EAST LANSING – It’s been said that if you want to know anything about the College of Osteopathic Medicine, talk to Mary Anderson.

After 38 years of service at MSU – including 30 at MSUCOM – Ms. Anderson has seen it all. She worked alongside the college’s founding fathers and helped it grow into a top-flight medical school. “She has the entire history of the college in her head,” says William Falls, Ph.D., associate dean for Student Services. He adds, “No one knows the inner workings of MSU better than her.” That devotion to the college is just one of the reasons she has been named a recipient of the 2003 Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award.

Mary Anderson with her three daughters.

Ms. Anderson is the student records officer for MSUCOM and is charged with maintaining the records of over 3,000 students, past and present. She is familiar with nearly every student who has passed through MSUCOM’s doors and developed close relationships with many of them. She is also responsible for certifying the students credentials, which is essential for them to receive their degrees. In addition, she plans and coordinates the annual graduation ceremonies and oversees the Electronic Residency Application Service.

However, her impact on the college goes far beyond her job description. Ms. Anderson has developed a reputation for kindness, hard work and a positive attitude. She has served as personal counselor for the students, an Extended Curricular Program advisor and in 2002 she won the MSUCOM Staff Excellence Award.

Barbara Sinclair has worked alongside Mary Anderson, in the office of Student Services for 17 years. “Mary has always stood by me,” she says. “Once she becomes your friend, she’s a friend for life.”

Her caring for others extends beyond MSUCOM. Ms. Anderson is very involved in the community, particularly through her church. She has served as a hospice volunteer, a lay chaplain at Ingham Regional Medical Center, and since 1990 has traveled on over a dozen mission and service trips to impoverished areas all around the globe. The trips are taken at her own expense and the work has ranged from building construction to nursing children in an orphanage. Ms. Anderson said that she will use her $2,500 prize to fund her next trip to Romania.