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Southern Research Institute Announces Recipients of the 2009 Employee Excellence Awards

April 9, 2010

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced the winners of the Southern Research Institute 2009 Excellence Awards. One of the awards acknowledged the Birmingham scientific team tasked with responding to and assisting with global demand for the H1N1 flu vaccine last year.

The Excellence Awards program recognizes and rewards exceptional performance, outstanding accomplishments, and the setting and maintaining of high standards. The program was expanded in 2008 to include both individual and team recognition as well as expanded individual award categories.

All nominations are submitted by peers and supervisors, with the awards based on individual or team achievements that demonstrate innovation, competence, dedication, creativity, dependability, professionalism, quality, and/or service to clients or internal work groups.

“It is exciting to publicly recognize employees who excelled in the never ending quest to improve the health and well-being of people around the world,” said Robert L. McClure, vice president of Human Resources and Administrative Services at Southern Research. “What makes this award most meaningful is that these winners were nominated by their co-workers, the people who can best judge superior effort and achievement. I believe it says a great deal about the winners and all of the people of Southern Research in Alabama, North Carolina and Maryland because we had so many nominations for the award this year.”

The awards were presented by Southern Research president and CEO John A. “Jack” Secrist III, Ph.D. and divisional vice presidents during ceremonies in Birmingham, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, No. Carolina. The categories awarded and recipients were:

The awards were presented by Southern Research president and CEO John A. “Jack” Secrist III, Ph.D. and divisional vice presidents during ceremonies in Birmingham, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, No. Carolina. The categories awarded and recipients were:

Excellence in Leadership: Brian LaGory (Drug Development), Debbie Gohegan (Drug Development-Frederick, Md.), Karen Gilbert (Drug Development), and Ellen Faaleolea (Drug Discovery-Frederick, Md.)

Process Excellence: Jill Cordle (Finance), Sara McKellip (Drug Discovery)

Project Management Excellence: John Baker (Engineering-North Carolina)

Individual Initiative: Lavinia Rose (Drug Development)

Technical Excellence: Omar Moukha-Chafiq (Drug Discovery), Paula Allan (Drug Discovery), Chris McAnnally (Engineering)

Team Excellence: Damien Prewitt, James Johnson, Jason Lee, Stenisha McGhee, Michael Hendricks, Frank Robinson, Willette Edmonds, Timothy Williams, Wayne May, Christopher McCrief and Carlos Cadenhead (DLAR Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Lisa Slappey, Valerie Johnson, Crystal Coleman, Kristen Southworth, Tim West, Tiffany Pitts, Candi Looney, Barbara Taggart, Logan Haller, April Robb, Angela Burns and Shuang Feng (Influenza Program Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Brian Tidwell, Allison Brown, Sheryl Burrage, Bill Severson, Debra Sharpe, Jim Noah, Mary Guttieri (Biological Threat Reduction and Integrating Contract (BTRIC) Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Monica Mason, Jamie Bell, Donna Bowen, Becky Boyer, Nikki Brown, Rodney Donaldson, Charlie Hampton, Dana Skillman and Rachel Wilson (Team ABSL3-Birmingham)

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. Our more than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. Southern Research has considerable experience in developing and evaluating technologies for the power industry. southernresearch.org

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