Charlotte Fant and Larry Burns are the recipients of the 2012 Employee of the Year Award. The award is given each year in recognition of the employee’s dedication and service to the university. The awards were presented at the recent Employee Appreciation Reception.
Fant was named the Classified Employee of the Year and Burns was recognized as the Non-Classified Employee of the Year.
Fant is an academic counselor in the Physical Therapy Department. She began working at UCA in September 2000 as a part time instructor in the Department of Health Sciences. She became an academic advisor in Physical Therapy in October 2004.
“It’s a great accomplishment to be nominated for classified Employee of the Year. Congratulations to all classified finalists. I’m appreciative of being named Employee of the Year,” she said. “I especially want to thank Dr. Charlotte Yates for nominating me and Drs. Reese, Bandy and Huitt for writing letters of support. It takes a great team to make this award happen. Thanks to all the Department of Physical Therapy faculty for your support.”
Fant is in charge of the Bear Facts Days for the Physical Therapy Department, is on the Staff Senate and is in charge of visiting other institutions to represent UCA at their career fairs. She is also the pre-physical therapy advisor to UCA undergraduate students. According to one colleague, Fant advises over 250 pre-physical therapy students at UCA and many students from across the country.
“Ms. Fant really cares about her advisees and advocates for them at every opportunity. She is a person of high moral character and integrity and well respected by her advisees, as well as the faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy,” the colleague wrote.
Burns is the director of special projects in the Division of Enrollment Management.
“I am so lucky and appreciative to work at a place like UCA where hard work and service are recognized. There are countless others that deserve to be honored for the hard work they do for UCA and for students, so it is such an amazing honor to be recognized as Employee of the Year,” he said.
Burns does volunteer work for several organizations around campus including SGA, PRISM, Ideal and Staff Senate. He is the treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Miss UCA Scholarship Pageant as well. One colleague and UCA alumna said that he gives hours of time to these programs.
“He receives no remunerations for the countless hours he gives to these organizations, but continues to devote hours outside of work to ensure those organizations grew, prospered and maintained their reputations,” she said.
Other finalists for the 2012 Employee of the Year (Classified) Award were Robby Burton, Art Program Coordinator, Academic Affairs; Stephanie Pickens, Economics Administrative Specialist, Academic Affairs and Lula Tyus, Maintenance Assistant, Administrative and Financial Services.
Finalists for the 2012 Employee of the Year (Non-Classified) Award were Amy Whitehead, Center for Community and Economic Development Project Coordinator, Academic Affairs and Marvin Williams, Coordinator of UCAN Program, Enrollment Management.
