Sara J. Wilson, Administrative Manager for the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE), was recognized for her excellence in contributions to the department and university with a 2019 Academic and Student Affairs District Staff Excellence Award. She received this award in a ceremony held on Wednesday, August 21, at the Thomas S. Monson Center.

The awards are presented annually by the university in each of four separate categories. This year, there were 24 recipients total in the four categories, and one winner will be announced for each. Wilson is now one of four winners at the district level who are competing for the campus-wide award for the Academic and Student Affairs category, which will be announced Sept. 18. The other categories or districts represented in the awards are Administration, Hospital/Clinics, and Health Academics. Wilson is the only staff member from the College of Engineering to receive this year’s award at the district level.

She has served as the administrative manager for the Department of Metallurgical Engineering since 2014 and has taken the same role for the Materials Science & Engineering graduate program effective this July. Wilson has been an invaluable member of the departments, working extremely well with students, faculty, and staff.

Michael Simpson, former metallurgy chair and current MSE chair, praised Wilson at the ceremony for her dedication to the department and ability to effectively manage it. She plays an instrumental role faculty and staff work tirelessly to merge the former metallurgical engineering department in with MSE.