From left: Dr. Richard Rhodes with Dr. Jody Fry and Dr. Jerry Jones
Texas A&M University–Central Texas held its 14th annual service awards luncheon Wednesday, recognizing 33 employees for 5, 10, 15, and 25 years of service to the university.
Dr. Louis “Jody” Fry, professor of management, and Dr. Jerry Jones, professor of history, were each recognized for 25 years of service, dating back to when the University was operating as Tarleton State University Central Texas.
When addressing the group, A&M–Central Texas President Dr. Richard Rhodes challenged the award recipients with five questions dating back to the year they started at the university. Who was president of the United States? What movie won the Academy Award for best picture? What song won the Grammy Award for best song? What team won the Super Bowl, and what team won the World Series? To say the least, the results were a bit suspect.
Aside from the good-natured fun, Rhodes expressed his gratitude to the employees for their service and commitment to the university and its students. He said the faculty and staff play an important role in making sure students feel like they are part of something that is good and beneficial, and that they belong in higher education, especially at a time when people question whether or not higher education is worth the expense and time it takes to complete a degree.
“If we can make them feel like they belong, they will persist [to graduation],” Rhodes said, touting the universities’ success at having a graduation rate for transfer students that is 10% higher than the national average and 8% higher than the state average. He said the success rate is a testament to the work employees do on a daily basis.
“I look at the job you do, and it gives me hope for the future,” Rhodes said. “Thank you for your commitment to our students and to making their lives better.”
Service Award Recipients
- 5 Year: Natalie Bailey, Marquita Blain, Glen Brumbach, Colin Christie, Ralph Gauer, Jacqueline Orellana, Homayra Rad, Mark Rivera Cruz, Noemi SaDiablo, Tyjai Stevenson, Sierra Tyler
- 10 Year: Jeremy Berry, Daniel Clark, Karen Clos, Debra Davis, Margaret Dawson, Lisa Hopkins, Christine Jones, Craig Laughrin, Irene Montalvo, Lisa Padleski, Angela Patrick, Tetyana Quiles, Michele Quinones, Marcus Tidwell, Laura Weiser Erlandson
- 15 Year: Bradley Almond, Susan Bowden, Lisa Bunkowski, Brandon Griggs, Juan Maldonado
- 25 Year: Jody Fry, Jerry Jones