September 30, 2014 — Bobbie Cesko, staff assistant at the University of Wyoming School
of Pharmacy, retired in September after working for the university for over 35 years.
During her 32-plus years with the school, Cesko worked for six of the seven deans,
including Jack Bone, Robert Nelson, John Baldwin, Paul Ranelli, John Vandel, and Linda
Gore Martin. She managed all functions of the administrative office in the School
of Pharmacy and saw over 1000 students graduate during her career.
Dean Linda Gore Martin says, “One of Bobbie’s great pleasures was to interact with
the students; she maintains contact with numerous alumni and remembers hundreds more.
Bobbie has been the bond that keeps everyone together.”
Cesko started at UW as a secretary for the Department of Agricultural Economics, then
became the receptionist for the school in 1982. In 1988, she became the faculty secretary
and served as the office manager since 1992. Martin says, “As office manager, Bobbie
managed all functions of the administrative office in the School of Pharmacy, including
most of the financial operations. Maintaining balance in a position of this type is
extremely difficult, but Bobbie handled it with seeming ease.”
During her career, Cesko received many honors, most recently she received the UW College
of Health Sciences (CHS) Dean’s Award in 2014. The Dean’s Award is the highest award
in the college and is given to someone who has an outstanding career devoted to their
division and the college. CHS Dean Joseph Steiner commented when announcing the award,
“Bobbie is the ‘institutional memory’ for the School of Pharmacy and she is very important
to its operations.” He continued, “Bobbie has always been extremely helpful and supportive
to me beginning when I was with the school.”
Cesko received the CHS Outstanding Staff Award in 2004 and was nominated for the UW
Staff Employee of the Quarter twice. She received a 2011 Tip of the Cap Award from
Mortar Board, the senior honor society at the university, recognizing UW staff members
for "exceptional contributions to the University of Wyoming and inspiration of students."
Cesko was also honored several times by School of Pharmacy student organizations during
her years at the school including receiving the Phi Delta Chi Staff Appreciation Award
more than once.