2015–2016 Presidential Distinguished Staff Award, Non-Exempt Staff

harrellSusan L. Harrell, Executive Administrative Assistant, English Department

Susan L. Harrell has served UMBC’s Department of English for 33 years. Her administrative skills, loyalty, and work ethic have been essential to the department, and her colleagues consider her a model of professionalism and dedication.

As the department has grown, Harrell’s responsibilities have grown with it. In addition to coordinating the main office’s daily operations, Harrell manages all of the department budgets and maintains all department grants, projects, and start-up accounts.

Harrell also supervises two administrative assistants and student workers, and is a liaison between staff and the chair, and with other campus departments. She works closely with the chair and the director of the Writing and Rhetoric Division to create a congenial work environment by anticipating future needs and resources.

In 2013, she became the department’s graduate program coordinator, and she was instrumental in getting the new graduate program up and running successfully. In addition, she is the administrative assistant for the Medieval and Early Modern Studies Minor.

Harrell also serves the campus as a member of the Non-Exempt Staff Senate and its Business Managers’ group.