For her skilled management and healthy sense of humor, Sarah Albrecht, administrative manager of the Science and Technology Studies Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, received the Employee Assembly’s 2024 George Peter Award for Dedicated Service.

During a Feb. 24 ceremony in the Memorial Room in Willard Straight Hall, Albrecht thanked colleagues and friends she has made in her 33 years at Cornell, along with her two grown sons, William and Michael.

“I wouldn’t have even needed this job if you didn’t need to eat so much,” she said. She then urged her two young grandsons to stand, to applause from the approximately 60 people in attendance. “They also like to eat,” she said. “They also like Legos, which are even more expensive.”

Kathryn Burkgren, associate vice president of organizational development and effectiveness for the Division of Human Resources, presented Albrecht with the award and said that whether stepping in during staff shortages or mastering complex systems, Albrecht rises to meet new projects willingly and with proactive problem-solving.

Credit: Sreang Hok/Cornell University

“Her commitment to the Department of Science and Technology Studies is unmatched,” Burkgren said. “She has proven time and again that she is not only capable but exceeds expectations in every aspect of her role. Sarah’s dedication to growth is evident in how she embraces new challenges.”

Albrecht is the 196th recipient of this award, which the Employee Assembly presents to staff members who consistently demonstrate excellence in the performance of their duties and who prove their willingness to extend themselves to help others and go above and beyond the normal expectation of their job responsibilities.

The award originated in 1980 but was renamed in 1999 for the late George Peter, a longtime Cornell employee who advocated for staff members to have a say in university decision-making and for official recognition of employees’ achievements.

In her role, Albrecht keeps the administrative side of her department running smoothly, which requires a variety of responsibilities, including hiring and training staff, coordinating budgets and helping students with problems ranging from visas to proofreading.

“Here at STS, we like to study infrastructures,” said Suman Seth, a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow and the Marie Underhill Noll Professor of The History of Science and chair of the department. “One of the standard lines about infrastructure is that you really only notice it when something goes wrong. I think one can miss everything Sarah does because things work so smoothly. Sarah is – if I could be dorky – infrastructural.”

Beyond her organizational acumen, Albrecht is quick to celebrate birthdays and send flowers when colleagues experience loss. Said Seth: “Every lovely thing that happens in our department, Sarah is right there, usually leading the way.”

Sahar Tavakoli, a Ph.D. student in the field of science and technology studies, could not attend the ceremony, but William Albrecht read her remarks. She described Sarah Albrecht as someone who often “knows a better way” to approach a problem and makes people feel seen, heard and comforted.

“She is someone who makes this place feel like somewhere you want to be,” William Albrecht read. “She also rides a motorcycle, which is to say she’s cooler than the rest of us.”

William Albrecht then added his own personal sentiments.

“It should come as no surprise that my mother was just as caring and dedicated to her family as she has been to the Cornell community,” he said. “My brother and I were incredibly blessed to have grown up in a house built with such immense love and are delighted to hear that all of you are beneficiaries of her kindness and devotion.”