Few are the people on the university campus who do not know Gloria Mason. She started working at the Ryan Library in August 1981 and has worked at the Information Technology Services Help Desk since its creation in 1994. For many people, Gloria's name is synonymous with the Help Desk. Anyone who has ever had a computer-related problem has probably called Gloria at the Help Desk.
Gloria is very knowledgeable and can solve many problems and answer many questions over the telephone. She treats every problem as important, no matter how simple or complex. When she can't provide an immediate solution, she assigns the problem to someone else within Information Technology Services and then continues to track the problem. When a co-worker within Information Technology Services is overwhelmed with Help Desk problems, Gloria finds ways to help out, either by using her own skills or those of several student workers assigned to the Help Desk. Gloria not only supervises the student workers, but also trains them to solve problems. When they graduate and leave the UNK Help Desk, their troubleshooting capabilities are invaluable, no matter what field they chose for their professional careers.
Gloria often has large groups of students in her small office, all seeking assistance for technology-related problems. She frequently is asked to assist people who are in a near panic from trying to meet a deadline. Gloria keeps a level head and deals with stressful situations courteously. The person's deadline is important to Gloria and becomes a deadline for her as well. The primary reason Gloria receives phone calls or visits to her office is someone has a problem. Although her day is always filled with solving problems, Gloria maintains a positive attitude despite the negative aspects of her work. Happy users with no problems seldom call her! She is a dedicated employee who strives for excellence.
Gloria conducts training sessions on a variety of topics. After attending her training sessions, faculty and staff often comment that they have learned more than they even knew existed. They admire both her knowledge and her patience, for she presents information in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner.
Gloria is a talented and knowledgeable person on whom many, many people at UNK depend. Therefore, the University of Nebraska at Kearney is delighted to name Gloria Mason as Employee of the Month for January 2000.