UVA Today is highlighting the winners of the 2012 Leonard W. Sandridge Outstanding Contribution Awards, the highest U.Va. honor staff receive for their dedicated service to the University. Today: Michael Redwine of U.Va.'s School of Engineering and Applied Science. To see all of the stories, click here.

May 15, 2012 — Michael Redwine, an electronic media specialist in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, received the 2012 Leonard W. Sandridge Outstanding Contribution Award for his broad-ranging support of connecting academic needs with technology for a growing number of engineering faculty and students.

Redwine is an instructional designer initially hired to support the operation and development of distributed education within the school, including the Engineers PRODUCED in Virginia program, a distance education initiative that makes U.Va. faculty expertise and instruction available to engineering students around the state.

Since joining the school, Redwine's duties have grown to include support of the graduate distributed education program and increasing support to faculty wishing to incorporate emerging technology into their teaching, according to a nomination letter by James F. Groves, assistant dean for research and outreach.

"Broadly, Michael is courteous, efficient, dedicated, thorough, prompt and detail-oriented as he serves the engineering community," Groves wrote. "While these characteristics might describe a typical, high-performing staff member at the University of Virginia, Michael separates himself from other high performers when one considers the ongoing, exceptional volume and quality of service he provides to so many individuals, simultaneously."

During the spring semester, Redwine was responsible for supporting 20 faculty members teaching in the Engineering School's distributed education programs, plus teaching assistants, graders and approximately 25 full-time undergraduates and 100 part-time off-Grounds students.

Groves describes Redwine as a strong computer programmer who played a key role in the opening of Engineering's new technology education building, Rice Hall, coming to work as early as 4 a.m. to familiarize himself with equipment before he began training faculty to use it.

In another instance, Redwine worked until the early morning hours to iron out programming flaws in a software simulation environment that a faculty member needed for class.

Other faculty members and students wrote in support of Redwine's nomination, praising his calm and helpful demeanor and willingness to work tirelessly to make sure the technology the distance-learning program relies upon is up and running.

— by Rob Seal