Dave Merriman, web developer for the College of Education and Human Sciences, has been selected as the latest Staff Star Award winner by the CEHS Staff Council.
“What makes Dave truly outstanding is his unlimited patience and willingness to take the time to explain complex technical concepts,” his nominator wrote. “He has a remarkable ability to translate ‘tech talk’ into clear, understandable explanations for those of us without coding or web design backgrounds. By doing so, he has empowered me to quickly learn and easily adapt to utilizing the new system, making the process of keeping our online presence seamless and up-to-date.”
Merriman led the college through its transition to a new web framework last summer and fall, coordinating with departments and units across the college to copy pages to the new framework. He produced a series of training videos to help faculty and staff navigate the new site changes and understand how to create common pages, while also serving as a resource to answer any questions and solve any issues that arose.
“Throughout this complex migration, he meticulously guided us through the steps and ensured all of our content was moved over seamlessly,” his nominator added. “Any time I reach out to him for help – which is often – his guidance to me has always extended beyond technical support. He also makes it a point to ensure I use the easiest path possible to achieve the results I want, saving me so much time in my workday.”
Beyond his technical skills, the nominator highlighted Merriman’s ability to provide suggestions and creative solutions that make the most sense for webpage design while providing the best user experience.
“I can confidently say that Dave has consistently demonstrated exceptional reliability, never once failing to provide assistance when needed. His consistency, availability, and willingness to help, even with minimal advance notice, exemplifies his profound dedication to his role and responsibilities.”
The Staff Star Award recognizes CEHS staff members who go above and beyond their scope of duties. It is given on a quarterly basis and the next nomination deadline is July 31. To nominate a staff member for a Staff Star Award, click here.
