Abresch Receives Regents Award 

SALISBURY, MD---Linda Abresch at Salisbury State University is one of only six employees in the University System of Maryland to receive the first Board of Regents Award for staff service to their institutions. The System has some 12,000 eligible employees.

The award includes a $1,000 stipend.

This honor comes on the heels of Abresch being elected president of Salisbury State’s first Staff Senate, the representative body of non-faculty employees which advises the SSU President on staff and staff-related issues.

Abresch has a distinguished resume of service not only to SSU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, but to the University and the System. "To the best of my knowledge, Linda is the only department secretary who has assisted in a number of duties she has taken on," said department chair, Dr. Kathleen M. Shannon. For example, "although a faculty member is the official advising coordinator for each department, Linda is the person who does all the advising coordination in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.

"Linda really cares about the students who take courses from the department," said Shannon. "She has taken a few of our beginning courses and pays attention to our discussions so that she is fairly conversant with what is in our curriculum and she can always help steer students to the appropriate person for advice or assistance. At the beginning of each semester, no matter how unfriendly the weather, she stands out in front of the building welcoming students and helping them to locate their classes and classrooms. This is something she took it upon herself to do."

From maintaining facilities, such as the seminar room and computer lab, to creating databases for everything from space to an alumni list which is used to maintain close ties with grads (this feedback also allows for better advising and placement of current students), Abresch consistently brings to the department those qualities which create excellence.

Her career at SSU has been a series of firsts during her nearly 20 years there. In 1987 she was one of the first to take newly introduced WordPerfect computer classes; created more than a dozen form fills in WordPerfect for offices across campus; created database and an alumni newsletter for the department; became a computer lab monitor and trouble-shooter in addition to her regular duties; began teaching part-time at Wor-Wic Community College concentrating on tables and newsletter design; received the Henson School of Sciences Dean’s Award; developed a database in Access for advisees and alumni; and assisted and advised in a software engineering class on databases.

Her expertise with computers is a reflection of her abilities to organize and work with people. She helped develop a campus-wide policy on sexual harassment; was a founding member of the Council of University System Staff (CUSS), was elected to its Executive Committee and produced its yearly newsletter; and served on SSU’s 1996 Presidential Search Committee.

Abresch is fond of her colleagues. "The (Mathematics and Computer Science) Department has been encouraging, supportive and challenging," she said.

She, her husband Craig, systems manager at the Eastern Shore Regional Library, and two children Stephen, 14, and Nicole, 12, are members of St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, and long-time supporters of the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary..

She will be honored at a System ceremony this fall.

NOTE: Abresch is the granddaughter of Margaret Thume of Easton, MD.