Anna Phillips has been named employee of the first quarter by the U of A Global Campus.

Phillips, manager of the Learning Technology Support team at Global Campus, was recognized by Cheryl Murphy, vice provost for distance education and head of the Global Campus, at an October staff meeting.

"Anna is a problem-solver who knows how to bring teams together to get work done," Murphy said. "She helps move the needle forward in distance education on many levels, especially managing challenging projects with many moving parts and people. Most importantly, she leads by example with compassion and perseverance."

The co-workers who nominated Phillips praised her leadership and ability to inspire others to greater efforts. They specifically lauded her "monumental effort" to support the conversion of the university's learning management system from Blackboard Learn Original to Blackboard Ultra. The task required tireless dedication, meticulous planning and much hard work over an extended period. According to many of her co-workers, Phillips inspires them with her positive energy and infectious enthusiasm.

"She somehow manages to be both an excellent leader and, at the same time, one of Global Campus' hardest-working MVPs," Phillips' co-workers said. "She is truly one of a kind: her wide-ranging expertise allows her to pivot on a moment's notice—from discussing technical minutiae with programmers to planning training events for faculty to coordinating campuswide communication plans. As a person, her good-natured demeanor makes her an absolute joy to work with. Anna Phillips perfectly embodies what I consider to be the spirit of Global Campus, that certain je-ne-sais-quoi that makes it such a wonderful place to work."

Phillips has been with Global Campus for close to two years. Her duties as manager involve supervising 12 members of the ITS team, providing support and training for university faculty related to online courses and making sure her team has the software and equipment they need. A large project this year involved planning for the university's upgrade to Blackboard Ultra. Phillips coordinated all communication and developed the training plan used by the university for its rollout.

"I am deeply honored to receive the Employee of the Quarter award for my leadership in projects at Global Campus," Phillips said. "This recognition underscores the collaborative efforts of my dedicated team and the innovative spirit that drives our success. I'm grateful for the support and opportunity to contribute to our shared goals, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of excellence within our organization."

Miran Kang, director of Instructional Design and Support Services for Global Campus, serves as Phillips' immediate supervisor.

"We are so fortunate to have Anna with us," Kang said. "Some people have technical expertise, and others have people and communication skills. She has both, and management prowess on top of them. Under her leadership, the Learning Technology Support team constantly finds better, more efficient ways to serve our faculty and students."

The Global Campus awards the employee of the quarter to recognize outstanding achievements and accomplishments that relate to the unit's goals and the U of A mission. The award recipient receives a commemorative certificate and a monetary award. The four quarterly awardees may then be eligible to become the Global Campus Employee of the Year.

Other first quarter nominees:

• Katrina Ball, education support specialist, Professional and Workforce Development
• Mandy Eppley, senior instructional designer, Professional and Workforce Development
• Yakeshia Jenkins, web developer, Marketing and Communications
• Radiance Orrin, online student liaison, Innovation and Online Student Experience
• Haley Thomas, instructional designer, Instructional Design and Support Services

The Global Campus supports the U of A academic colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online degree programs and courses, and workforce development programs. This unit provides instructional design services, learning technology support, media production services and assistance with financial administration, recruitment and marketing.

The Global Campus also supports the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship, which is open to undergraduate and graduate students studying in online degree programs.