Ann Turpin receives 2010 President's Award for Excellence
Ann Turpin, a housekeeper in the Physical Plant Department at Virginia Tech, received the university's 2010 President's Award for Excellence.
The President's Award for Excellence is presented annually to up to five Virginia Tech staff employees who have made extraordinary contributions by consistent excellence in the performance of their job or a single incident, contribution, or heroic act. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize.
Turpin has been a part of the Virginia Tech community for 35 years. During that time, she served as a housekeeper in Whittemore Hall and moved to Durham Hall when the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering moved to its new location. In her time at Virginia Tech, she has demonstrated exceptional dedication to her work responsibilities and has routinely exceeded the requirements of her position.
"She approaches each day with a positive attitude that is contagious and has brightened the days of everyone she encounters," said Joel A. Nachlas, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering in the College of Engineering. "Through her diligence and competence, this delightful person serves as a model for her coworkers and is an inspiration for all who know her. Her serious but happy demeanor and her humble dedication to service have resulted in job performance that is truly exceptional and that is genuinely representative of our motto, Ut Prosim."
"I have never known a more delightful person," added G. Don Taylor, Charles O. Gordon Professor and head, Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. "She works smarter and harder than anybody in our building. She is a fine custodian, a fine person, and an inspiration to all that know her."
"In addition to her exceptional job performance, Ann exudes an infectious happiness that brightens everyone's day," said Paul E. Torgersen, John W. Hancock Jr. Chair of Engineering and president emeritus. "She displays such a positive attitude about being on campus that she makes others happy to be working as well. Not only does she do excellent work, but she promotes excellence in others."
