Baum Wins President’s Outstanding Staff Award
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May 25, 2022
The Hildebrand Department’s longtime laboratory coordinator and building manager Glen Baum has won The University of Texas at Austin’s 2022 President’s Outstanding Staff Award, which recognizes nonteaching UT Austin employees who have made outstanding contributions to the continuing success of the university.
Baum oversees classrooms, labs and equipment; daily operations; event logistics; and safety and security in the CPE building. He joined UT PGE in 1990 after nearly a decade as an electrical engineering technician at Oryx Energy and first received the President’s Outstanding Staff Award in 1995. In recommending him for the award this year, Baum’s colleagues cited his dedication to the department, collaborative work ethic, forward-thinking outlook, and commitment to excellence and innovation:
“Glen’s role is much more than a building manager. He ensures that all of our student and research labs are conducted safely and that all safety protocols are met. He prepares the student labs for teaching and provides demonstrations for them. He teaches our research staff how to properly and safely operate equipment in the labs. When there is an emergency in the building, he is the first to show up and the last to leave.” —Professor Matt Balhoff
“Glen's dedication to the department during the COVID campus shutdown was unparalleled. While the rest of our staff and faculty worked remotely, he worked on campus the entire time and took on numerous roles and duties to keep the department in operation. His leadership during that time was invaluable to all the staff trying to manage in difficult circumstances, and his individual dedication and responsibility helped keep the department from falling apart, literally and figuratively.” —Senior IT Manager John Cassibry
“While this award speaks to … contributions over the past two years, I have known Glen since I was a UT student from 1988 to 1993. Glen has been working in and for our building and department that entire time. While his contributions over the past two years have been Herculean, he has a long history of being wonderfully helpful to everyone from undergraduates to department chairs.” —Senior Lecturer Deborah Hempel-Medina
“I cannot conceive of anyone more deserving of this award. Glen has performed at least 120% of every task that I have asked of him, including [providing] support for the undergraduate physical chemistry course I taught for several years. I think Glen would have taught the course for me, such was his enthusiasm. (I was tempted.)” —Professor Larry Lake
“Glen is expertly managing so much more this year, with the [opening] of the Gary L. Thomas Energy Engineering building, the continuing CPE HVAC renovations, the preparations for a complete overhaul of CPE, and finding space for all PGE staff, faculty and students to go to once our building is closed. He works tirelessly to ensure the safety of our building, the labs, students, faculty, and sensitive equipment in classrooms and labs.”—UT PGE Assistant Director Stephanie Stickney
