Employees of the month

William (Bill) London

April University Support Staff Employee of the Month

Started at KU: London joined KU in March 2002 as a program assistant at the Lied Center.

Current title: After holding several positions in the Department of Student Housing, he became an accountant I for the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies in May 2005.

Bill London

What that means: As the office manager for the center, London handles a wide variety of complex tasks on a daily basis. He hires, trains and supervises four student workers and the information technology specialist and takes care of routine administration. The latter includes hiring processes, employee payroll and accounts payable, inventory and purchase of supplies, records maintenance, preparation of travel vouchers, oversight of several mailing lists and coordination of mailings to faculty, students, alumni and friends of the center. He also serves as the liaison to other KU offices such as Human Resources and Equal Opportunity, Research and Graduate Studies, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Hall Center for the Humanities.

Notable: A not so “routine” part of London’s job is the responsibility for all of the center’s financial paperwork—a considerable and complex endeavor that involves state, Endowment, and multiple federal grant accounts valued at more than $1.5 million. He oversees the US Title VI Foreign Languages and Area Studies scholarships, which each year awards eight to nine academic-year and eight to 10 summer language study scholarships, and is responsible for six annual financial reports to the US Department of Education.

Quotable: Edith Clowes, professor of Russian, East European and Eurasian studies and director of the center, notes that within the last 18 months there has been significant change at the center, with three different directors serving consecutively. She said that during the transitions, London has been the day-to-day leader on the ground.

“He has provided a firm sense of continuity, initiative and good cheer, working with and educating each ensuing director in the details of center management. As a result, the center’s student staff are disciplined, polite and on their toes, ready to help out in any way needed. They are rightly considered the envy of other departments.”

Scott Ramskill

April Unclassified Employee of the Month

Started at KU: August 2003.

Scott Ramskill

Current title: Lab technician, Tertiary Oil Recovery Project.

What that means: Ramskill assists the Tertiary Oil Recovery Project by fabricating and maintaining lab equipment necessary to the work of the unit.

He is consistently improving procedures and equipment. For instance, in addition to maintaining the pumps used, Scott developed a system to test the performance of each pump and a computer method to archive the test data. This easy access to individual pump histories shortens the time needed to analyze and diagnose problems as they arise.

Notable: Ramskill’s dedication to his work and exceptional abilities greatly increase the productivity of the project’s research program. He fabricates needed equipment, sometimes from only vague descriptions of what is desired by his colleagues. He has a wide and deep understanding of materials and engineering techniques that allows him to accomplish this. He works quickly and is extremely organized, conscientious and committed. His efficiency, knowledge and machine work skills save considerable time and money for the project’s scientists.

Ramskill volunteers his expertise and assistance to other labs in Learned Hall and across campus. He has filled in for technicians in the neighboring Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering who have had surgery or a family crisis.

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