Gold(y) star staff: Dunlap and Geisbauer earn inaugural Chemistry Outstanding Staff Award

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (4/23/3035) – Mollie Dunlap and Ben Geisbauer have been named the first recipients of the new Chemistry Recognizing Outstanding Staff Award (ROSA). The award recognizes Department of Chemistry staff who go above and beyond to serve the department's mission, community, and operations.

Mollie Dunlap is Chemistry's Associate Administrator. Below are a few excerpts from the nominations Mollie received for the ROSA: 

"Mollie goes above and beyond to make sure things run smoothly in the department. She always goes the extra mile – even for events where she is meant to be partaking in relaxation or celebration! As a bonus, she's one of the nicest and funniest people you'll meet in the department. Every day that I get to see Mollie is a day that is a little bit better, and I think many would agree."

"Mollie continuously goes above and beyond to ensure that my experience as a graduate student in chemistry is as good as it can be. I first met Mollie during orientation, and was greeted with a smile and a friendly "How's it going? Welcome to Minnesota!". Such a small gesture went a long way for me, but this is just a small example of how she improves the graduate student experience . . . Her positivity and reliability are what makes her such a phenomenal person to be around."

". . . I am so grateful for Mollie's presence in our department. She is unwaveringly smart, steady, calm, positive, and thoughtful. If I don't know how to do something or solve a problem, Mollie will either know how to solve it or know who to talk to for help. And even though I know she is ridiculously busy, she never makes me feel like I'm bothering her. "

Ben Geisbauer is the department's Maintenance Carpenter. Below are a few excerpts from the nominations Ben received for the ROSA: 

"Ben is such a helpful and friendly guy who is always a pleasure to interact with. … Recently, a vacuum pump in my lab wasn't starting and I reached out to Ben who arrived at my lab in less than 5 minutes after I messaged him. He helped me deduce what the issue was - I learned and the pump is now up and running. This pump provides an essential function to an instrument that everyone in my lab uses daily. Overall Ben is a brilliant, helpful, kind and incredible person. He's a huge asset to this department and we're lucky to have him here."

"Ben is kind, funny, and friendly with everyone in the department. He solves problems for everyone and makes the department better through his work. He always makes time for students who have questions or need help with something mechanical. He is an outstanding staff member and part of the chemistry community."

"Ben always goes above and beyond when he is helping our lab. He has helped on a wide variety of projects, and at one point when he was in the lab he was asking us how we were dealing with how cold it was in the space. We had all grown used to just wearing plenty of layers and dealing it with, assuming that it was just a function of the high air flow of the hoods. Ben got up on a ladder and realized the windows weren't properly locked and had been letting cold air directly into lab for months (years?). On the spot, he dropped what he was doing to fix the windows and the average temperature in our space has become habitable. I find that exemplifies Ben's willingness to help those around him both in and beyond the description of his position. We love his friendly banter and positive attitude when we get to chat in the hallways of the department!"

The Department of Chemistry is deeply grateful for the work of Ben and Mollie as outstanding members of the departmental community. Overall, the first annual ROSA received 49 nominations of 19 different staff, nominated by 40 different faculty, staff, and students.