Procurement Specialist Jennifer Pyles received the CSE’s staff leadership award.  The award is given annually to a CSE staff member who “goes above and beyond the call of duty to develop innovative, helpful, and timesaving ideas or programs that benefit the school and the university."

Pyles has been at CWRU for 14 years and been a procurement specialist for the past five, serving Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical & BioMolecular Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering.  Prior to becoming a procurement specialist, she was an accountant and a research specialist.

Pyles likes the family-like atmosphere of CSE.  “Everyone supports each other and helps each other, regardless of what their job is,” she said.  She has fond memories of CSE happy hours and holiday parties during her time at CWRU.

"Jenny turned the procurement process around for our area,” said Kathleen Bates, Pyles’s supervisor of six years.  “She put together an awesome tracking system which gave her more time to process orders as they came in. She is always willing to help people inside and outside of (our team) and more importantly she is a wonderful person. She is funny, loyal and a great friend."

Pyles also credits Bates as a “great mentor” during her time at CWRU.

During her time at CWRU, Pyles takes pride in having become a “point person,” someone who is available not just to those in her department, but throughout all of CSE.

Pyles's motto in work and life is  “truth is powerful and will always prevail.”  She signs all emails with “There is no substitute for doing the right thing."

Pyles received a plaque and $300 as a prize.  This was her second time winning the Staff Leadership Award.