It's not uncommon for Carnegie Mellon professors to make headlines, receiving local or national recognition for contributions in their fields; but seldom acknowledged, and just ascrucial to the University's success, is a dedicated, full-time staff of almost 3,000 members.

Later this month, in recognition of this perennially overlooked group — which includes employees in areas from health care to food service to accounting — University President Jared Cohon and Provost Mark Kamlet will host this year's Andy Awards. The Carnegie Mellon Human Resources department initiated this annual staff recognition ceremony ten years ago to acknowledge major staff contributions in the areas of culture, citizenship, enthusiasm, innovation, and dedication.

The awards are open to all non-faculty university employees. Students, faculty, and fellow staff members submitted nominations over the summer. For each recommendation, two or three statements of support were required to explain why the candidate embodies the "Andy spirit," a display of outstanding dedication and performance in the workplace. A "reviewers committee," comprised of ten campus employees, will select the final winners.

According to Barbara Smith, assistant vice president for human resources, the panel is looking for people who go "a step beyond" what their job officially calls for. Smith sees the event as a great way for the Carnegie Mellon community to "become familiar with the great work that's being done on campus … the great things that are being done to help CMU achieve its mission."

Smith laments, however, the relatively small pool of applicants; only 25 to 30 names are in consideration for this year's awards.

"It's important for people to know that no one can be selected if they're not nominated," she says.

The awards ceremony will be held at noon on September 27 in the McConomy Auditorium, with a reception to follow in Rangos Hall. The list of nominees can be found on the Andy Awards website (Andy Awards).