BOONE—This year’s recipients of the Appalachian State University Staff Award are Betsy Harris, Angie Miller, Sue Hisle and Cathy Ziegler.

Betsy Harris

Angie Miller

Sue Hisle

Cathy Ziegler

The award recognizes Appalachian staff members who exhibit dedication and service in and outside of the scope of their normal responsibilities, innovation in establishing new work methods or practices within their department, and make outstanding contributions to faculty, staff and students.

Harris is laboratory manager of the Department of Biology. She has worked at Appalachian since 1988. In addition to lab management, she teaches an undergraduate lab section and works with graduate students. Harris helped develop courses for the University’s General Education program and helped develop two new courses for biology majors.

She was praised for her flexibility and ability to go beyond the scope of her responsibilities. Coordinating the general biology program with an enrollment of more than 1,800 students each semester, “would be an impossible task without the help of Betsy Harris,” said Michael Windelspecht, associate professor of biology.

Harris serves as secretary on the board of directors for the Community Care Clinic, a free medical clinic in Boone for those who do not have medical insurance. She also volunteers at the clinic as the lab director.

Miller is the associate director for benefits in the Department of Human Resource Services. She has worked at Appalachian for more than 10 years. She assists the university’s 3,000 permanent employees with questions related to retirement, medical benefits, and specialized insurance coverage, such as dental, vision and disability.

“The impact Ms. Miller has had on campus throughout her 10 years of service has been extraordinary, and her life-long commitment to the people of our community had been even greater,” said Patrick McCoy, director of human resources at Appalachian.

Miller has created educational programs for Appalachian’s faculty and staff and has served as an advocate for Appalachian’s employees at the university system level.

She also is an active volunteer in the community, serving as a volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Blowing Rock Fire Department since 1989.

Hisle is the information services manager at Appalachian’s Belk Library and Information Commons. She coordinates faculty, staff and students who work at the library’s main information services desk. Hisle has developed a comprehensive student training program the library. She teaches students not only to provide quality services to the library’s patrons, but also to develop their skills useful beyond their work in the library. Hisle represents Belk Library on the Appalachian Staff Council. She has worked at Appalachian for seven years.

“In all of her committee assignments, whether in the library or beyond, Ms. Hisle is not afraid to ask the tough questions and continually works to make positive changes for staff and students at Appalachian,” said Susan Jennings, lead desk services and assistant professor.

Ziegler joined the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning (IRAP) in 2006 as the office manager. She now writes programs to compile student enrollment and faculty workload data.
Ziegler is active with on-campus projects such as Freshmen Move-In Day, Appalachian Staff Council’s Quality of Life Committee and the Children’s Shopping Spree, now known as AppKids. The annual fundraiser serves underprivileged children from High Country schools.
“Cathy cares about the people in her department, she cares about the projects with which she is entrusted, she cares about the campus climate, she cares about the university, and she cares about the community,” said David McClune, business and technical applications analyst in IRAP.