KU announces August, September 2021 Employees of the Month
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas recently has announced the June and July 2021 Employees of the Month. These staff members have made outstanding contributions to the Lawrence campus community.
Winners of the Employee of the Month awards receive the following:
- A surprise visit from the provost or her designee
- A certificate of award
- A biography featured through KU Today
- A $750 gross monetary award.
Nominate an employee for this award by completing and submitting the online or paper Employee of the Month nomination form and returning it to HRM by email or fax to 785-864-5790. More information is available here.
Recent honorees:
August
Name: Kevin Fullerton
Title: Associate director of experiential education, School of Pharmacy
Kevin Fullerton develops tools for the assessment of experiential education, conducts site visits, plans and executes programming for preceptor development, and supervises staff within the department. Fullerton assists students with pharmacy rotations and career path exploration so that they can graduate on time with the necessary hours required by the Board of Pharamcy. Fullerton started working with the pharmacy school in 2012.
Fullerton is known for his efforts to support students, and his dedication throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated this. He researched solutions so KU pharmacy students could obtain CPR certifications to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to the Lawrence and KU community, and he contacted hospitals to create virtual rotations when it was unsafe for students to do so in person. Additionally, he is always open to talk and assist the students he serves. When the school went remote, Fullerton set up virtual office hours in the evenings so that students would have someone to talk to about school, stress and clerkship rotations at a time that was convenient for their busy schedules. If a student cannot make it to his office hours, he creates additional time for them. Fullerton has also represented the pharmacy school and KU at national pharmacy education conferences and presented on experiential education.
Name: Carla Swoyer
Title: Procurement officer and senior purchasing agent, Procurement Services
Carla Swoyer supports purchasing functions and writes full requests for proposals. She drafts master contracts between vendors and the university and follows those contracts through all changes to execution and finalization. Swoyer’s additional responsibilities include issuing bids on behalf of KU, support and oversight of supplier performance, determination of customer needs, cost analysis, strategic sourcing activities, vendor negotiations, contract creation and implementation and auditing.
When it comes to customer service, Swoyer goes above and beyond to make sure the customer is satisfied. A colleague said, “Carla puts her entire heart into negotiating the best and fairest pricing and services for her internal customers. Her diligence has paid off extremely well by rewarding the university with outstanding contracts.” Swoyer is well-known both in her unit and externally as being the to-go contact to guide the request for proposal process. She is dedicated, tenacious and courteous to everyone she assists. An internal partner said, “She is an exceptional communicator in all stages of the request for proposal process, and she is timely and thoughtful in responding to every request directed her way.”
September
Name: Kim O’Bryon
Title: Assistant university registrar of catalog, curriculum and scheduling
Kim O’Bryon has over 40 years of experience at KU. Her job is to ensure the university has a catalog of courses and schedule of classes for each term so that students can enroll. The academic units decide which courses to offer, but it is O’Bryon’s job to ensure all the information is entered in Enroll & Pay accurately and timely for each semester so that students can enroll. She is the go-to functional support person for the room scheduling software to determine class locations. Additionally, she is also the key staff member for catalog and academic program changes.
O’Bryon is dedicated to KU, the University Registrar’s Office and her fellow co-workers. When the pandemic began in spring 2020 and courses rapidly moved online, O’Bryon and her team worked tirelessly to ensure all changes were made and schedules were accurate for both students and faculty. A colleague said, “Kim consistently goes above and beyond. She methodically thinks of different complications and how we can work around them. She thinks critically about everything she does, and she comes up with ideas rather than problems.”
Those who work with O’Bryon describe her as dedicated, responsible, supportive, honest, prompt, thorough, accommodating, reliable, and a joy to work with.
Name: Katie Varner
Title: Employee relations specialist senior, Human Resource Management
Katie Varner has been with KU HRM since 2013. Her job duties include providing professional-level expertise in employee relations administration including workplace policies, employee goal-setting and counseling, supervisor support, performance management system oversight and employee training. Varner also works to ensure compliance in several program areas including family medical leave, shared leave, performance evaluations and workers’ compensation. She regularly collaborates with other units on campus, such as General Counsel, Institutional Opportunity & Access and Faculty Development, and she is frequently called upon by senior leadership in various campus departments for HR advice on complex and high-risk situations. A colleague said, “Her knowledge of policies and procedures is amazing, and she consistently demonstrates an outstanding commitment to helping employees and supervisors improve performance and operations with fairness and equity.”
Those who work with Varner describe her as courageous, inclusive, kind, professional, patient, trustworthy and compassionate. She has a tireless dedication to her colleagues and to the KU workforce. Varner is a humble leader who consistently steps up to the plate and takes on challenges to support those around her. A colleague said, “Katie is very committed to both the University of Kansas, our employees and our greater Lawrence, Kansas, community. Her KU pride is evident, and it reflects consistently in the excellence she brings to HRM and our campus community.”