Employees of the month

David S. Thompson

January university support staff employee of the month

Started at KU: 2006.

Current title: Manager, Haworth Hall BioStore

What that means: The store stocks office and research supplies for faculty and staff in molecular biosciences and ecology and evolutionary biology. Thompson handles incoming and outgoing packages and supplies, tracks shipping orders and maintains the inventory of scientific supplies for Haworth. He is responsible for purchasing, sales and collections that total approximately $180,000 annually. He also oversees access to a range of shared equipment, including departmental vehicles.

Notable: Thompson’s colleagues say he has worked miracles with the BioStore. Before he arrived, it was poorly organized, poorly stocked and operated in the red. Now everything is organized and supplies are ordered in a timely fashion. He introduced a new bar-coding system to make purchases and bookkeeping easier and expanded the store’s hours of operation. Not only has he made up the deficit he inherited, the store now runs in the black and his efforts have brought some prices down. His organizational efforts extend beyond the boundaries of the BioStore. He initiated and coordinates a biannual building cleanup that enables labs and offices to dispose of unwanted items so that they can be redistributed or recycled.

When Thompson arrived at KU, he made an effort to meet with every faculty member and researcher to learn about his or her needs. He then worked to ensure that necessary supplies were on hand. His work has facilitated research dramatically. He works with vendors of scientific supplies to negotiate the best available prices and even negotiates shipping charges. These efforts have resulted in considerable savings to the departments.

Julie Fugett

November unclassified professional staff employee of the month

Started at KU: 2000

Current title: Systems analyst, Information Systems

What that means: Fugett potentially interacts with the entire campus as she handles the IT Security Office outreach program. In her work to promote cyber safety at KU she gives presentations, conducts workshops and maintains a blog on digital security. All of these are available to every student, faculty and staff member on campus. She is able to integrate with the diverse groups and to tailor her message to be understood by a computer novice or expert. Fugett also voluntarily speaks frequently to various KU classes and has taught a class for the community through Continuing Education. She also manages the Field Security Officers group, works closely with the campus Technical Liaison group, and spearheaded the coordination of an effort that will bring FERPA training to the KU community.

Notable: Incredibly attuned to IT security issues, Fugett enjoys sharing that knowledge with others. She has the ability to make complex topics easily understood in a fun and educational manner. In carrying out her work responsibilities she consistently goes above and beyond the expected. Particularly during National Cyber Security Month (October) she worked tirelessly to educate the university community on IT security and the prevention of identity theft.

Nominate someone for employee of the month.