Pam Doherty Recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences
Nancy Keil Service Excellence Award
In recognition of staff having established a well-deserved reputation for sustained excellence and initiative in providing technical or administrative support service, and for consistently approaching one’s responsibilities with a professionalism that demonstrates dedication to the welfare of students and others and that leads by example.
Pam Doherty has been selected to receive the Nancy Keil Service Excellence Award in
recognition of her commitment to providing outstanding and thorough support to everyone she encounters at all levels in Santa Clara University.
Pam's demeanor and skill give her colleagues and the students she supports a sense of confidence and welcome, while her experience outside of the University gives her a keen perspective. Pam has transformed the Math and Computer Science Department through her strategic thinking, incredible organization, and ability to leverage technology to make a gigantic operation work efficiently.
Pam's organizational skills are unmatched. When Pam sees a task that doesn’t use her time well, she finds a way to automate it, freeing her to engage in the caring, thoughtful interactions with students and faculty. Pam has a knack for diplomatically helping her colleagues find simpler paths to accomplish their work. She is a true colleague, who puts her heart and creative energy into the department. Pam understands the big picture, yet keeps track of an abundance of details.
During this summer, for example, she has single-handedly planned and executed fourteen office renovations and moves. She has decluttered storage rooms and closets that were buried under fifty years' worth of paper, textbooks and records. She designed and ordered department t-shirts, all while kindly and patiently handling students, nine new faculty members, and all of herusual duties.
Brightening the O'Connor basement is no small task, but the moment you walk into Pam's office you feel cheered. Pam is unfailingly kind and helpful. In situations where others might try her patience, she keeps an even keel and finds just the right way to balance service to others with protection of her valuable time. She is irreplaceable, indefatigable, and the Mathematics and Computer Science Department is so lucky to have her. She has quickly become a true star.