The Department of Physics continues to attract and retain talented staff members. Over the years many of our staff have performed at a level that has garnered them honors from the department and the university. Listed below are those who have been recognized by The Ohio State University for their distinguished service to the university community.
2012
Terry Bradley
Systems Manager
Technically, Terry Bradley’s official role as systems manager in the Physics department is to support the technology for department classrooms and instructional labs. But, as her colleagues attest, Bradley “does so much more for the department and the university at large.”
As systems manager, Bradley must ensure classrooms are running efficiently, which is important considering a single day’s outage can mean a class misses an entire week’s worth of lab experience.
“In her role supporting classrooms, Terry is hard-working and effective,” wrote a nominator. “The technology classroom is a demanding environment. Terry has demonstrated the willingness and drive to ensure systems run properly, all while working to integrate new ideas, software and equipment.”
Bradley also supports the Fundamentals of Engineering for Honors (FEH) program, which brings together students and faculty from Engineering, Physics and Mathematics for integrated instruction.
According to one nominator, “A major aspect leading to the success of the FEH program is the continued cooperation among the three departments. Terry selflessly assists us whenever we have a need or question that calls for her expertise. Without her involvement, our program would not be nearly as strong as it is.”
But what makes Bradley an outstanding Ohio State staff member is her dedication to numerous other areas of the university. She has been active in the Staff Advisory Committees, involved with the Registrar’s Office, assists with the Engineering Education Innovation Center and even volunteers for Pelotonia.
“All of these items are beyond the scope of her specific job,” wrote a nominator, “and they serve to promote cooperation and thus improve the environment in the department, college and university.”
2011
Robert D. Wells
Research Assistant 2 - Physical
Bob Wells has a long history of achievement built during his 20 years in the Department of Physics, but his service excellence doesn’t stop at the departmental border.
“Bob willingly and enthusiastically helps across departments and across traditionally assigned roles proving his multidimensional commitment to excellence throughout the university,” a nominator wrote. “He is continuously looking for the next problem to solve or the need to fill to keep progress moving forward.”
Wells was instrumental in the recent move of numerous researchers from Smith Laboratory to the new Physics Research Building, a process made extremely complicated by some of the conditions it was necessary to maintain in the various labs.
Technical staff from the Department of Physics worked outside normal job assignments to help researchers, movers and project planners get the moves accomplished. “In Bob’s particular case, this involved hundreds of hours of physical labor to move, clean, organize and purge equipment,” wrote a nominator. “Because of Bob’s efforts, the originally projected move costs were trimmed by tens of thousands of dollars.”
On another occasion, Wells was approached by a group of engineering students who were participating in a NASA program involving research to be conducted aboard a zero-gravity flight over the Gulf of Mexico. “Throughout that quarter, Bob helped us organize our thoughts and design what became an incredibly complicated experiment,” one of the students wrote. “Whenever we thought we were stuck, he would make a suggestion that could only come from someone with years of experience. I have no doubts that the success of our experiment was a direct result of Bob Wells’ donated time; we would not have flown if not for him.”
Wrote another nominator: “Bob’s cheery, don’t-worry-it-will-get-done attitude is backed up by hard work, creative thinking and a commitment that whatever the task, no matter how challenging, a means will be found to get it accomplished.”
2009
Robin Wyatt is the type of staffer who makes a workplace not just a workplace, but a community.
Not only is she exemplary in her duties helping more than 250 physics majors in the department navigate through their courses and schedules, as well as managing the Student Evaluation of Teaching forms that evaluate instruction of more than 10,000 students per year, she’s an outstanding departmental citizen.
“She has played a major role in all of our winter and spring picnic committees and strives to make these events enjoyable for the faculty, staff and students who attend,” a nominator wrote. “She also contributes her wealth of knowledge during the Undergraduate Studies Committee meetings and serves on the Women in Physics and Physics Staff Advisory committees.”
Wyatt also put together the weekly physics TEA (Talking, Eating, Action) events that bring physics majors together to relax and connect with their classmates as well as faculty, graduate students and staff and have become a positive recruiting tool for students who may feel the university is “too big” to provide individual attention.
Her outreach efforts also have proven successful, as she coordinated the department’s first Girls Reaching for Achievement in Sports and Physics (GRASP) summer camp in 2008.
“Robin is the ‘mom’ to all the undergraduate physics majors who come through here,” another nominator wrote. “She’s the heart and soul of the program as far as the students are concerned, and she really makes a difference in the lives of our majors.”
2005
Harold Whitt
Lecture Demonstrator
“Harold Whitt’s creative work and dedication have combined to make this university a better, more productive place, and one that supports one of the cornerstones of the Academic Plan: enhancing the quality of the teaching and learning experience,” one nominator wrote. Whitt aids more than 60 faculty, 90 graduate teaching assistants and several lecturers in presenting fundamental physics concepts to an array of students. “He is always willing to go out of his way to make sure programs are successful, supporting faculty in their teaching,” another nominator wrote. “He is constantly working to upgrade equipment and make demonstrations better, far beyond what is required.” Whitt has shown himself to be a valuable asset to the department. In addition to setting up demonstrations for physics lectures on campus, Whitt also actively participates in demonstration sessions that take him away from Ohio State, to audiences and locations ranging from students at inner city schools and 4-H youths at the Ohio State Fair to administrators and alumni in Washington, D.C. and Sarasota, Fla. Another nominator wrote, “He is an extraordinarily talented individual whose hard work and big heart reach way past the bounds of his lecture halls.”
2002
Shirley Royer
Undergraduate Education
2001
John G. Whitcomb
Department Manager
2000
Richard Noll
Laboratory Assistant
1997
Charles J. Rush
Shops
1996
Betty Wallace
Procurement/Travel
1994
Mark Reed
Facilities supervisor
1989
John W. Heimaster
Systems Manager