Dr. Miriam Intrator Awarded 2021 Outstanding Administrator Award

Congratulations goes out to one of this year’s 2021 Outstanding Administrators, Dr. Miriam Intrator, special collections librarian and liaison librarian for honors programs, in recognition for her distinguished service to Ohio University. 

“This is a wonderful honor, but I see it as an honor for the whole Libraries,” said Intrator. “I want everyone to know about the incredible hard work that everyone here does.”

Each year since 1975, three Ohio University administrators are conferred the Outstanding Administrator award by the Administrative Senate following an in-depth written nomination process by fellow colleagues and culminating with an extensive interview. 

“As the interim department head [at the time], I realized…[when] writing up evaluations for staff that it was just not enough to put on paper what Miriam was doing in the Libraries for her job. I just felt like there should be more recognition, and she deserved a more universal recognition,” said Bill Kimok, University archivist and records manager who began the nomination process in support of Intrator.

Although Intrator’s award is for 2021, her work goes well beyond this year. According to Kimok, recognition dates back to November of 2013 when she began working at University Libraries’ Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections. Throughout her tenure, Intrator has provided dedicated service to students, faculty, researchers and colleagues throughout the Libraries, Ohio University and in other academic institutions.

This dedication is most evident when she collaboratively teaches with faculty and other librarians during classroom instruction. Here, she reaches out to multiple areas of academic study to encourage instructors to offer students the opportunity to physically interact with archival materials and to learn more about primary resources from the Libraries’ Mahn Center. 

“Miriam started bringing in [not only faculty in history] but also instructors of math, psychology, sociology, anthropology, science, health and English [among others] and applying this ‘look, see, think wonder’ approach,” said Kimok. “It has been brilliant.”

Intrator also has expanded the rare book collection to address social issues reflective of today’s society. 

“I am really passionate about trying to make sure students are engaged, so that they walk away with something memorable. My experience is that this will more likely happen when they can get hands-on and dive in…[with] diverse materials that are more representative of our communities,” explained Intrator. “This means including different voices, perspectives and experiences, more women, and more African American and LGBTQ+ materials.” 

But it is the collaborative teamwork with her colleagues that really grounds her.

“We at the Mahn Center have been really lucky that everyone gets along well and has been equally passionate and dedicated to our instruction program,” said Intrator. “…Everything I do relies upon the work of [colleagues from] the rest of the Libraries.”   

Intrator will be officially honored during a virtual ceremony in late spring at the 2021 Administrative Senate Service Awards. 

Photo by Ben Siegel/Ohio University