Bystrom receives Martin Award

Donna Bystrom, administrative assistant in the School of Materials Engineering, has won the 2016 Eudoxia Girard Martin Memorial Staff Recognition Award.

Bystrom has been working for the School of Materials Engineering for almost 40 years, taking on many roles throughout her time at Purdue. She is best known for her empathetic human interactions with students, staff, faculty and alumni, according to her nominators. Bystrom received the award Thursday (Dec. 8) during the Clerical and Service Staff Recognition Luncheon.

Many professionals from the School of Materials Engineering wrote nomination letters on behalf of Bystrom and her excellent work throughout the years. David Bahr, head of the school, wrote about Bystrom’s vital role to the school.

Alexander King, former MSE head and now adjunct professor, wrote, “Donna has had a profound impact on three decades of Materials Engineering alumni, not by virtue of any technical matter they learned here, but through a shining example of what it means to serve others through your work.”

The Martin Award is intended for fifth-level secretaries or administrative assistants with five years of continuous service on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. It is awarded to staff who accomplish their duties with a special caring and helpfulness to students, faculty and staff. It consists of a medallion, a framed description of the life of Martin and a $1,000 honorarium.

The other nominees were:

* Brenda Gunion, Anthropology.

* Brenda Sheets, Construction Management Technology.

* Cynthia Holderbaum, Biomedical Engineering.

* Dianne Bell, Engineering Education.

* JoAnn Galyon, Animal Sciences.

* Marcia Iles, Athletics Communications.

* Mary Ryker, Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships.

* Shelley Hall, Admissions.

* Vicki Black, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

The Martin Award is named in honor of Eudoxia Girard Martin, who lived in Lafayette from 1920 to 1977 and was executive secretary to the dean of engineering at Purdue for many years. 

Writer: Cat Dillon, 317-869-5566, dillon16@purdue.edu