Kathy Osen

Kathy Osen, director of administration and finance in the College of Engineering, won the Firefly Award for Innovative Service given to an employee who holds a professional position within the university system and who has demonstrated tangible innovation, positive and broad impact on student experience, and/or leadership distinguished by role modeling in a professional capacity. The award carries a $1,500 honorarium.

Osen, who joined the College of Engineering in 2006, has been an MSU employee for more than 30 years and was an MSU student prior to starting her career. Within the COE, Kathy has led efforts to consolidate and coordinate accounting services, helping to minimize the staff time needed to provide accounting support services within the college. Her efforts have proven beneficial to fellow staff, faculty and the thousands of students enrolled in the college.

Osen also filled key administrative roles in MSU's College of Nursing for more than 17 years, including nearly nine years as assistant to the dean, and she worked as director of the MSU Mail Services Department for three years beginning in 2002.

Osen’s mantra: “Any success I have is fundamentally about collaboration and about the wonderful people around me who are helping me and working hard to make MSU the best experience possible for our students.”