This week’s Centennial Stars

Two longtime Rice staffers have done it all – and done it well

To celebrate the Rice Centennial, this year the university will honor 100 staff members who represent the best of Rice culture. Each week, two Centennial Stars will be recognized for their contributions to excellence, and we’ll introduce them in Rice News.

This week’s Centennial Stars: Rose Berridge in Physics and Astronomy and Veronica Boorom in Housing and Dining. They’ve both worked at Rice for decades, and both have had several positions over those years as their careers evolved with the university.

Rose Berridge

Berridge, the senior department administrator in Physics and Astronomy, has worked at Rice for more than 25 years. She was hired in 1986 as a secretary in the Physics Department. She soon became a purchasing and accounting clerk, then Physics Department coordinator. In the past decade, Berridge has been promoted to department administrator, then to senior department administrator.

“She is dedicated to the department and its faculty, postdocs and students,” said her nomination, “frequently going way above and beyond the call of duty in helping them with their questions and problems.  She is recognized by all as the person to turn to when in need of help.”

Berridge’s excellent judgment and “very strong interpersonal and organizational skills” make her an excellent manager, the letter said.

“Simply put,” her nomination concludes, “she is a talented, hard-working, caring and extremely productive employee who has made, and continues to make, critical contributions to the department and to Rice.”

Veronica Boorom

Veronica Boorom, senior operations manager in Housing and Dining, has been at Rice since 1975, when she was hired as an accounting clerk in the Cashier’s Office. Three years later, she took a job as administrative secretary in Housing and Dining (which was then called “Food and Housing”), and she has had several jobs within that office, including graduate apartments manager, off-campus housing manager, and office and contracts manager. She has been senior operations manager since March 2010.

Colleagues call Boorom “friendly, helpful and fair” and say that she “embodies the spirit of Rice” in her work; in fact, she received the university’s Distinguished Service Award in 1998. She also stands out for her performance in emergencies. In 2001, after Tropical Storm Allison flooded campus, Boorom was recognized by Rice trustees for the work she did to maintain operations in emergency conditions. And a Centennial Stars nomination letter pointed to Boorom’s performance after another storm, 2008’s Hurricane Ike.

“I will never forget the work she did for us to help the campus through the interruptions of Hurricane Ike,” one nominating letter said. “She provided all kinds of nourishment and service to everyone who needed it.”

During the summer, when outside groups come to Rice for special programs – including the Teach for America Institute and the Institute of International Education – Boorom goes out of her way to make them feel welcome.

“She excels in her position,” one letter said, “and leads the way to make Rice a safe and hospitable place to live and work.”

Do you know a staff member who routinely excels at work, supports the goals and aspirations of the university and serves as a positive influence on the Rice culture? Nominate him or her for a Centennial Star award. Human Resources will accept nominations from peers, colleagues, co-workers and supervisors. Nominees must be in a benefits-eligible position for at least two years as of Jan. 1 and be in good standing.

To nominate someone as a Centennial Star, go to people.rice.edu/stars. For more information, contact Rebecca Millet at recognition@rice.edu.