Drew Dickey received the 2022-23 Arkansas Tech University Cupola Award during the ATU Evening of Excellence at the Hull Building Student Union on Thursday, April 20.
Dickey serves as ATU director of facilities management. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree and an Associate of Science in Nuclear Technology degree from ATU.
“Thankfully we’ve built a team that genuinely cares about the students, staff and faculty on campus,” said Dickey. “I can’t even begin to count how many hours our team has spent here supporting events, after hours and in emergencies. Nine times out of 10 that’s not me. I’m very happy and surprised by this award, but this is about the people who do the actual job. They deserve the credit.”
According to the criteria for the ATU Cupola Award, it is presented on an annual basis to an Arkansas Tech employee who has “gone above and beyond to deliver the highest standard of service for students and deserves to be recognized for consistently striving to achieve excellence.”
Dickey joined the ATU Office of Facilities Management as assistant director in March 2019. Over the subsequent three-plus years, Dickey gained experience in budget management, day-to-day operations, project management, inventory management, personnel management and other aspects of ATU’s physical plant.
He was promoted to director of facilities management in fall 2022. During his first academic year in that role, Dickey has established new means of communication with the ATU community by posting project updates to the ATU Office of Facilities Management website and by creating a social media presence to provide for two-way communication with members of the ATU community.
ATU student Elli White, who has played a key role in carrying out the ATU Office of Facilities Management social media plan, nominated Dickey for the ATU Cupola Award.
“In his short time here, Drew has made such a large impression on this community,” said White. “One thing that makes him exceptional in this position is his dedication to reaching out to the community. He goes above and beyond to ensure that all concerns are addressed. He’s ready and willing to jump in and talk to anyone with questions, even when the topic is convoluted and complex.”
Prior to joining the ATU staff, Dickey was a tooling and project engineer at Hackney Ladish from 2016-19.
Dickey is a graduate of Leadership Tech cohort five and has participated in the Association of Physical Plant Administrators of Universities and Colleges Leadership Academy.
