Marv Ellin, Director of Operations, Wins Chancellor's Citation Award

Marv Ellin, Director of Operations for the Chemistry Department, was awarded the Chancellor’s Citation Award in 2004. This award is given to UMass Amherst staff members who perform above and beyond the call of duty. This is certainly true in Marv’s case. His job, quite simply, is to keep the Chemistry teaching and research facilities up and running 24/7. This is no small task, considering that the Chemistry Department consists of about 30 faculty members, 18 staff, and 145 graduate students, and we teach thousands of undergraduate students every semester. Marv keeps all this running with enthusiasm and poise. This is remarkable considering that Marv’s Chemistry position is not full time, giving Marv time to pursue his other passion, writing children’s storybooks.

One particular story exemplifies the devotion Marv brings to the Chemistry Department. In 2004 we had a major emergency in the Lederle Graduate Research Tower, a 16-story building housing part of Chemistry and several other departments. One of the two main building transformers blew up, starting a fire. Marv took charge by evacuating the building. He then got all the freezers and other essential equipment on emergency power, preventing a great number of experiments, and much money, from being lost. Marv did all this while being off-duty for most of the emergency response. The Research Tower is back up-and-running, with many thanks to Marv. Now that’s a story with a happy ending!

Chancellor John Lombardi, Marv Ellin, Chemistry Department Head Bret Jackson, and Provost Charlena Seymour

(May 2004)