Two will be recognized for 45 years of service

Two people will be recognized for 45 years of service at Grand Valley during the annual service award and holiday celebration Thursday, December 5.

Lynn Blue, vice provost and dean of Academic Services and Information Technology, and Samir Ishak, professor of management for Seidman College of Business, started working at Grand Valley in 1968 and have witnessed countless changes.

Blue came to a campus that had no computers. “One of my early jobs was to run the key punch machine, punching holes in particular spots on an IBM card that could then be used to sort information, ultimately printing class lists,” she said.

Ishak has worked for 14 deans and 16 department chairs. He estimated he’s led 400 courses and taught 11,000 students.

“I learned from the students more than what they probably have learned from me,” he said. “That is what encouraged me to stay for these years.”

Blue echoed that sentiment and said as Grand Valley’s mission has broadened and developed, so have the opportunities for professional development. She began as a clerk typist and was promoted to director of Records and Registration in 1976.

“I have been committed to enrollment, recruitment and retention my entire career,” she said.

Ishak said he tried to emulate, and improve on, the teaching style of his Harvard University professors. “I pushed my students to their potential and many appreciated that and are still in touch with me in the U.S. and abroad,” he said.

Others who will be recognized are listed below. The service award and holiday celebration will begin at 3 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room.

The 45-year award recipients are:

Lynn Blue, Vice Provost for Academic Services Office
Samir Ishak, Management

The 40-year award recipients are:

Milton Ford, Liberal Studies
Ted Sundstrom, Mathematics

The 35-year award recipients are:

Liz Eubanks, Information Technology
John Haase, Facilities Services
Larry Henderson, Facilities Planning (retired)
Norene Hendricks, Political Science
Jan Lenic, Public Health
Arnie Smith Alexander, TRiO Upward Bound
Deborah Vander Wal, Accounting Office

The 30-year award recipients are:

Dorothy Armstrong, College of Education
Edward Baum, Honors College
Ruth Ann Brintnall, Kirkhof College of Nursing
David Chapman, Academic Computing Services
Karen Chavez, Accounting Office
Shirley Dilworth, Office of Sponsored Programs
Mary Feenstra, English
M. Catherine Gardner, Mathematics
Jill Hamilton, Music and Dance
Jo Ann Litton, CLAS Academic Advising Center
Bob Stoll, Student Life Office
Jonathan White, Honors College

The 25-year award recipients are:

Charlene Beckmann, Mathematics
Jerry Bosch, Operations-Pew Campus and Regional Centers
Charles Campbell, Operations-Pew Campus and Regional Centers
Jay Cooper, College of Education
Jacqueline Cuppy, Institutional Marketing
Patti Eisen, Padnos College of Engineering and Computing Dean’s Office
Robert Franciosi, English
Nancy Hillila, University Libraries
Wendy Johnston, Financial Aid Office
Paul Jorgensen, School of Computing and Information Systems
Fran Kelleher, History
John Koches, AWRI
Ed Lindeman, Information Technology
David Madison, WGVU
Janet Mills, WGVU
Tom Norman, Information Technology
Karen Novotny, Mathematics
William Osborn, English
Pam Potter, Information Technology
Joy Seeley, Information Technology
Roger Smith, Facilities Services
Patrick Thorpe, Biology
Michael Walenta, WGVU
Michael Webster, English
Wendy Wenner, Provost’s Office
Rose Yoder, Center for Adult and Continuing Studies (retired)
Jay Zink, Copy Services

The 20-year award recipients are:

Karen Burchard, Academic Computing Services
Cassonya Carter, Kirkhof College of Nursing
Caroline Cascini, CLAS Academic Advising Center (retired)
Teresa Castelao-Lawless, Philosophy
Isabelle Cata, Modern Languages and Literatures
Bonnie Dawdy, Operations-Pew Campus and Regional Centers
Jeffrey DeWitt, Facilities Services
Larry Dobson, Facilities Services (retired)
Cheryl Fischer, Facilities Services
Paul Fishback, Mathematics
Laura Fox, Modern Languages and Literatures
Robert Holcomb, Academic Computing Services
Tim Klein, Facilities Services
Jean Kolb, Seidman College of Business Dean’s Office
Sue Korzinek, Information Technology
Sharon Leder, Kirkhof College of Nursing (Retired)
William Levitan, Classics
Guy Losee, Facilities Services (retired)
Koleta Moore, Seidman College of Business Dean’s Office
Jean Nagelkerk, Vice Provost for Health Office
Sheryl Nelson, Conference and Event Planning Services
William Petrauskas, Facilities Services
Russell Rhoads, Anthropology
Betty Schaner, CLAS Academic Advising Center
Carolyn Shapiro Shapin, History
Star Swift, Management
Don Underwood, Meadows Golf Club
Phyllis VandenBerg, Philosophy
Kenneth Vander Wal, Facilities Services
Greg Wilson, Geology

The 10-year award recipients are:

Asli Akbulut Bailey, Management
Martin Ashcraft, Conference and Event Planning Services
Kari Balcom, Pew Campus Security
Dottie Barnes, News and Information Services
Craig Benjamin, Honors College
Steve Berkenpas, Information Technology
Tara Biven, Human Resources
Stephen Borders, School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration
Colleen Brice, English
Donald Britt, Facilities Services
Michelle Burke, Student Life Office
Douglas Busman, College of Education
Richard Carlton, Radiologic and Imaging Sciences
Todd Carpenter, Facilities Services
Angela Christensen, Records and Registration
Patrick Colgan, Geology
Elaine Collins, College of Education Dean’s Office
Judith Corr, Anthropology
Patricia Cox, Center for Adult and Continuing Studies
Nancy Crittenden, Institutional Marketing
Sigrid Danielson, Art and Design
Denise de la Rosa, School of Accounting
Christine Demichieli, Philosophy
Thomas Demmon, Career Center
Jamie Detillion, Athletics
Margaret Dietrich, Cell and Molecular Biology
David DiIanni, Athletics
Christopher Dobson, Biology
Filiz Dogru, Mathematics
Nathan Dornbos, Department of Public Safety
Kelly Dunlap, Autism Education Center
Bruce Dunne, School of Engineering
James Edwards, Johnson Center for Philanthropy
David Eick, Modern Languages and Literatures
Nora English, University Development
Maria Fidalgo-Eick, Modern Languages and Literatures
Marianne Fischer, Seidman College of Business Dean’s Office
Jeremy Flynn, Information Technology
Lisa Garringer, Department of Public Safety
Vijay Gondhalekar, Finance
Douglas Graham, Biomedical Sciences
Gary Greer, Biology
Keesha Hardiman, CLAS Dean’s Office
Paul Harmelink, Academic Computing Services
E. Jane Haynes, School of Social Work (retired)
Victorine Helgeson, University Libraries
Chris Hendree, Admissions Office
Deborah Herrington, Chemistry
Kristen Jack, Hospitality and Tourism Management
Sonja Johnson, Van Andel Global Trade Center
Jalyn Kamp, Operations-Pew Campus and Regional Center
Devereaux Kennedy, Sociology
Luann Klinkers, Facilities Services
Parage Kosalge, Management
Dalila Kovacs, Chemistry
David Krueger, Information Technology
Thomas Kruithoff, College of Education
Geoffrey Lenters, Physics
Salvador Lopez-Arias, School of Social Work
Aaron Lowen, Economics
Pablo Mahave-Veglia, Music and Dance
Diane Maodush-Pitzer, Liberal Studies
Amy Masko, English
Julia Mason, Women and Gender Studies
Christy Mayo, Records and Registration
Regina McClinton, Liberal Studies
Maggie McCrystal, Human Resources
Hugh McGuire, School of Computing and Information Systems
John McIntire, Facilities Services
Corinna McLeod, English
Susan Mlynarczyk, Kirkhof College of Nursing
Wanda Moerland, Kirkhof College of Nursing
Roger Moiles, Political Science
Jagadeesh Nandigam, School of Computing and Information Systems
Felix Ngassa, Chemistry
Keith Oliver, Physics
Bennett Otieno, Statistics
Judith Palmer, Center for Adult and Continuing Studies
James Penn, Geography and Planning
Virginia Peterson, Geology
Jennifer Pope, Marketing
David Potter, Center for Adult and Continuing Studies
Paul Reitemeier, Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence
Amber Roberts, University Counseling Center
Jessica Rodriguez, Facilities Services
Debra Ross, School of Criminal Justice
Patrick Roth, University Libraries
Steffen Rucker, Operations-Pew Operations and Regional Centers
Heather Rueth, Biology
Sheila Ryan, Chemistry
Kimberly Saindon, Provost’s Office
Judy Schroeder, University Libraries
Mary Schutten, Movement Science
Jeff Short, Facilities Services
Rachel Siglow, Office of the President
Fay Spears, University Development
Paul Stansbie, Hospitality and Tourism Management
Kathryn Stieler, Music and Dance
Dennis Stovall, School of Accounting
Karel Swanson, Student Academic Success Center
Heather Tafel, Political Science
Kevin Tutt, Music and Dance
Joel Van Ravenswaay, Facilities Services
Aaron Velting, Records and Registration
Dante Villarreal, Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center
Michael Vrooman, Modern Languages and Literatures
Darren Walhof, Political Science
Bradley Wallar, Chemistry
Yosay Wangdi, History
Douglas Way, University Libraries
Deana Weibel-Swanson, Anthropology
Gleaves Whitney, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies
Paul Yu, Mathematics
Katalin Zaszlavik, Art and Design
David Zeitler, Statistics