Calin Sterling Awarded by Graduate Student Senate

Calin Sterling has been awarded the Graduate Student Senate Outstanding Staff Award for 2017-18. This award is part of the Outstanding Faculty and Staff Awards (OFSA): an annual signature event of the Graduate Student Senate, designed to honor faculty mentors and staff members who facilitate graduate student success. 

Graduate Student Senate (GSS) base their Outstanding Staff Award on three criteria: staff who make unique contributions to the graduate student community, foster a supportive and positive environment for graduate students, and demonstrate a sincere and active interest in the wellbeing of students. Sterling was nominated by the Anthropology graduate students with over 20 letters of support sent in for her nomination.  Fourth year archaeology graduate student Mica Jones presented Sterling with the award at the award ceremony on April 5, 2018. In his letter of support Jones wrote:

"Her ability to remember and care about the little worries that each of us deal with on a day-to-day basis is integral to our professional and personal growth. [...] Her support of our work provides many of us a much needed boost and helps us maintain visibility and relevance in the department and beyond. Aside from being a hard-worker and outspoken advocate for graduate students, Calin is a wonderful person who cares for our mental/emotional well-being... I hope this award conveys how much she means to our community."

The Outstanding Staff Award was first implemented by the GSS in 2015. Sterling is the first staff member of the Anthropology Department to receive the award. GSS has also been awarding Outstanding Faculty Mentors since 1999. Five Anthropology faculty have received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor award.