Inspiring tales of duty and dedication can be found right here at dear old Penn.

University staff members often go above and beyond the call of duty and now is the time of year to nominate co-workers and supervisors for the Models of Excellence awards. The annual honor recognizes employees whose outstanding efforts far exceed job expectations, and whose contributions have added substantially to Penn’s success. Nominations are due by Friday, Nov. 4.

Any member of the University is welcome to submit nominations for individuals or for teams that have accomplished extraordinary achievements over the previous academic year.

Introduced to encourage excellence, provide inspiring role models and recognize innovative staff accomplishments that reflect initiative, leadership and collaboration, the annual Models of Excellence awards have honored more than 500 staff members over the last 12 years.

“I’m constantly amazed by the creativity and dedication of our staff,” says Jack Heuer, vice president of the Division of Human Resources. “Every year, we hear great stories from all over campus, like one researcher in the School of Medicine who developed superior, long-lasting rat cell cultures that saved millions of dollars—along with animal lives—and increased our research productivity. Or, the PennMOVES Team who developed a plan to redistribute more than 70,000 pounds of furniture, appliances and other items left behind by our students each year. Their efforts helped the University be more sustainable while also supporting the local community.”

Other awards include the Commitment to Excellence award, which recognizes outstanding dedication to the University in times of unprecedented, extraordinary situations, and the Model Supervisor Award, which honors a supervisor who is an exceptional manager, a strong leader and a valuable team player.

The Models of Excellence awards ceremony and reception is scheduled for April 3, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. in the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. All members of the University community are invited. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to QOWL@hr.upenn.edu.

For more information about the awards, including eligibility, visit the Human Resources website.