Kate Baird wins Ruth Crawford Excellence Award

Kate Baird, graduate program coordinator, received the 2015 Ruth Crawford Staff Excellence Award at the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering Annual Holiday Banquet, Dec. 21.

The annual award recognizes excellent staff contributions and is named after former senior staff member Ruth Crawford who devoted 30 years of exemplary service to the department working for Professor Emeritus John J. McKetta Jr.

“Kate’s strong commitment, her initiative, her attention to detail, her wonderful interactions with students and her creativity are helping to make our excellent graduate program even stronger,” Thomas Truskett, Texas ChE department chairman said. “She exemplifies all of the qualities that the Ruth Crawford Award was created to recognize.”

The award recipient is selected by a committee that includes one faculty member, one graduate student, and the previous year’s winner. Nominations are requested from faculty, staff and students. The previous year’s recipient is not eligible for the award.

Kate has worked for the department since January 2013. Before her appointment with Texas ChE, Kate served in a similar role from 2010-2013 at Imperial College (London) in the Medical Research Council, Clinical Sciences Centre, where she was recognized with 2012 Rector’s Award for Excellence in Supporting the Student Experience. Last year, Kate won the Texas ChE spring 2015 Staff Spotlight award.

Tags: Annual Holiday Banquet, Cockrell School of Engineering, graduate program coordinator, Kate Baird, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Ruth Crawford, Ruth Crawford Staff Excellence Award, Texas ChE, The University of Texas at Austin, Thomas Truskett