Four members of the UO community who have served as leaders, promoted transparency or made a difference in the life of the university were honored recently by the University Senate.

Music professor and past University Senate President Robert Kyr earned the Wayne T. Westling Award; economics professor and incoming Senate President Bill Harbaugh received the UO Senate Award for Shared Governance, Transparency and Trust; academic advising director Kimberly Johnson received the UO Senate Leadership and Service Award for Officers of Administration; and accounting technician Dorothy Attneave was presented with the UO Senate Classified Staff Leadership Award.

The awards recognize faculty and staff for their work with the university community and their leadership in shared governance and campus service. They were presented at the May 25 meeting of the UO Senate.

Kyr has been a member of the Senate since 2009 and served as president for three years, during which the university underwent a series of leadership changes and challenges. Throughout that period, he worked to support the role of the Senate in governing the university, built bridges with the administration and faculty and led successful efforts to begin addressing difficult issues both new and longstanding.

“Rob has dealt with this chaos with equanimity and a determined perseverance to see the university through to better times,” his nomination letter states. “His work stands as a demonstration of the necessity for shared governance.”

Harbaugh has for years been a forceful advocate for the Senate, pushing for greater faculty involvement in university management and direction and consistently promoting openness and transparency in matters of governance. He has championed faculty participation in the selection of academic leaders as well as the Senate’s voice in setting budget priorities.

“During the past year, while he has served as senate vice-president, Bill has been a tireless advocate for full faculty and Senate participation in governance, most particularly as it affects the core academic mission of the university,” outgoing Senate President Randy Sullivan said. “He has worked for enhanced participation of representative faculty on the hiring committees of academic administrators and to ensure that the Senate Budget Committee will play a meaningful role as the university considers adapting the budget model to changing conditions.”

Johnson has served for the past year on the president’s task force on African-American student retention, working tirelessly to build consensus on a set of draft recommendations for President Michael Schill. During that time, she also worked closely with students in the Black Student Task Force, providing support and service to ensure a university climate that respects and encourages all students.

“I … have come to learn how dedicated she is (to) helping create (an) inclusive environment in advising for marginalized students,” one nominator wrote. “She motivated me and others well beyond the minimum expectations of her role. She deserves to be recognized for her dedication, diligence and commitment to professional excellence.”

Attneave is an accounts payable specialist in Campus Planning, Design and Construction who has worked at the UO for more than 30 years in a variety of roles. She was a member of the Campus Operations Diversity Committee and has been deeply involved in organizing and supporting a number of campus diversity events. She also has been active in the UO Local of the Service Employees International Union, serving on the hardship committee and leading the Labor Choir.

“Her leadership, service and participation help not only to advance the issues she cares about, she always has her finger on the pulse of diversity events throughout campus and serves as a primary networker between different university departments,” a nominator wrote. “Her eagerness to offer support and encouragement to all who know her and her helping to create outreach opportunities for community events such as Take Back the Night connects with everyone in SEIU, United Academics, and the GTFF.” 

For more information and background on the awards, see the University Senate awards website.