WSU celebrates employees at recognition ceremony and throughout Employee Recognition Week

The annual Employee Recognition Ceremony celebrated WSU retirees (pictured), Value Award recipients and employees who have achieved significant service milestones.

Applause, laughter and even a few happy tears filled the Community Arts Building as Wayne State University honored faculty and staff who keep the institution thriving and moving forward at its annual Employee Recognition Ceremony on Oct. 21.

The ceremony honored 1,274 individuals, including retirees, Value Award recipients, and employees who have achieved significant service milestones, beginning at 10 years of service. Listings of honorees are available on the Employee Recognition website, and a sneak peak of photos are available online. More photos will be uploaded soon.

"Your years of dedication and service have left an indelible mark. They have shaped Wayne State University into the vibrant, outstanding institution that it is," said interim President Richard A. Bierschbach. "We're no better than our people, and that's why it's so special to honor everyone who has devoted countless hours to inspiring our students, supporting each other and to serving our community."

Dr. Mary Waker and her husband Farouk Alameddine celebrate at the Employee Recognition Ceremony, where she was honored for 55 years of service to Wayne State.

Dr. Mary Waker, academic services officer in the College of Education, was among the honorees, celebrating 55 years of dedication to the university. In her role, Mary coordinates admissions for graduate and doctoral programs, among other duties, and is also a fellow in the Academic Leadership Academy. She is a three-time WSU alumna, and also met her husband, Farouk Alameddine, retired executive director of the Language Lab Center, while working at the university.

"I've had so many opportunities to learn, grow, experiment - sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding - but with much support and encouragement along the way," she said. "I met my husband here. I got my education here. Wayne State has given me so much."

Dr. Pranatharthi Chandrasekar, who retired after 40 years of service as professor of internal medicine from the School of Medicine, echoed that sentiment.

"Wayne State has been the kind of place where you wake up and want to go to work every day," he said.

Human Resources works year-round to build and foster a culture of excellence and recognition among all employees daily. From faculty, advisors and student support staff to groundskeepers, custodians, IT specialists, librarians, researchers and countless other professionals, every corner of campus is powered by WSU's approximately 7,000 dedicated employees - and Human Resources wants every Warrior to feel appreciated, valued and recognized. That's why Human Resources will again host Employee Recognition Week from Nov. 3 to7 as a way to shine the spotlight on even more Warriors.

Each day of Employee Recognition Week will focus on an important aspect of excellence, appreciation, and reward colleagues whose work exemplifies WSU's values in these categories: Warrior Heroes, Warrior Excellence, Warrior Trailblazers, Warriors Who Care and Warrior Leadership. Those in leadership positions are encouraged to nominate individuals or teams for the awards and incorporate other activities in ways that recognize excellence among their team during the week and beyond. Learn more about employee recognition events here.

"Wayne State is an exceptional place to be because of our incredible faculty and staff. We seize every opportunity to express our appreciation, and studies continue to show that recognition is a key factor in employee engagement and retention," said Carolyn Hafner, associate vice president and chief human resources officer. "We encourage everyone to play an active, enthusiastic role in building a culture of recognition, celebration and engagement. Taking just a quick moment to say, 'thank you,' or 'you made a difference' is one of the simplest, but most important things we can do for each other and for our institution."

For more information, visit the Employee Recognition website.