Carnegie Mellon University
June 21, 2016

Dietrich College Honors Staff at Annual Luncheon

By Emily Stimmel

Richard Scheines and Jackie DeFazio

Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences boasts eight academic departments and various programs and research centers, all staffed by a diverse pool of talented employees.

Seventy of these employees gathered in Rangos Hall on Monday, June 20 for the college’s annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Karen Weingartner, administrative coordinator in the Dean’s Office, organized the event.

Dean Richard Scheines remarked on the ways staff works together to advance the mission of the Dietrich College and of CMU as a whole.

Scheines said, “What is clear is that everything we do as an institution — from scheduling classes to submitting grants, to publishing papers to helping students find housing, to conferring degrees — requires working as a team. If you were not a top-quality staff, we would not be a top-quality organization. Period.”

He honored staff for years of service, ranging from five to 35 years. Scheines also acknowledged the college’s AIM Committee for its efforts to build community among staff.

Years of Service Awards

Five Years of Service
Denise Caruso, Philosophy Department
Theodore Depietro, Jr., Psychology Department
Scott Kurdilla, Scientific Imaging & Brain Research Center
Kristine Opferman, The Children’s School

10 Years of Service
Eyona Bivins, English Department
Maryanne Hunter, Social and Decision Sciences Department
Marc Siskin, Modern Languages Department
Melissa Stupka, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition

15 Years of Service
Tisha Frisoli, Psychology Department
Emily Half, Dietrich College Dean’s Office
Margaret Lane, The Children’s School
Leslie Levine, Dietrich College Dean’s Office
Vincent Sha, Dietrich College Computing

20 Years of Service
Susan Connelly, Modern Languages Department

25 Years of Service
Barbara Dorney, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
Walter Hawthorne, Psychology Computing Support
Leonid Spektor, Psychology Department

30 Years of Service
Susan Kinchelow, Dietrich College Dean’s Office
Rosa Stipanovic, Social and Decision Sciences Department

35 Years of Service
Jackie DeFazio, Philosophy Department (pictured above with Richard Scheines)
Margaret Smykla, Statistics Department

2016 AIM Committee

Eyona Bivins, English Department
Rosemarie Commisso, Philosophy Department
Sue Connelly, Modern Languages Department
Maryanne Hunter, Social and Decision Sciences Department
Kathy Majors, Psychology Department
Mari Alice McShane, Statistics Department
Ginger Placone, Psychology Department
Theresa Treasure, Psychology Department

View photos from the 2016 Staff Appreciation Luncheon