Caltech Honors Long-Term Employees at 57th Annual Staff Service Awards

Four members of the Caltech community will be recognized for their long-term service to the Institute at the 57th Annual Staff Service Awards. Eloise Kennedy and Pat Koen have each given 45 years of service to Caltech, while Jean Grinols and Mike Walsh have each worked at Caltech for 40 years. The ceremony, which takes place at 10 a.m. on Thursday at Beckman Auditorium, honors members of the professional staff who have given 10 years or more of service to Caltech.

Forty-five years ago, Eloise Kennedy began her career as a secretary at JPL. Since coming to Caltech in 1998, she has served as supervisor for project financial systems for the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), which includes the Spitzer Science Center, the NASA Herschel Science Center, and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. Eloise ensures that IPAC’s research activities are funded appropriately and that expenditures are within budget. She coordinates with project offices at JPL and NASA, and she handles activity ranging from small research grants to major flight-project accounts.

Pat Koen came to Caltech to work in the subbasement of Alles Laboratories as an electron-microscope technician for the late Alan Hodge. Throughout his career, Pat has introduced generations of students to electron microscopy, overseen the installation of several generations of instruments, and supported the research of many professors. Since 1983, Pat has been working part-time in the Caltech Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility, where he is instrumental in keeping the cell sorters working on a daily basis.

In 1972, Jean Grinols began working at Caltech as a secretary in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. Five years later, she became the third division administrator in GPS’s history and the first woman on campus to hold the position. Over the course of her 40-year career she has worked for seven division chairs and has served three provosts. She currently serves as administrator of the Provost’s Office, a position she was reappointed to in September 2007. Throughout her years of service to Caltech, Jean has acted as a mentor to generations of students, staff, and faculty.

Mike Walsh has been the first and only supervisor of the Division of Biology’s electronics shop, which has been in existence for over 30 years. Prior to his current post, Mike had the opportunity to work alongside Nobel Laureate Max Delbrück. Through his dedication to his work, Mike has made the shop a valuable resource to campus researchers in not only Biology, but the other divisions as well. His reputation as an upstanding member of the Institute and other positive professional attributes helped earn him the Thomas W. Schmitt Annual Staff Prize in 2010.

The entire Caltech community salutes the 254 dedicated and hard-working employees being honored at this year’s ceremony.