Meet this week’s Centennial Stars

Two dedicated staffers earn high praise from their colleagues

To celebrate the Rice Centennial, this year the university will honor 100 staff members who represent the best of Rice culture. Each week, two Centennial Stars will be recognized for their contributions to excellence, and we’ll introduce them in Rice News.

This week’s Centennial Stars both receive top marks from the colleagues who see the work they do every day. They are Son Morgan, a campus shuttle driver in the transportation office, and Ann Lugg, director of communications for the George R. Brown School of Engineering.

Morgan has been a bus driver at Rice since 2006. Her shuttle bus carries Rice passengers around campus, to and from locations off campus and on field trips.

Son Morgan

Morgan is “a great ambassador for the university,” her nomination letter said. “She is a joy to work with and always willing to help when an employee is out.”

Shuttle operation requires a driver who is dedicated, reliable and concerned for the well-being of her passengers, the letter said, and Morgan has all these qualities and more.

“Visitors and Rice employees have complimented Son on many occasions because of her compassion, great customer service (and) knowledge of the campus and events,” the letter said.

Morgan truly enjoys interacting with the people who board her shuttle on a daily basis, the letter said.

“Son knows many of her passengers by name and cares for their safety as they ride with her,” it said. “Son is one of the reasons the shuttle service runs so smoothly.”

Lugg came to Rice in 1995 as an editor in the Computer Science Department. Three years later, Lugg transferred to the Computer and Information Technology Institute, and in 2006 she was promoted to her current position of communications manager in the School of Engineering.

Ann Lugg

In 2004, Lugg received the engineering school’s Hardy Bourland Award, which recognizes outstanding performance. And in 2009, the Rice Board of Trustees recognized Lugg for her success in increasing the visibility of both the School of Engineering and the university.

Lugg’s nomination letter described her as an extraordinary supervisor.

“Ann is the hardest-working boss I’ve ever known,” it said. “She expects as much of herself as she does of those she supervises – often more.”

Lugg encourages independent thinking, and that makes her an excellent manager, the letter said. “As a result, you want to work hard and creatively to get the job done, of course, but also to please Ann.”

“Ann inspires loyalty,” the letter said. “Her own sense of loyalty to the George R. Brown School of Engineering, to Rice as an institution, to its students, faculty and staff, is unsurpassed.”

To nominate someone as a Centennial Star, go to people.rice.edu/stars. For more information, contact Rebecca Millet at recognition@rice.edu.

To view previous Centennial Stars, visit http://people.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=2147483712.