Tom Hendrick Leadership Award

The Tom Hendrick Leadership Award is given every year by the Auburn University Chemical Engineering Alumni Council to one or more individuals who demonstrate both leadership and support of the Auburn University Chemical Engineering Department.  Tom Hendrick, who passed away in October of 2011, was the first president of the Alumni Council and was instrumental in the growth of the Council over the years.  Tom played a crucial role in helping the Alumni Council have a positive impact on the students, faculty, and alumni of the Department.

The Tom Hendrick Leadership Award will be presented annually at the dinner of the Spring meeting of the Alumni Council.  The Award is an engraved glass decanter from Crown Trophy in Auburn.  The recipient is also honored by having their name engraved on a plaque that hangs in the Department.  Nominations for the award are solicited from the Alumni Council's active and ex-offico members via email before the Spring meeting. Members vote for one (or more) candidates at the Spring meeting with a two-thirds vote of Council members attending with a quorum present.

In keeping with the spirit of Tom Hendrick, the award recipient should represent the best of Auburn University and the Department of Chemical Engineering.  They need not be a graduate of  Auburn but must have demonstrated a high level of leadership and service to the mission of the Chemical Engineering Department.  Alumni, faculty, students, friends, and family can all be considered for the award.  The award recognizes outstanding leaders who exemplify the following characteristics:

Loyalty – Demonstrates fairness, trust, and truthfulness in interpersonal relationships

Empowerment – Provides the tools, authority, and trust which allow others to do their job and fully employ their individual talents, creativity, and initiative

Accountability – Sets continuous improvement goals and measures performance against them

Diversity – Recognizes, understands, and appreciates that alumni, faculty, and students from different cultures and experiences view problems and opportunities differently

Excellence – Performs in a superior manner. Continually looks for innovative ways to improve operations and produce outstanding results

Respect – Displays professional esteem and courtesy to all, no matter how difficult the circumstances

Sharing – Actively shares responsibility, authority, effort, enthusiasm, information, vision, talent, and credit

Honesty – Maintains a fair, straightforward, honorable, and open environment

Integrity – Sets the example by always dealing ethically in all relationships and by maintaining the highest personal standards

Proactive – Always takes prompt, decisive action to avoid or resolve problems. Pursues opportunities and actively seeks innovative technology and methods to enhance program objectives.