Diefenbach earns 2020 Outstanding Service Above and Beyond Award

For her dedicated work at the ElectroScience Lab, The Ohio State University College of Engineering bestowed Michelle Diefenbach with the 2020 Outstanding Service Above and Beyond Award.

Presented by the Engineering Staff Advisory Committee, the Above and Beyond Awards event is a mechanism to recognized employees for their outstanding performance in support of the college’s mission and university core values as they go about their duties. 

Diefenbach serves as the assistant to ESL Director Richard Ridgway. In her role, she supports dozens of Electrical and Computer Engineering staff and faculty.

The awards announcement is typically made during the annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon, which could not occur this year because of the COVID 19 pandemic. 

According to her nominations, "Michelle is an extremely valuable asset for the ElectroScience Laboratory, and the College of Engineering in general. Michelle supports all activities required of the Director and Associate Director, and she facilitates day-to-day operations within ESL. She is the “hub” of ESL, the go-to person if anyone needs information about the lab, the college, or the university. She is a highly professional, highly skilled administrator who knows everything that is going on at all levels of the lab, from operations staff, to student recruitment, to faculty research, to lab administration."

The lab is a major center-of-excellence in the Ohio State College of Engineering and one of the largest radio frequency and optics research laboratories in the world. Since 1942, ESL has consistently maintained a national and international preeminence in electromagnetics, influencing radio research like no other institution. ESL faculty, research scientists, and students are involved in all aspects of electromagnetic and RF technologies.

Other Above and Beyond winners this year include: 

EXEMPLARY SUPPORT OR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AWARD: AMY DUDLEY

OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO STUDENTS AWARD: MELANIE SENITKO

SUPERIOR SAFETY AWARD: ANDREW KAUFFMAN

EXEMPLARY TEAM PERFORMANCE AWARD: THE OSU FLIGHT EDUCATION LEADERSHIP TEAM; BRANDON MANN, JOE SCHWERDTFEGER, CANDI ROBY, HEATHER BACKUS, KATE SAVARD AND JOSH MAIHLE