We are pleased to announce the results of the 2024 School of Arts and Sciences Staff Recognition Program. The SAS Staff Recognition Program was created to reward our dedicated staff for their extraordinary contributions.
The Staff Recognition Program honors staff members whose extraordinary contributions are consistent with Penn’s Focus on Tomorrow, applying the values of Penn’s in Principle and Practice.
The selection committee, comprised of SAS staff representing the various Job Families, rated each nomination with the following guiding principles in mind:
- Accelerate interdisciplinary pursuits: enhance interdisciplinary connections across various fields while also emphasizing the importance of arts and humanities in promoting understanding and problem-solving.
- Lead on great challenges of our time: commitment to supporting Penn's efforts to address climate change, advance public health efforts, lead data-driven research, promote democratic values.
- Grow opportunity and strengthen affinity: Recruit and support diverse and exceptional staff, faculty, and students and prioritize campus planning that will serve its community for generations to come.
- Deepen connection with neighbors and the world: Engage in collaborative urban initiatives and leverage academic expertise to address pressing urban challenges.
- Foster leadership and service: Cultivate service-minded faculty, staff, and student leaders, deliver best-in-class instruction, and promote collaboration and communication across divisions and divides.
The committee was impressed with the exceptional service provided to our school by so many members of our community. We are grateful to all of the nominees for their exemplary performance and thank those who took the time to submit nominations on their behalf.
The Department of Biology is thrilled to celebrate Kathryn Butler, Greenhouse and Garden Manager, and her winning the Gold Award for Penn's Staff Recognition Program.
Kathryn was nominated by the plant faculty and her colleagues for this award. To quote from the letter of recommendation, “Kathryn embodies the Penn ethics of ingenuity, industry and collaboration. She is an exceptional manager, and valued colleague.” Kathryn has been the Greenhouse and Garden Manager for over 5 years, and the James G. Kaskey Memorial Park is more beautiful, inviting, and diverse than ever thanks to her leadership. This was partially achieved by the major infrastructure upgrades that were completed in both the greenhouse and garden in the last year. The path work in the park accomplished many goals including making it safer and more accessible for visitors, removing redundancies in path system and improving the picnic area and other gathering spaces. It has also allowed Kathryn and the Garden staff to focus on more permanent and cohesive plantings and plant collections in keeping with their mission. Ever looking towards the future, Kathryn also took steps that set them up for future work that will continue to improve the park. Inside, the greenhouse has a new environmental controls system and new equipment which allows the team to more accurately and precisely control the growing environment in each of the three greenhouse rooms through a single system. These were both long, collaborative efforts across the School of Arts and Sciences and the University, and the work accomplished has put Penn's Greenhouse and Garden on great footing as they move forward.
Kathryn says, "I really appreciate the recognition for my work and am thankful for the support of my team and colleagues in the department who nominated me for this award."
