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The ceremony and bingo are part of the university's Staff Appreciation Week. Success and contributions were a constant theme of the awards.

Chancellor Glenn Boyce presented the Overall Outstanding Staff of the Year award to Patrick Perry, learning specialist with the Center for Student Success and First Year Experience.

"This year's honoree has worn many hats at the university throughout almost two decades," Boyce said. "During that span, he has distinguished himself as a deeply engaged member of the university community.

"He is recognized as a role model to the students he serves and an inspiration to his colleagues."

One of Perry's nominators, Daniel Hill, First Year Experience project coordinator, said Perry is kind, respectful and genuinely takes interest in everyone he meets.

"He is also a lifelong learner, always trying to learn what the new best practices for the field are so that he can better serve students," Hill said. "He embodies the servant leader and truly goes out of his way to make sure that others feel validated and pushed to become more confident and competent.

"The increased success of our students, our growing retention rates and our increased services provided can oftentimes be traced back to Patrick through his support of the division's staff and his promotion of the division's values."

Steven Holley, vice chancellor for administration and finance, and Virginia Rougon, associate provost, recognized six other staff members as Outstanding Staff Members from their respective Equal Employment Opportunity categories. Those winners are:

• Toni Avant, director of the , for EEO 1
• Lauran Ellis, coordinator of sales, , for EEO 3
• Kristi Boggan, administrative secretary, Ole Miss Bands, for EEO 4
• Kevin Bain, manager of Digital Imaging Services, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Marketing and Communications, for EEO 5
• James Curtis Moody, plumber, , for EEO 6
• Thomas Dickerson, coordinator of maintenance, Landscape Services, for EEO 7

In its 10th year, the Daniel W. Jones Outstanding Team Service Award recognizes university teams that have shown outstanding contributions and dedication to the school community throughout the year. This year's recipient is the Classroom Technology Services team.

The ceremony also recognized staff members celebrating milestone years of service. Katherine Tidwell, manager of contractual services and director of university licensing, received a thunderous ovation for her 56 years of service.

"Staff are not only the foundation of Ole Miss; they are the thread that keeps it together," said Lolita Gregory, Staff Council president.

Boyce closed the ceremony touching on the foundation and culture created and supported by the roughly 3,600 university employees.

"When people talk about this university and its reputation, people begin the conversation with the culture and who we are as a university," Boyce said. "That culture is built and maintained by the people that we are honoring today across this university."

Top: Chancellor Glenn Boyce (left) and Lolita Gregory (right), Staff Council president, congratulate members of the Classroom Technology Services team for winning this year's Daniel W. Jones Outstanding Team Service Award at the annual staff awards ceremony. The team includes (from left) Charlie Miles, Amanda Fliflet, Landon Joe, Joseph Misita, Judson Watson, Rio Mackie, Jake Shaver and Mo Khalid. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services