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NEWS SERVICES |
NEWS
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May 2, 2003 -- No. 260 |
Local angle: Chapel Hill, Dunn and Sanford. To download
photos of the recipients, see end of the release.
Four tapped for Massey Awards
By SUSAN PHILLIPS
University Gazette
CHAPEL HILL -- Two are integral to the lives of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students in the Spencer-Triad community — one takes on the role of surrogate mother, the other tirelessly maintains its historic buildings. A third regularly steps beyond her expected duties with personal outreach. The fourth has spent his career often working behind the scenes but on matters of critical importance.
These are the four outstanding UNC-Chapel Hill employees who will be honored Saturday (May 3) during a luncheon as this year’s winners of the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Awards, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by Carolina.
Chancellor James Moeser selected this year's recipients based on nominations submitted by the campus community, and each honoree will receive an award citation and a $5,000 stipend.
Winners are:
A dedicated and tireless employee, Bailliff is beloved by the residents and her colleagues in the Spencer-Triad residence hall community. She has been called a "pseudo-mother and good friend" and was commended for her hard work during the December 2002 ice storm as "the only housekeeper to come to work" in her area. Not only did she finish her duties in her regular residence halls, her nomination said, but she volunteered to help out in other halls as well.
In addition, it’s not unusual for her students to wake to a fresh pot of coffee brewing and a stack of Daily Tar Heels, thanks to Bailliff’s thoughtfulness. More than 80 residents seconded her Massey Award nomination.
Cheek goes out of his way to ensure that the historic facilities so many students call home are well maintained. The four buildings that make up Spencer-Triad are some of the oldest on campus, and they require a lot of care.
But no matter how many toilets overflow or how many pipes burst, his nomination said, Cheek takes on each challenge "with an incredible attitude." Students are amazed at how quickly he responds to maintenance requests.
Even when on medical leave with a serious illness, Cheek couldn’t stay away; he frequently visited Spencer-Triad to check on the status of his community. More than 100 residents and colleagues seconded his nomination.
Crowe’s 40 years of service to Carolina have been distinguished by an exceptional combination: her effectiveness in handling a set of transitional administrative responsibilities considerably greater and more complex than normal job expectations, and her personal outreach and support in recruitment and retention of promising faculty members and students.
She’s been credited as being the "glue" that held the Humphrey Fellows Program together, serving as hostess and social point of contact for these diverse visitors and their families. She entertained them in her home, took them on tours of the region and negotiated with faculty to fit them into their advanced courses.
It has been said of Ferrell that during his entire professional career of nearly 40 years at Carolina, he has never sought nor received recognition for his many impressive contributions, and one reason is that he has focused on structural and procedural matters that while critically important do not attract much attention. "Many have benefited from his hard work without even knowing it," according to one tribute. Ferrell is an expert on local property tax, extremely knowledgeable about the N.C. Constitution and its history, and his "The General Assembly of North Carolina: A Handbook for Legislators" is a definitive source of information and guide for both newly elected and veteran legislators.
As secretary of the faculty, Ferrell "has brought his considerable talent and dedication to the office, and it is reflected in the high quality of its work."
The late C. Knox Massey of Durham created the Massey awards in 1980 to recognize "unusual, meritorious or superior contributions" by university employees. The award is supported by the Massey-Weatherspoon Fund, which was created by three generations of Massey and Weatherspoon families.
Massey was a former advertising executive. He served two decades as a university trustee and worked without pay to promote the statewide Good Health Campaign that led to the creation of a four-year medical school and teaching hospital at Carolina. He then worked as a "dollar-a-year" special assistant to
the chancellor, aiding in the development of scholarships, professorships and other awards. Massey chaired the class of 1925 gift endowment campaign that raised the first 50-year reunion gift of more than $50,000. He was inducted into the N.C. Advertising Hall of Fame, based at Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, in 1990.
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Contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593)
