generosity. Her work on the COVID task force, shaped by her background in community health, has been critical. She gave generously of her time last summer with no expectation of remuneration. She is motivated by a strong sense of commitment to the university mission. Knowing that her expertise was needed, she offered her services freely and generously. I consider Judy to be an exemplary member of the MVNU community.”
Carrier was described as one who used her education, her experience and her faith to demonstrate perseverance and dedication to keeping students, staff, faculty and administrators updated and safe.
“Very few, if any, employees on campus have felt the impact of COVID in a way that Jo Lee has,” said one of many peer nominations. “I can say without hesitation that her patient load increased by a hundred-fold. In the fall of 2020 alone, she had contact with nearly 600 students who were placed in COVID quarantine or isolation. Simultaneously, she developed processes, forms and protocols that didn’t previously exist. She has consistently lent her important voice to the COVID task force and struggled through every decision as it was being made. The Student Health Services office she oversees became the target of daily phone calls from anxious, disappointed or angry students or parents. At the same time, she was consistently – maybe daily – the source of comfort for the student who is anxious about the news of a COVID infection.”
The quarterly award includes recognition at an employee reception, a certificate and $500. The honor was developed and sponsored by donors, who are members of the faculty and staff, to applaud outstanding service, innovation, collegiality, peer leadership and going beyond the call of duty as recognized and nominated from their peers. Nominations were reviewed by the Excellence Beyond the Call Award Committee, chaired by Mel Severns, university registrar.
Cutline - Jo Lee Carrier, left, and Dr. Judy Gregg were presented the Excellence Beyond the Call award recently. The quarterly award is presented to two Mount Vernon Nazarene University employees who go above and beyond their job description to serve the students and entire MVNU Community. (Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Nazarene University)
