Suzi Weersing Receives Arnice P. Streit Award
Susan (Suzi) Weersing, ’84, associate dean for graduate and undergraduate studies for the School of Humanities and Sciences, is this year’s recipient of the Arnice P. Streit Award.
The award, which recognizes distinguished service to the school, was created in 1987 in honor of Arnice P. Streit, who established a record of excellence and left a lasting impression on faculty and staff during her 27-year career in H&S.
Weersing is recognized for her unflagging dedication, strong leadership, and invaluable support of students, faculty, and staff. In her role, Weersing oversees the Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, which is responsible for curricular review, initiating new degree programs, graduate aid and fellowships, student academic grievances and mediation, and graduate diversity and retention.
Nominators remarked that Weersing’s extensive knowledge and experience across her 22 years in H&S help make the school, and the university, a better place. Among many things, she was celebrated for her sound guidance and responsiveness to the school’s 23 departments and 25 programs and for making herself available to graduate and undergraduate students to help with any issue, both academic and personal.
One nominator described Suzi as a “model of effective leadership in crises,” someone who knows exactly whom to reach out to for an issue and the best individual for support, while always providing appropriate depth and concern. Whether navigating the challenges of a pandemic or dealing with the everyday thorny issues of higher education, Weersing is known for being a rock amid it all.
“Suzi’s work with our students—both graduate and undergraduate—is legendary. So is her good judgment, her dry wit, and her seemingly boundless energy,” said Debra Satz, the Vernon R. & Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences. “Her contributions have been constant and, on so many occasions, she has made the difference between success and failure for our students and for the school.”
Weersing received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford in 1984. She returned to the farm in 1997, starting as the office manager and chair’s associate in the Department of Sociology.
Three other staff members in H&S received the Dean’s Awards of Merit. Those awards honor those who are nominated for their contributions during the previous calendar year. The winners are: Anh Nguyen, facilities services administrator in the Department of Biology, who received the Dean’s Award for Spirit; Samantha Cooper, student service and capstone coordinator in the Human Biology program, who received the Dean’s Award for Innovation; and Chaya Nanavati, educational specialist in the Department of Physics, who received the Dean’s Award for Leadership.