People
August 31, 2011
Film Studies' Annie Hall lauded as Emory College Employee of the Year
Annie Hall is Employee of the Year in the Emory Colleges of Arts and Sciences.
Annie Hall has been chosen by the Emory College Staff Consortium as the 2011 Employee of the Year.
The appropriately named staff member in the Department of Film and Media Studies was lauded as a worker who literally goes it alone and who consistently goes the extra mile with "indefatigable good will, a sense of humor and extraordinary people skills."
Hall, who has been with Emory College of Arts and Sciences for 26 years, is both the lead administrator of her department and its sole staff member. She manages the following: a major in film studies; a minor in film studies; an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental minor in media studies; an undergraduate concentration in film and media management co-founded with the Goizueta Business School; a master's program in film studies; a PhD certificate program in film studies; and several on-campus and off-campus film festivals and colloquia throughout the year.
Her various roles have been described as front-office staff, accountant, logistics coordinator, graduate-student adviser, curriculum administrator and budget manager for all those areas as well as overseer of individual research accounts. She juggles these duties while doing such things as procuring 35mm film prints from around the world for various screenings.
Hall has an amply full plate yet "keeps the department running not only smoothly, but harmoniously," says Film and Media Studies Chair Matthew Bernstein.
"If it's Film Studies at Emory, chances are that Annie made it happen," says Derek Long '10MA.
Calling Hall a top notch mentor, Shannon Willis '09MA says, "Her support was more than merely that of adviser to student. She would listen to your worries, respond to them generally, offer her opinion but assure you that, ultimately, you would make the right choice, given whatever curveballs life threw at you."
Leigh Davis-Turner '03C, now a manager with HBO, says, "She's an administrator, an advocate, a taskmaster and a delight. During my time at Emory, she provided great advice, stern warnings and deep laughter, often in the same conversation. I am not sure I would have graduated without her help."
Ayesha Khan '10MA sees ripple effects of her accomplishments beyond the department. "For Emory University, her kindness is essential in terms of student recruitment, retention and future alumni support," Khan says. "It's hard to imagine that one person can have such an impact both in and beyond their immediate surroundings, but I assure you, to meet Annie Hall is to understand exactly how one person can have such an impact."
The 2011 Emory College Employee of the Year was announced at the Staff Service Awards reception on Aug. 18. See previous Employees of the Year.
