Two longtime CUW employees received special recognition this morning during Concordia's annual Employee Celebration event.
Mark Newhouse received this year’s Dettmann Award, while Pat Wroblewski was announced as the recipient of the 2021 Harris Draayers S.T.A.R. Award.
The Employee Celebration, which was held virtually, also honored employee milestones and faculty advancements.
Dettman Award
The Dettman Award, established in 2003, is named after Dr. Norbert Dettmann who volunteered his services for 20 years as the physician for Concordia students. His dedication to the students of Concordia is held in deep regard by all those that he served during the 1950s and ’60s.
Recipients of the Dettmann Award are current Concordia faculty or staff who demonstrate the same spirit of selflessness and care for others. Recipients are selected based upon involvement in the community and dedication to living Concordia’s mission in everyday life. Additionally, recipients are generous supporters of Concordia with time, talent, and financial resources.
Through his role as senior director of computing operations at Concordia, Mark Newhouse demonstrates a spirit of selflessness and care for others. Mark has worked in IT at CUW for 24 years. He started in desktop support and quickly demonstrated an ability to meet every technical challenge before him.
Mark is committed to volunteerism and mission work. He has made numerous trip to Guatemala with Central American Lutheran Society (CALMS) and visit congregations around the country to promote Christ and provide care. He also supports Habitat for Humanity Thrivent Builds and Saukville Food Pantry, and provides financial support to others who do mission work.
Mark is an active member at First Immanuel Lutheran in Cedarburg and has served in the past with Men’s Club, the men’s softball team, small group Bible study, and many different congregational fundraising events.
Additionally, Mark is a generous supporter of Concordia with his time, talents, and financial resources. Over the years, he has been a strong supporter of the Concordia Fund to allow his gift to be used towards Concordia’s greatest needs. Many individuals have benefitted from his dedication to ministry and mission.
Harris Draayers S.T.A.R. Award
The STAR Award is an honor bestowed by the staff of Concordia on one of its own. Overall consideration is given to the staff member who exemplifies Concordia as a way of life by making outstanding contributions and bringing honor to the university through Service, Teamwork, Action, and Results. The award recipient is a model of Christian life, excels in his or her area of work, engages in service to others, supports campus activities in various ways, and is involved in church and community affairs.
Pat Wroblewski has provided dedicated service to Concordia for 40 years, and currently serves as a financial systems analyst for the university. She works behind the scenes to keep Concordia’s billing operations running smoothly to ensure that there are no billing errors. She has to perform many manual system entries for billing exceptions in order to uphold Concordia’s integrity.
Pat consistently performs at a high level even if no one notices. This shows her true character. She continually goes above and beyond which notably adds to our students’ 5-star experience and exemplary service to all she serves.
She is a true Concordian and upholds the values and principles of the university. She is a Christ-centered model to the community and demonstrates this in her everyday life. After working a full week, Pat would give up her weekends to take care of loved ones to ensure that they could live their lives to the fullest despite their challenges. Pat’s heart toward the care and concern for others exemplifies how Concordians are called to “Live Uncommon.”
Advancement in rank
During the Employee Celebration, Concordia also recognized faculty members who recently advanced in rank. The following faculty were recognized for their advancement to Associate Professor:
- Dr. Uvidelio Castillo
- Dr. Angela Haendel
- Dr. Pollyanna Kabara
- Dr. Jill Krell
- Dr. Stacy Stolzman
The following faculty were recognized for their advancement to Professor:
- Dr. Alexa Doebele
- Dr. Dale Gerke
- Dr. Joseph McGraw
- Dr. Michael Pickart
- Dr. Rachel Pickett-Metz
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