Susan White, director of public health professional education, was named the College of Public Health and Health Professions’ 2013 Employee of the Year. She was recognized Dec. 12 at the college’s annual staff and faculty appreciation dinner.
“She has never said ‘no’ to a request asked of her and going above and beyond the call of duty is not the exception for her, it is the rule,” a nominator wrote. “She works very hard to make those around her feel supported and she is very deserving of this award in every way.”
White leads the distance education activities of the college’s online master’s in public health and public health certificate programs. Her responsibilities include course design and preparation, marketing, technical advising and day-to-day management. She developed the online public health programs from the ground up, and in her eight years with PHHP she has grown it into seven online certificates and a full online M.P.H. degree that is completely self-funded. Co-workers said White continues to look for ways to grow course offerings and use innovative methods to deliver online content that maintains good instructional design.
In addition, White has supported several college and university initiatives and programs, including the Rural South Public Health Training Center, the PHHP Blended Learning Task Force, UF’s Distance Learning Council and UF’s Instructional Designers Group.
“In her time with the college, her contributions have far exceeded her position description,” a colleague said. “And her accomplishments have always been accompanied by a smile, an easy manner, a true desire to be part of the team, and a frequently-stated commitment to customer service.”
Co-workers praised White’s attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, collaborative nature and willingness to help in any situation.
“No task is too big or too small for her and I love her ‘can-do’ spirit,” a colleague said.
White is known for her outstanding customer service, and her co-workers cited that as an important factor in the public health distance learning programs’ success.
“I have always known her to be extremely meticulous and attentive to students’ needs, and she maintains frequent communications with them,” a colleague said. “She ensures that despite their distance from campus, they remain connected to the university in every other way and are aware of all possible resources available to them in their programs.”