Placeway earned the $1,000 Merit Award for outstanding service to the college. Reading earned the $200 Rookie Award, which is given to an employee with less than three years of service in MCS.

Placeway, a member of the Physics Department since July 1995, has taken on a variety of assignments and roles along the way. Faculty and staff describe her as organized, dedicated and reliable.

"Mary has organized and improved every aspect of department activities including our academic program, our everyday operations, our staff training and evaluation procedures, and on and on," said Physics Professor Steve Garoff. "She got things done, then suggested improvements, and then organized records of our efforts so the jobs could be done more efficiently the next year."

"I have found that Mary Placeway is extremely helpful in terms of her knowledge of how things are done, and she goes out of her way to be helpful," said Robert Griffiths, the Otto Stern University Professor of Physics. "She makes sure that things are taken care of, especially when there is no one else around who knows the ropes."

Reading has redesigned the Chemistry Department's Web site and updates it regularly.

"Her Web page work is brilliant and it has had a dramatic impact on improving the outside image and prestige of the Department of Chemistry," said Terry Collins, the Thomas Lord Professor of Chemistry.

Reading has also designed Web sites for several faculty members, as well as online applications, brochures and booklets.

"We are very lucky to have a person with such excellent skills in Web design, graphic design and photography," said Rea Freeland, associate head of the Chemistry Department. "She is a delight to work with and she is creative and flexible in meeting the needs of any group with design ideas."