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Distinguished Teaching Awards
David Domke
Erika Goldstein
James Green
John Peterson
Priti Ramamurthy
Barry Witham
Carol Zander

Excellence in Teaching Awards
Chia-Hui Huang
Steve Wolfman

Distinguished Staff Awards
Brian Davis & James Boeckstiegel
Gary Ausman
Felicia Hecker
Sandra Kroupa
Keith Ward

Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award
Thomas Daniel

S. Sterling Munro Public Service Teaching Award
Sergio Palleroni

Outstanding Public Service Award
Anita Ramasastry

Brotman Diversity Award
Business Educational Opportunity Program
Student Outreach Ambassador Program

Brotman Award for Instructional Excellence
Dance Program
Research Apprenticeship Program

Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award
Geoff & Judy Vernon

Alumna Summa Laude Dignatus
Donald Baker

UW Recognition Award
ARCS Foundation, Seattle Chapter

President's Medalist
Roy Chan

Brian Davis & James Boeckstiegel, Facilities Services

Distinguished Staff Award

Distinguished Staff Awards are given to staff who have made outstanding contributions to the mission of their unit or the University. They respond creatively to challenges, maintain the highest standards in their work, establish productive working relationships, and promote a respectful and supportive workplace.

When Brian Davis and James Boeckstiegel joined the UW in 1996, their charge was to be the campus irrigation experts. It was an interesting challenge, given that both came to the UW with limited irrigation experience. But with training from their supervisor and a zeal for learning and teamwork, they’ve saved the University thousands of dollars in water costs and sewer fees while improving the campus landscape.

Not bad for six years during which the two have, in their own words, been “constantly running to catch up.”

In a nutshell, Davis (bottom, right) and Boeckstiegel manage supplemental watering on campus and at the President’s residence. That includes setting parameters for watering, maintaining the system, fixing problems and overseeing the installation of new systems. Given that there are 100 automatic systems, each of which has about 15 valves, with 15 to 25 sprinklers on each valve, the job is massive and never-ending.

In the spring, for example, Davis and Boeckstiegel begin their day by donning rain gear and rubber boots so they can test systems as they are turned on after the winter hiatus. “We look at every single head on every single sprinkler to make sure it’s operating properly and there are no leaks,” Boeckstiegel says. “That alone takes up three or four months of our year.”

After their initial inspection, the two constantly check on the irrigation systems, using a variety of monitoring equipment to help them spot problems. Aiding them in their work is a computerized central control system that allows them to communicate via phone or radio modem with field controllers, as in the case of programming watering schedules.

“When we came, less than 5 percent of the campus irrigation systems were centrally controlled,” Davis says. “With upgrades and new installations, about 50 percent are now.”

Credit Davis and Boeckstiegel for that, as they launched into learning the central control system early in their tenure. It was only one of many things they had to learn. Davis, a graduate of the UW Business School, had worked a variety of jobs at the Kingdome and had a lot of project management experience, but knew next to nothing about plants and irrigation. Boeckstiegel has a degree in biology and had worked for city and county parks, where irrigation was just a small part of his jack-of-all-trades job.

Together, they make a formidable team. “I was able to apply a lot of what I learned about management and organization here, and James had the horticultural knowledge,” Davis says.

But they both say that they’ve learned so much from each other, and from the job, that each can take over the other’s duties whenever necessary. So it’s not surprising that they’ve earned a Distinguished Staff Award not as individuals, but as a team.

“Any task or assignment given this team results in excellent results,” Jon Hooper, manager of the Outside Maintenance Zone, wrote. “They make sure the task is analyzed so the work is performed properly and the end result is an improvement to University systems.”

Hooper was referring especially to Davis and Boeckstiegel’s work on new systems. When a new building is being constructed, they get involved with the design and installation of irrigation systems for the plantings there. Their supervisor, Rod White, describes their involvement with a new irrigation system for the President’s residence:

“Brian and James broke new ground and met with Dragonfly Irrigation designers to assist in the conceptualization of the project. They contributed their expertise in product selection, knowledge of microclimates and existing soil types, and explaining the existing irrigation system.”

The pair went on to make daily inspections as construction proceeded, making sure everything was installed according to the specs. The result was an irrigation system that has saved thousands of dollars a year. Not only that, but in the process Davis and Boeckstiegel discovered a sprinkler product defect. Not content with merely having the product replaced, the two submitted documentation to the manufacturer that resulted in a redesign of the sprinkler, which points to the overall goal they’re always looking at.

As Boeckstiegel puts it, “We have a real concern with water being a limited resource, so we want to take care of our plantings as efficiently as we can.”

– Nancy Wick
University Week