Department of Human Resources
Office of Student Employment

UMD "Student Employee of the Year" 2006

Second Runner Up

Matt McCabe

I would like to nominate our long-time ITSS student employee Matt McCabe for UMD Student Employee of the Year. Matt works in Audio Visual/Classroom Support Services, and I have been his direct supervisor for about three years.

Matt has been an employee of ITSS for as long as I can remember…in fact, he worked in my department before I did. Matt was here when I walked in the door of AV in 1999, and here he remains. But not for much longer…Matt is finally due to graduate in May 2006. Since he’s worked in AV for about six years, there isn’t anything that Matt can’t do. It’s my guess that Matt has assisted most professors and staff members on campus at one time or another. He is our lead AV student, the first and only lead student that AV has ever had, and he’s definitely earned that title.

Matt’s reliability is just one of many strengths that make him a treasured employee. He is always here when he is needed, any time of the day or night or weekends. I recall one shining example of Matt’s dependability. A few years ago on a weekend, a group was using the library rotunda, and they had forgotten to pick up their AV equipment. I got a phone call about 9 am on a Saturday. The only solution? Call Matt! He took care of all of the details, and the rotunda production was underway. This is just one example of many. Over the years I have come to depend on him so much. Matt is always been glad to help even when he’s not scheduled to work, or on short notice, or at odd hours. Even if Matt just stops in the office but is not scheduled to work, he will still go out on service calls. I believe Matt is the best student employee a department could ever have.

The quality of Matt’s work speaks for itself. When a professor calls from a classroom because their laptop won’t send a picture through the projector, it’s often Matt who runs quickly to the classroom and pushes that magic button that saves the day’s lesson. When a projector bulb blows out, it’s often Matt who runs with the ladder to replace it. He knows the 70 general purpose classrooms inside and out, and he knows how to set up any sort of AV/computer equipment that’s ever been used here. His vast knowledge and experience allow him to figure out exactly what a professor wants to achieve in the classroom and how to accomplish it. It is Matt whom I ask when I need to understand something, and it’s very clear to me that his knowledge vastly outweighs my own.

Matt has always taken the initiative. If there is a classroom problem, Matt will say, “I’ll take care of it.” He finds the time, gets the equipment together, and fixes the problem. I know that several people on campus, including our director, contact Matt directly when they have AV needs. Matt’s initiative comes from his strong sense of responsibility. Matt is also glad to step up to the plate and volunteer his skills. This year ITSS was asked to help with video production for a funeral on campus. Matt coordinated our response and the AV setup, and he also put together the video montage. He learned a new software package for this occasion. The montage was completed in a very timely manner. Matt stayed late and gave 100 percent of himself to the event. Matt considered it an honor to be able to give of his time and ability. He’s an honorable young man.

I believe that all of these qualities have given Matt a professionalism that is hard to match. Matt is always considerate to faculty and staff who need his help. He’s good at teaching and is very gifted at public relations. He is my first choice for interactive television events because I know he can interact with staff in the Twin Cities or at other colleges in the MNSCU system, as well as UMD staff.

As far as the uniqueness of Matt’s contribution to the AV, ITSS, and UMD, I believe that all of the above factors contribute to his special status, but one of the many things that make Matt so unique and valuable is his longevity at UMD and his dedication to the campus. I’ve seen Matt grow up. He’s changed majors a few times, seen multiple levels of technology change, gotten married, and finally chosen his career path of law enforcement. I know that Matt’s experience at UMD will make him a tremendous asset to the community, and I am proud that UMD has been able to have him represent us for so long.

Thank you for your consideration of this nomination.

Nominated by Sarah Paro
ITSS, Audio Visual, ITV Help Desk