Valerie Bhat, administrative assistant in the Department of Women and Gender Studies, was named the Employee of the Month for the Division of Social Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences for the month of September. She was presented this honor by Dean of Social Sciences, Dr. David Brown in recognition of her dedication, passion and hard work.
"Valerie has been a vital partĀ ofĀ this two-person staff team for several years, and asĀ ofĀ late, has jumped in, in a way that has really provided valuable support toĀ theĀ department faculty and students. InĀ theĀ COVID environment, Valerie has adapted to creating virtual events like spring commencement, assisting with producing virtual forums and becoming an expert inĀ theĀ needs for remote teaching. Multiple nominations shared how valuable Valerieās assistance has been in transitioning from hands-on, interactive classroom formats to remote. Weāre told she has provided countless hoursĀ ofĀ assistance with Zoom, CANVAS and expert remote-learning technical support to faculty and students. She always does this with kindness, patience and care. Valerie has been described as ātreasureā toĀ the department and āsimply amazingā. How wonderful to see how expertly people are adapting duringĀ these challenging times, and puttingĀ themselves outĀ there as a sourceĀ ofĀ support to those who needĀ them. Please join me in congratulatingĀ ValerieĀ for receiving this well-deserved award."
Valerie will celebrate ten years working with WGST this January. In her time off work, she enjoys writing and performing music, painting, metalwork, building guitar pedals, and attempting to keep the Cottage's ivy plant alive while she works remotely.