BOBBY JARSULIC RECEIVES CALIAN AWARD
Robert (Bobby) Jarsulic has been honored with the Calian Award for Campus Community Service, which recognizes an exemplary individual, a member of the Pittsburgh Seminary community who demonstrates excellence in carrying out responsibilities and volunteer assignments, and also expresses a caring spirit of good will and hope so essential in our life together as a community.
As the Seminary’s audio visual technician, Bobby is a widely-known, and widely-appreciated, member of the staff, working with many departments and program offices at PTS. Bobby is the go-to, on-the-ground tech-support presence for programs hosted by the Seminary; he may be found supporting faculty use of technology in the classroom, audio-visual elements of guest speakers’ presentations at community-facing events, hybrid setups which allow distance learners to participate in on-campus programming, complex microphone setups for Board meetings, livestreaming and online Q&A for the Barbour Library’s BookTalk series, recording and editing video footage, and more. Beyond the technical expertise by which he supports so many of the Seminary’s programs, Bobby is known for his cheerful responsiveness to fellow staff members’ requests for aid, often going above and beyond in his efforts to ensure the smooth functioning of events across the Seminary. Those with whom he works will attest to the way Bobby’s calm presence, creative thinking, and positive attitude amid otherwise potentially stressful troubleshooting situations make a world of difference to his colleagues.
In addition to his role on the Seminary’s IT team, Bobby serves the community as one of the inaugural co-chairs of the newly-formed Staff Council, which serves to represent concerns and needs of the staff body to the administration. Bobby is also a member of the Employee Life Committee, which promotes social wellness, fun, and collegiality among members of the staff. For example, he has helped to organize a number of events and celebrations, such as community picnics, all-staff lunches, and the Seminary’s annual Christmas party.
“Bobby is a remarkable member of staff at PTS,” says President Asa Lee. “His can-do attitude, cheerfulness, and seamless cooperation with so many members of the Seminary community embodies the spirit of the Calian Award and of service to community. I am not alone in expressing my deep gratitude for the care he invests in both the ministry that happens here and the people who carry it out.”
Dave Middleton, director of information technology, comments: “We appreciate how much Bobby cares about the events that he supports and the way he ensures that every detail is accounted for, even when the detail isn’t his. He’s the first to volunteer for something new and is always looking for better ways to do things.”
President Emeritus the Rev. Dr. Carnegie (Sam) and Doris Calian and their children contributed an endowment to establish this annual award.