Employee Service Award recipients are keepers of PSC institutional knowledge

Troy Moon, Pensacola State College

In remarks to recipients of the Pensacola State College 2021 Employee Service Awards, College President Ed Meadows noted the importance of tradition.

“Tradition is a wonderful thing at any institution, and this had been a long-standing tradition at Pensacola State College,” Meadows said at the first of two ceremonies held Nov. 4 on the Pensacola campus. “I see a group of people who have been doing their job well for many, many years.”

The 76 employees honored with Employee Service Awards are the keepers of PSC’s traditions and institutional knowledge. Their experience and knowledge are invaluable to the success of PSC, Meadows said.

“Whether you work directly with students or not, you all understand the necessity of helping students,” he said. “You know our first job is to take care of students.”

To practice social distancing, the awards were presented at two different ceremonies – faculty and non-faculty.

PSC personnel were honored for various milestones of service to PSC, from five-year awards to 40-year awards.

PSC’s John Noski is one of five who received an award for 30 years of service, all of it spent driving the College’s student-athletes to-and-from various athletic events across the state and region. Few positions at PSC come with higher stakes – the safety of the College’s students traveling busy highways and interstates at all times of the day and night.

“It’s a big responsibility,” Noski said. “I take it very seriously and I’ve loved ever minute of it. These athletes have kept me young all these years. They go off and do amazing things but when they come back to town, they come back and visit me and that means a lot. It makes me proud and happy to develop these relationships with the wonderful athletes that have come through here.”

PSC Vice President of Administrative Services and General Counsel Tom Gilliam, who received a 10 Years of Service award, read the (often funny, exaggerated or just plain made up) comments about each recipient written by their supervisors or department heads.

Here are the PSC Employee Service Award recipients with the comments from supervisors:

Faculty

Five years:

Andy Barbero
Assistant Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Andy Barbero teaches history in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. He is particularly interested in American History with an emphasis on peace studies. Andy is passionate about music. One of his favorite things to do is to attend concerts and watch musicians perform. He also enjoys camping with his girlfriend. Andy was inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence in 2020 and is currently director of the Lyceum. Under his leadership, Lyceum events have continued during the pandemic and have drawn in good audiences. Andy has been honing his skills as an interviewer when he hosted the author David Sedaris and will also be interviewing one of the most famous interviewers in the US, Ms. Terri Gross of NPR at next month’s Lyceum event.

Julie Burger
Assistant Professor, Allied Health

Julie worked on a commercial salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska, as a fisherman. Julie is working toward gaining enough hours on her sailboat to be endorsed/earn her captain’s license. Julie enjoys running long distance obstacle/adventure/cross-country races. Her most meaningful accomplishments are finishing graduate school and raising her two boys. Something people don’t know is that she enjoyed teaching repelling and canyoneering in Utah when she was a teacher out west. Julie is from the same town as Sharon Stone!

Richard Carr
Instructor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Richard has been interested in meditation and Zen for some time now and is currently assisting in the foundation of the PSC Meditation Club. He is also active as faculty advisor for the PSC chapter of the Active Minds organization. Richard started working for the Humanities and Social Sciences Department as an adjunct teaching psychology courses and became a full-time faculty member in 2017. Richard is a PSC alumnus, so his connection to PSC runs deep.

Melissa Davis
Instructor/Librarian, Warrington Library

Melissa is passionate about Jane Austen and is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Melissa is often the only mother out roller skating at her daughter’s friends skating rink parties. She enjoys gardening, reading, sewing, and taking educational jaunts with her family. Melissa graduated from the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute and is now enrolled in the Next Level Library Leadership Institute, presented by the Florida Division of Library and Information Services. Melissa would like to visit all the lighthouses in the Southeast. Melissa has met numerous authors at book signings: Erik Larson, Kate DiCamillo, David Sedaris, Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey, among others.

Diane Jennette
Assistant Professor, Nursing

Diane’s laughter will make anyone smile. She is a caring and compassionate nurse and shares her experience and enthusiasm for nursing. Diane loves traveling and especially likes traveling to Louisiana to purchase one of her favorite foods …boudin. Earning a doctorate degree in nursing was the icing on the cake for Diane’s educational journey. She is an avid LSU fan. Diane’s dog, Belle, has been featured on WEAR!

Cindy Kirk
Assistant Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Cindy Kirk has been a full-time faculty member in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department since 2016. In addition to her teaching schedule, Cindy serves as the Early Childhood Education AS program coordinator. This means that she is constantly on the move observing her students as they learn how to become teachers in child development centers. Cindy has many fans among her students who are working toward early childhood education certificates and degrees. They view her as a mentor as well as their instructor. Cindy is interested in crafting and uses her talents to good use in the department as the department’s Sunshine Committee Chairman. We can always count on Cindy to remember birthdays and other milestones, and for that reason, she is the Humanities and Social Sciences department’s chief party planner and decorator.

Susan Perry
Lecturer, Mathematics and Social Sciences

She was once a professional locksmith before a finger injury derailed her career. She is skilled in the art of ax throwing. She enjoys amateur woodworking in her spare time. Her most meaningful achievement is being a member of PSC’s Math and Computer Science Department for the past five years. She once ran into a man who looked like Nicolas Cage claiming to be John Travolta after facial reconstructive surgery.

Britni Schoolcraft
Instructor, English and Communications

Britni was born on Halloween. She is an all-right singer and a pretty good cook. She enjoys research on domestic history, and food history in particular. The most meaningful accomplishment at this point in her life is that she has remained close to her family and has made them proud. Despite her being an English teacher, she doesn’t particularly like Walt Whitman, and she loathes William Faulkner entirely. She is related to Henry Rowe Schoolcraft and Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, both of whose writings Longfellow used as inspiration for “The Song of Hiawatha.”

Brian Ward
Instructor, Business

Brian served 23 years in the Air Force. He served as a military police officer, first sergeant, and anti-terrorism superintendent, and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant in 2013. Brian plays the drums, but please don’t ask to hear him sing. Brian enjoys watching sports and driving fast cars, specifically his shiny, red Corvette. Brian’s most meaningful accomplishments are earning his Ph.D. and overcoming cancer. Brian is a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo. During Brian’s time in the Air Force, he was regularly tasked to be the bodyguard for celebrities when they visited military bases. Among his favorites that he protected were Macho Man Savage, Tom Cruise, the Crocodile Hunter, Kevin Harvick (Nascar driver), and his favorite rock group, Rush.

10 years

Amber Carey
Associate Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Amber teaches Spanish I and II for the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, but also has a degree in Criminal Justice. She has also taught the Intro to Criminal Justice course in the past. Amber is fluent in Spanish and speaks Italian. Amber is always busy, but in her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Amber was inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence in 2020 and was selected as Outstanding New Faculty Member in 2014. She has been the Robinson Honors Program coordinator since 2016 and due to her dedication and hard work, the honors program has really grown. Her honors students are dedicated to service and excellence in academics. Amber has organized and accompanied students on trips to Costa Rica and Eastern Europe as part of the honors program. She is also the advisor to the special Hot Topics and Hot Coffee series of presentations at the college.

Linda Lewandowski
Assistant Professor, Adult Education Programs

Linda is the biggest character that I have ever met! She has a way of brightening any room that she walks into with her sparkling personality. She is completely zany! Linda is very humorous but values positivity above all else. Linda likes to write, listen to the Blues, loves fishing and traveling. Linda won the National Management Award with Josh Miller company and is a recipient of the Academy of Teaching of Excellence Award. After Linda retires, she plans for an international ministry. In the third grade, she met Elvis Presley in person. She lost a ballerina bracelet at the concert and blames Elvis.

Robyn Ludlum
Assistant Professor, Natural Sciences

She is known to have some unusual pets, including rats and slugs. She plays piano. Her hobbies include travel, nature, and history. He most meaningful accomplishment is working with the PSC Biology Club and coordinating the Operation Clean Sweep event with the Philosophy Club and PTK to help clean up areas of Panama City after Hurricane Michael. The Biology Club earned the Most Outstanding Service Organization for PSC in 2019. Something most people don’t know about her is she volunteered at the Gulf Breeze Zoo during college.

Darlene Mosley
Associate Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Darlene teaches psychology related courses for the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. She spends most of her time on the Milton campus, but when she comes to the Pensacola campus, we enjoy her dry sense of humor and witty conversation. Instructors who have joined the psychology team since she came on board 10 years ago have benefitted from her mentorship which she has always been willing to offer new instructors. Though Darlene is passionate about her field of psychology, she is also interested in history and has done a lot of research into the history of her family and the Milton area where she lives. She is also invested in her two grandchildren with whom she spends a lot of time. Darlene also keeps her hands occupied with crocheting projects which she carries around to work on in her spare time.

Debra Ryals
Associate Professor, English and Communications

She has driven a race car at 160 mph, and she has jumped out of airplane. She can ride a horse. She loves to cook and travel, especially to the “Wild West.” Her most meaningful achievements are her son and obtaining her doctorate. Most people don’t know She has visited 43 of the 48 continental states. She met Rita Dove, former Poet Laureate for the United States, at a conference. She spent about half an hour talking with her about her writings and “made [Rita Dove’s] day” because she taught her play “The Dark Side of the Earth.”

Melissa Sears
Associate Professor, Natural Sciences

Melissa loves marine ecosystems. She walked almost the entire coastline of Louisiana over the summer of 2005 for her job with the Audubon Society recording nesting birds. Melissa is a great instructor, her classes are the first to fill up, and she is good at getting the non-major students excited about science. She loves the beach, traveling, decorating, crafting, and working out. She was inducted into ATE in 2017, and the Biology Club (which she advises) received the Volunteer Service Group award in 2019. She owns property on an island in the Bahamas and plans to retire there.

20 years

Rick Dunn
Assistant Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Rick Dunn teaches both psychology related courses and sociology courses for the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. Rick is a high-energy instructor which attracts students to his classes. Rick is known for bursting into song at all the right moments. He leads his colleagues in robust rounds of Happy Birthday and other songs at just the right times. One can hear him singing down the hall. We appreciate his upbeat attitude and cheerful demeanor. Rick enjoys spending time near the ocean and working out at the gym. He is a die-hard Cleveland Browns football fan.

25 years

Rich Cacace
Professor, Mathematics and Computer Sciences

He once worked as a semi-professional table tennis player before a finger injury derailed his burgeoning career. He is skilled in the art of candle making. He enjoys collecting comic books in his spare time. His most meaningful accomplishment is being a member of PSC’s Math and Computer Science Department for the past 25 years. He once ran into a man that looked like Nicolas Cage who claimed to be a motorcycle stunt man.

Jeremy Carr
Instructor, Mathematics and Computer Sciences

He has an interesting history of avoiding snake bites. He has had numerous “close encounters” with snakes while hiking and has lots of great “near bite” stories to tell. He makes absolutely wonderful scrambled eggs. Everyone who eats them says they are the best they have ever had. His hobbies include hiking, kayaking and traveling in the southwest. Most people don’t know he came fairly close to drowning in Coldwater Creek trying to retrieve lost kayaks. He did manage to get the kayaks back. He does not have many encounters with famous people. He did steal a parking space from a famous local automobile dealer one time. The dealer was not happy and let him know. 😊

Mary Anne Petruska
Professor, Mathematics and Computer Sciences

She is self-declared as Obsessive /Compulsive overly organized and has CDO. It’s like OCD except the letters are in the correct alphabetical order. For special skills she is a master level P.I.T.A. and takes nitpicking details to a level no human should operate at. Her hobbies include volunteering as a swim official with USA Swimming. She has worked at decks across the southeast. Summer 2022, she will have the privilege of working at the Special Olympics as a swim official. Her most meaningful accomplishments include being the mother of two amazing children, being an active member of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for over 20 years, and knowing she’s done her best to prepare her students for what they will face next in the upper division. Most people don’t know she is an introvert, she prefers to be alone with a good cup of coffee or a good, dark stout to drink while reading. In high school, she wanted to be a forest ranger so she wouldn’t have to deal with people. God truly has a sense of humor. She has had a few encounters with famous people as she taught the lead Chemical Engineer who developed the P&G 9 Elements line of cleaning products and was splashed up to her knees by Chase Kazlish at the TYR Pro Meet in March 2017 when she worked as a turn judge during the meet.

Brian Rucker
Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences

Brian Rucker has taught history courses at PSC for 25 years. In addition to his commitments to the College, he is well known as an expert in northwest Florida history. He is a truly entertaining storyteller and always has a story to tell about Florida. He has traveled extensively in Florida as well as other states searching for interesting history and has accompanied students on field trips to local historical sites. Brian just published a book about Disney World titled the “Worlds in the World” which showcases the Disney theme park hotels, so if you’re wondering which Disney hotel to stay in when you visit Disney World next, Brian’s book will give you all the information you need.

Kathy Schultz
Professor, Mathematics and Computer Sciences

She was once a semi-professional in the sport of fencing before a finger injury derailed her burgeoning career. She is skilled in the art of origami. She enjoys parkour in her spare time. Her most meaningful accomplishment is being a member of PSC’s Math and Computer Science Department for the past 25 years. She once met a man on a flight that looked like Nicolas Cage carrying a small stuffed bunny as a gift for his daughter.

30 years

Tonie Anderson-Steele
Professor/Counselor, Milton Campus

Tonie loves to cook, travel, and read and she has a Yorkie name Todo. Tonie also served as the faculty advisor for the African American Student Association for many years where she made a tremendous positive impact on literally hundreds of students.

Kathryn Merritt
Associate Professor, Mathematics and Computer Sciences

She is always willing to go the extra mile for her students. She is well prepared, organized and always available to take time to mentor or help an adjunct. Her most meaningful accomplishments was being recognized as the outstanding new teacher and was nominated to the Academy of Teaching Excellence and creating the Modular Math Curriculum for Developmental Math. Most people don’t know she is a cancer survivor and the mother of two doctors, Tyler, a local dentist and Taylor, a soon to be graduate from UF Medical school.

Non-Faculty

5 years

Lyndsey Angus
Associate Director of Athletics/ Intercollegiate Athletics Coach

She is a very accomplished athlete/coach. Her most meaningful achievement is the investment, help, time, direction she has given to student athletes over the years. Most people don’t know that she was a “ball girl” for the Boston Red Sox.

Ingrid Davis
Supervisor, TRIO-SSS/VSSS Tutoring Services

She has a passion for community and events that shed light on the underserved. She is very organized, humble, and possesses an inner warmth. She is a bit of a foodie, loves jazz and traveling. Her most meaningful accomplishment is obtaining her master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership.

Michael Johnston
Associate Vice President, Institutional Research and Management Information

Mr. Johnston is one of the hardest-working people I know. It is normal to receive an email from him at 2 a.m. and see him at work the same morning. Not only is he dedicated to Pensacola State College, but he is also dedicated to servicing the community through his Health and Hope Clinic and through contact with potential and current students he meets outside the college. It has been a great honor learning from him and being part of his team. Strong work, Mr. Johnston!

Mary Mabins
Coordinator, Marketing and College Information

Mary is a former journalist who spent more than 30 years in newsrooms as a reporter, copy editor, page designer as well as a news, business and features editor. She most recently worked at the Pensacola News Journal and, as the Education Reporter, gained considerable knowledge of Pensacola State College. It was a natural fit for Mary to come to the College as a writer, editor, photographer, and coordinator for PSC publications. To say that we are lucky to have her as a member of the Pirate family is an understatement! An Alabama native, Mary is a University of Alabama graduate and on football Saturday’s can be found cheering on the TIDE in her crimson and white. However, she is a fierce supporter of our PSC Pirates and can be seen at many school and sporting events.

Mel Miner
Coordinator, Legal Services

Mel had a passion for racewalking while in high school. She had aspirations for national competition until a back injury ended her career. In her spare time Mel assembles miniature sailing ship replicas inside old bottles and sells them on Etsy. Mel once watched the first 9 seasons of Shameless on Netflix over one Thanksgiving weekend. Mel can’t make the “Z” sound when speaking. She compensates by substituting a slightly modified “S” sound. Mel is first cousins with Duane “The Dog” Chapman.

Diana Taylor
General Accounting Specialist

Her peers describe her as a loyal and very compassionate person with a great sense of humor. She gets along very well with everyone. She is the Comptroller’s Office Social Butterfly. She is very thorough and has a keen eye for detail when completing her duties. She does not hesitate to accept new duties and is glad to pitch in where needed. She’s a very good planner. She is a joy to work with on a daily basis. She enjoys participating in local events such as bike riding, bingo, and paddle-boarding. Her children, Miranda and Tristan. Her prior work experience in the Cashier’s Office and the current position in the Comptroller’s Office. In 2017 Diana was nominated by her peers and was awarded Employee of the Year. She’s an exercise enthusiast, enjoys relaxing at the beach, and dining out. She can also give you an honest review of most of the local restaurants.

Bill Tice
Director, Veterans Student Support Services

Bill is always willing to do whatever is needed, whether it is keeping the office open late or walking in a parade. Bill is our early adopter for adopting technology to streamline processes and facilitate services for his program’s students. He is also ferocious in his support for his staff and takes great care of his team. Bill is a proud military veteran, and he is passionate about ensuring our military veteran students have all the resources they need to be successful.

10 years

David Courington
Systems Support Specialist

Dave is a huge animal lover and is always rescuing hurt or abandoned animals, even nursing an abandoned baby squirrel back to health. Dave is a jack of all trades and a skilled handyman able to repair cars, various equipment and almost any home construction project. Dave loves to garden, growing over 30 varieties of vegetables and raises chickens and shares the eggs with office staff. He is also an avid football fan, supporting his alma mater ─ the University of Alabama. Dave has raised his daughter for most of her life as a single dad. Even though Dave currently works in IT at PSC, he has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master of Science in Urban Studies and Geographic Information Systems and has previously worked on many archaeological dig sites over many states in the Southeast.

Tom Gilliam
Vice President, Administrative Services and General Counsel

Mr. Gilliam enjoys a campfire in his backyard to enjoy with his family. He possesses the special skill of making analogies to prove a point. His hobbies include touring the countryside in his truck. The accomplishment most meaningful to him is helping students. Something most people don’t know is that his father was a long time, distinguished professor at PSC. Mr. Gilliam was once active in politics in Florida and met many influential politicians and political donors.

Kay Hanson
Computer Services Operations Coordinator

Kay crochets animals, dresses, blankets and many other items. She has a green thumb and can grow a variety of plants and vegetables. Kay has a twin sister and belongs to a very close-knit family.

Lois Hurd
Career and Technical Education Specialist

Lois loves helping the students that she works with and works hard to make sure they are on the right path and receiving the services they should be receiving. Lois loves arts and crafts and can make gorgeous baskets for all occasions. Lois recently received her master’s degree.

Gail McClure
Senior Science Lab Specialist

Gail is skilled in baking and cake decorating. Her personal interests are her kids, grandkids and cats. She also enjoys working crossword puzzles and hiking. She worked at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for about 10 years and was mentioned in a research paper. She was born in New Mexico. While she was at St. Jude Hospital, she worked in the same department as a Nobel Prize winner.

Kathy Van Dyke
Assistant Department Head, Humanities and Social Sciences

Kathy has a great personality and those who know her know she is very dedicated to physical fitness. She does a lot of swimming, walking and wears out the elliptical at the PSC gym. Kathy is an amazing multi-tasker and an invaluable asset to the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has the uncanny ability to remain calm through the most hectic times and is very dedicated to student success, faculty support, and the department as a whole. Kathy and her husband like to get out on the water in their boat on the weekends when the weather permits. They also like going on cruises in the Mediterranean and hope the cruise industry rebounds once the pandemic subsides. Kathy Van Dyck is an English teacher at heart. She is currently the Assistant Department Head of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department but spent a number of years previously working in the Adult Education Department with GED and ESOL students. She really enjoyed teaching English to people who immigrated to this area from different countries and has learned so much from them about their countries and cultures.

15 years

Dewayne Bradley
Receiving Specialist

Mr. Bradley has an ability to recognize what the client needs and goes above and beyond to make it happen. He loves to read, take computer classes, and listen to all kinds of music. Doing an excellent job and making the client happy so most meaningful thing to him. He started out as a part-time shipment handler and was after several years was promoted to full-time Receiving Specialist. Mr. Bradley is an avid Bible reader.

Rachelle Burns
Director, Student Support Services/Crisis Referral

If you haven’t noticed Rachelle’s accent, she hails from across the pond. Rachelle is one of the most compassionate, caring staff members I’ve ever worked with. Rachelle takes great delight/pride in celebrating the SSS student successes, even years after they’ve graduated and moved on. Many of the incredible mental health resources we have here at PSC for students are the direct result of the amazing work Rachelle did as the project director on our very first Suicide Prevention grant. She continues to be active with the EscaRosa Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Summer Kreiser
Contact Center Advisor

Summer is an expert firearm marksman and licensed esthetician. Summer is resourceful, loyal, dedicated to helping students and fellow staff. Summer is always willing to help a student in need and will do whatever it takes to get answers. For hobbies, she loves to refurbish or re-purpose antique furniture and do crafts with her daughter. Also, she loves to bake tasty treats for family, friends and co-workers. Her most meaningful accomplishments are graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Health Care Management, and of course being a single mother to two children. Most people don’t know that Summer used to work as a firefighter/first responder.

25 years

Jamie Beck
Systems Support Analyst

He is very interested in trivia, and very good at coming up with those tidbits of information on a variety of subjects. He enjoys programming in VB DotNet, and he loves solving problems. Jamie has an immense music collection with an extremely wide range in genres of music encompassing everything from old school country to funk. Earning his master’s degree is one of his biggest achievements. Jamie is a huge animal lover and has several pets. One of his distant relatives was Joel Cheek, who is tied to Maxwell House Coffee from his time at the Maxwell Hotel.

Dave Delarge
Senior Computer Systems Analyst

Although Dave has spent 25 years at PSC, he has been working in computers for close to 50 years. In all that time, the basics still haven’t changed. Dave possess a variety of skills which enhance his performance at PSC. His attention to detail and desire to produce what is requested of him makes him a highly valued employee. He possesses a deep understanding of the accounting system and kept the old system running while Workday was being implemented for Accounting, Payroll and Human Resources. Dave enjoys spending time with his family and his church members. Dave is an ordained minister and is the pastor for a church.

Frances Jackson
Associate Coordinator, General Accounting

Frances is a motorcycle enthusiast. She loves dirt bike riding along forest trails and camping. She also makes a mean almond loaf! She is outstanding in the performance of her job duties and can be counted on to do a great job. Her peers describe her as always willing to provide assistance when needed both internally to the Comptroller’s Office and externally to PSC departments. She highly respected in the Comptroller’s Office. Traveling, camping, kayaking, bike riding, dirt bike riding, and exercise classes. Her daughter and three grandbabies, her service in the U.S. Navy, working at Pensacola State College for 25 years in the Comptroller’s Office, and her service to the College by participating in AFC. Frances loves to ride motorcycles. She is very skilled in both on-road and off-road motorcycling and competes regularly in motorcycle events.

30 years

John Noski
College Bus Operator

He has driven two different generations of student athletes while at PSC. He is a very skilled drummer/musician. His most meaningful achievements are safely transporting PSC students, athletes, faculty and staff for the last 30 years and never putting any in harm or danger while traveling.

35 years

Rose Hall
Administrative Assistant

Rose has a great sense of humor. She is fun to work with, always positive, and willing to help anyone and everyone; students, employees, and even those not affiliated with PSC. She develops warm friendships with all whom she comes in contact. Rose has a unique ability to work with everyone in a positive manner to get things done. She has a thorough understanding of PSC history, policies and procedures developed over her 35 years of service to the college. As Rose has past experience in other areas of the College, her knowledge base extends far beyond the eLearning Department. She loves spending time with her grand babies, her Florida Gators, she loves to read, and ride her bike. Her accomplishments include her three daughters and their educational accomplishments as well as her two grand babies. Rose is a practical joker and enjoys being on the giving or receiving end of a joke. (She prefers the giving end mostly.) She also likes scary movies, which makes it interesting when she is on the receiving end of an unexpected practical joke. When Rose’s oldest daughter Crystal was a student “Gator Guide” at University of Florida, Rose met Tim Tebow in person. He liked her so much he signed a football and gave it to her.

Darene Harris
Library Acquisitions Technician

Darene Harris is the essence of professionalism. Her work ethic is outstanding and admirable, and she displays a grace and gratitude each day that inspires others around her to follow her example. A fun fact about Darene is that she has a special talent for singing, and she uses her beautiful voice to bring joy to all who are fortunate enough to hear her in her church choir. Darene is extremely organized and is known for the speed and efficiency with which she completes all of her work. She has been a model of consistency and hard work for over 35 years at PSC! Darene is a wonderful wife, mother, aunt and grandmother. She is very active in the lives of her children and grandchildren and enjoys planning special things for her family. She is also a big Florida State fan. Go Noles! Darene’s role in her family is most meaningful to her, and the love she has for her family is very evident. With her amazing level of productivity and dedication, she is also a very well-respected member of the PSC community. We all count on Darene for leading us through change with her ability, intelligence and always positive attitude. She looks like a teenager, but Darene has been married for over 35 years! She is also a fan of the Hallmark channel movies.”

40 years

Dawn Loyed
Administrative Assistant

Dawn’s hobbies and interests include casinos, travel, and time with family and friends. Her most meaningful accomplishments are her children and grandchildren.

Wanda Osborne
Library Acquisitions Technician

Wanda Osborne is a woman of many talents, but with her outstanding leadership skills, she holds a special place in the minds and hearts of the staff of the library technical services department. Wanda has the ability to make lasting connections with those who have the good fortune of working with her or being her friend. Her vast network of professional connections helps the library get books and learning material quickly! Wanda is a loving mother, grandmother and sister. Her time and energy away from work is spent with her family or helping friends or family in need. She enjoys taking her grandson places like to the beach to watch the Blue Angels fly. Wanda has maintained a meaningful and important presence with PSC for over 40 years! She makes sure the students, librarians and faculty members always have materials to be successful, and she is famous for coming through when time is of the essence. Under Wanda’s professional exterior is a very warm and generous heart! She can see the needs people have and works to help them in a real and meaningful way. She also has a great sense of humor.