Department of Music Admiminstrator Dorothy Shallenberger was one of five staff members to receive the 2011 Chancellor's Award for Staff Excellence, the highest award Pitt gives to its staff. The award comes with a plaque honoring the awardee that will be displayed at the William Pitt Union and $2500, which Dorothy plans to use on a well-deserved vacation to the Outer Banks. According to the University Times,

"Dorothy Shallenberger was praised for going the extra mile for faculty, staff and students in the Department of Music. The chancellor cited Shallenberger’s role in establishing a piano replacement project in which she “almost singlehandedly” raised the money needed to purchase numerous baby grand and upright pianos for the department. “You wrote grants, designed a brochure for the campaign, developed mailing lists and personally met with patrons. You also established a working relationship with Trombino Pianos that has resulted in many low-cost piano purchases for the department,” the chancellor wrote.

Nordenberg also commended Shallenberger’s creation of the Love Award, to recognize those who have provided excellent service to the music department. “Over the years, those fortunate individuals — which include a number of computer technicians, building engineers, electricians and piano tuners — have received certificates and cakes as a way of saying ‘thank you for a job well done,’” the chancellor wrote."

For those of us in the music department who have had the privilege of working with Dorothy, it really isn't any surprise. We have all benefitted from her relentlessness in getting faculty, students, and staff what they need to accomplish their goals, and we're delighted that Dorothy has received this richly deserved recognition.