From Owen McDougal, chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry:
The purpose of the employee of the month program is to recognize employees who have served the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Boise State University in an exceptional manner by embracing a team spirit of cooperation and respect for all. Nominations are based on the four criteria of (1) attitude and commitment, (2) interpersonal skills, (3) work performance, and (4) personal traits. Please help me congratulate our June 2021employee of the month, Dr. Eric Brown. Nominators of Eric provided the following narrative in support of his nomination.
Eric has a long history of doing essential work for the department that is behind the scenes. He just keeps his nose to the grindstone and gets stuff done and done well. He pursues his job in a rather understated manner and rarely if ever gets any significant recognition for his work and accomplishments. It’s people like Eric that are the backbone of the department. His students also appreciate him as well. He gets very high ratings on student evaluations and his teaching is top notch. He is very easy to work with and gets along with most everyone. He respects his colleagues and values their inputs. He speaks up when needed, but is also quite good at listening to what others have to say. It’s about time that we recognize Eric for what he does. He really does deserve to be the Employee of the Month. Eric humbly keeps his work from the limelight and just lets his work do the talking.
Eric has consistently been a presence over the summer working with his students. He seems to be around every day, all day to answer their questions. He is constantly willing to be pulled away from his desk to offer help. He always has a good attitude and offers a friendly smile in the hallways. He is easy to work with, responds in a reasonable amount of time, and has patience with set-backs. Thanks Eric for doing good work!
Students who work for Eric really enjoy it. He normally keeps a small group, but provides very individualized attention which causes students to really stick with him. Eric inspires his students and creates an environment conducive to their development. There are multiple instances where Eric has taken students that did not want to do research at all and turned their time in the lab into a very positive experience. When students make a mistake in the lab or don’t have as much done as he would have expected, Eric is very forward thinking and seeks to fix the situation by making a plan to get back on track. He is amazingly helpful in the development of student presentations and making them feel comfortable and ready. In meetings with students in Eric’s classes, they often comment on how he will take the time to set up regular meetings with him when they struggle with o-chem to get help.
As a colleague Eric is the easiest person in the department to work with!
Eric‘s strengths align with creating an environment that supports student learning. In the CIC, students praise how he makes it easy to ask questions during class and how he adjusts his pace to fit their specific needs. They always feel that they can seek him out if they need extra help. During the summer, Eric is frequently seen interacting and supporting his research students even though he is off contract.
When I asked a few colleagues to describe Eric, words like pleasant and cordial came up the most. He has a way of making everyone in this department feel included and welcomed. Thank you Eric for your dedication to our students and your collegiality with your colleagues, you make the department a better place!
Summary: It is my pleasure to recognize and acknowledge the great work that Dr. Eric Brown has done, and continues to do within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Boise State University. Eric is a great colleague, thoughtful coworker, passionate and effective instructor, patient and thoughtful research advisor, and driver of department initiatives. We are fortunate to have Eric as a member of our team and his work is very much appreciated. Keep up the great job Eric.