Calvin Grant and Mandy Melton '13 receive 2021 Employee Forum’s Perfect Addition Award
June 10, 2021 | By Alice Zhao
The department of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is pleased to announce that Calvin Grant, undergraduate labs supervisor and Mandy Melton, administrative support associate, are recipients of the Perfect Addition Award. The Perfect Addition Award accepts peer nominations and is awarded annually by UNC’s Employee Forum. The award recognizes two staff members who consistently exemplify the University’s mission of integrity, collaboration, respect and high level of customer service.
“Calvin and Mandy have both been wonderful additions to the Chemistry department since they began in September and December 2018, respectively. From their start until current day, they have made a far-reaching positive impact to faculty, staff, students and postdocs. Their helpful, resourceful and solution-oriented attitude has earned them the respect of many making them the perfect recipients for the ‘Perfect Addition’ Award. We are so lucky they are part of the Chemistry team and happy they can be recognized for their impactful contributions!” said Ralph House, associate chair for research and Laura Yurco, associate chair for business administration.
Calvin Grant joined the department of chemistry in 2018. He earned a B.S. in chemistry from Oakwood University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Michigan State University. In his role as undergraduate labs supervisor, he teaches large enrollment labs and manages the general chemistry labs.
“Calvin holds dearly to the mission of the department which is to equip students – helping them train to be the best scientists they can be. He is thoughtful, an effective leader and highly professional. He is constantly seeking out new ways to bring the most positive experience for our students and department,” said Maribel Borger, undergraduate labs supervisor.
Grant is thankful to his co-workers for their nomination and recognition of his contributions.
“It feels really good to be seen that way. We all work hard for a department and a university that we’ve come to cherish, and it feels good to know that people see and appreciate the work you put in and your contributions as a whole,” said Grant.
Grant finds the most enjoyable part of his job in the amount of variety present in the day-to-day, which includes developing curriculum, managing labs, supervising prep staff and working to optimize Morehead Lab functions. His favorite part of working in the department is the supportive and rewarding work environment.
“The people are awesome. My coworkers and my supervisor make this job a wonderful place to work. The students are bright and look forward to learning,” said Grant.
Mandy Melton ’13 joined the department in December 2018 as an administrative support associate. In her role, she supports faculty, staff, graduate students and postdocs. She provides assistance by connecting people with answers, human resources processes and miscellaneous developments in the department.
“Mandy is very resourceful and has been extremely helpful to me throughout my transition to the chemistry department. She is a real team player and such a joy to work with!” said Gail Harris, administrative support associate.
Melton was excited to first share the news of receiving the Perfect Addition Award with her parents.
“I called my mom! I knew my parents would be really pleased and proud, and I wanted to share this with them first. I’m ridiculously proud to have received this honor. I really try my best to help the department, and it’s so nice to think that it’s appreciated,” said Melton.
Melton finds the favorite part of her job to be the departmental events. She looks forward to participating and planning for events when it’s safe to resume activities post-pandemic.
“I know the pre-Covid times seem far away right now, but my favorite part of working in the department has always been being able to help participate in and put on events for the department. We had so many! There was always a colloquium or party around the corner to prepare for. One of my favorites was the Halloween party in 2019. I had so much fun, and I can’t wait until we can do those things again,” said Melton.
Melton earned a B.A. in English and a B.A. in computer science from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2013. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in information science at her alma mater.
The Employee Forum honored all 2021 Employee Forum Award recipients in a virtual award ceremony held on Jun. 9, 2021.