They are honored at the annual awards banquet

Beverly A. Bortz, who is retiring as coordinator for the engineering division, Patricia A. Facciponti, who is retiring as instructional technologist, and Robert H. Nourse, who is retiring as senior planned giving officer, were recognized tonight at Lafayette’s annual pre-Commencement reception, dinner, and awards ceremony. President Daniel Weiss read the citations.

BEVERLY A. BORTZ

Although Beverly’s principal responsibility as Coordinator for the Engineering Division is to provide administrative assistance to the Director, she interacts with so many constituencies that she effectively serves as an ambassador-at-large for the program.

Her input has helped transform the fall open houses for prospective engineers into Lafayette’s most successful admissions yield event.  Her assistance has enabled the advising process to run more smoothly for faculty as well as for students, and she has strengthened the ties to engineering alumni (including several who are now trustees).  She has overseen budgets, worked to ensure that the division’s newsletters reflect each department’s successes, and was instrumental in coordinating such campus-wide events as the Resnik and Landis lectures and the dedication of the Acopian Engineering Center.

Her assistance has been particularly valued by the division’s directors, one of whom praised her as a “conscientious employee” who does “whatever she needs to do to complete the responsibilities thoroughly and precisely.”  Another described her as “calm, diplomatic, and understanding” and as someone with a “graceful presence” and an impressive institutional memory who provided continuity within the Division and enabled it to move forward.

Bev, when you began your Lafayette career in 1985 as a part-time employee, you were assigned to whatever campus department required temporary assistance.  Fortunately for the College, since 1988 Lafayette and its engineering division have benefited from your talents on a full-time basis.  As you conclude your two-and-a-half decades here, we extend our heartfelt thank-you for your dedication and service.

PATRICIA A. FACCIPONTI

When Pat Facciponti joined the Office of Public Information & Community Relations in 1979, her principal responsibility was to coordinate Lafayette’s media relations program.

Over the coming decades, her definition of “media” would change dramatically.  Always an “early adapter” when she saw an opportunity to utilize technology, Pat quickly mastered even the most advanced features of the word-processing programs and other software that supported her work in news services.   The enthusiasm with which she approached emerging technologies was matched by the patience with which she shared her knowledge with others.

In 1998 she assumed a position that enabled significantly more members of the campus community, including faculty, staff, and students, to benefit from her gifts as a master teacher.  As the first Lafayette employee to hold a continuing appointment as Instructional Technologist, she was instrumental in the development of our Information Technology Services program.  As the program’s lead instructor, Pat has taught – within a single year – as many as 72 workshops on 40 different topics.  Her expertise covers everything from PowerPoint and Geographical Information Systems to photo and video editing and dynamic Web-page design.

Pat, as you and your Second Life avatar make the transition to retirement, we are confident that you will continue to embrace new technologies with the keenness and imagination that have characterized your work here over the past 30 years.  Whatever lies beyond tweets and blogs and Google and GIS, we know you will remain ahead of the rest of us in exploring those exciting new worlds.

ROBERT H. NOURSE

When Bob Nourse graduated from West Point, he knew he would be held to the highest standards of “Duty, Honor, Country,” the motto that had guided him as a Cadet and that he would continue to uphold throughout his many years of military service.  What he could not have anticipated was the range of duties he would be asked to fulfill during his subsequent civilian career.

Bob’s responsibilities after he came to Lafayette in 1983 included heading the Alumni Affairs Office and serving as Acting Director of the Gateway Career Center and Acting Vice President of College Relations.  His principal affiliation, however, was with our Estate Planned Giving program, which he joined as assistant director and for which he assumed primary responsibility in 1994.  When he retired at the end of December, he held the title of Senior Planned Giving Officer.

During the Lafayette Leadership Campaign, which ran from 1995-2001, Bob’s program secured a remarkable 38 percent of the $213 million in total commitments received.  He has been as successful at friend-raising as at fund-raising.  Of the more than 450 members of the James Madison Porter Society, which recognizes individuals who support the deferred-giving program, the majority are known personally by Bob.

In 2008, he received the Gary A. Evans Administrative Prize in recognition of the high level of service he had provided to the College over a number of years.  As proud as you understandably are of that honor, Bob, we know you and Anne are even prouder to be the parents and grandparents of Lafayette alumni.

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