Two staff members from the State Hygienic Laboratory are recipients of 2015 excellence awards from the University of Iowa Staff Council and the Iowa Board of Regents. Limnology supervisor Michael Birmingham was awarded the David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service, and Bonnie Rubin, senior associate lab director, received the Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award.

Mike Birmingham

Mike Birmingham – who has been with the Hygienic Laboratory for 20 years – was nominated by Michael Schueller, environmental manager for Limnology. Birmingham has been instrumental in the development of the laboratory’s limnology program, which is recognized as one of the best in the nation.

Birmingham is a leading taxonomist in the state-- an expert in identifying fish and benthic macroinvertebrates in Iowa waterways. At the specific request of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Birmingham helped develop coldwater stream assessment tools, co-authored several technical reports and served on various state committees on water quality. He routinely travels throughout Iowa to share the benefits of protecting our natural resources with students, and participates annually in IDNR’s Project AWARE.

Bonnie Rubin

The Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award annually recognizes staff members for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Regent institutions and the state of Iowa. The David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service to the University of Iowa is given annually to individuals who made significant contributions, and shown exceptional imagination and dedication to improving the university community.

Rubin was nominated by Christopher Atchison, director of the State Hygienic Laboratory, for her distinguished career at the university and her reputation for excellence on both a state and national level.

As Senior Laboratory Director, Rubin leads the lab’s service units and manages the financial and operational aspects, including the overall annual budget. She is a member of the Public Health Evaluation Committee at the Iowa Department of Public Health, a member of the Johnson County Board of Health, Treasurer of the Iowa Public Health Association, and an active participant on several committees and workgroups for both the Centers for Disease Control and the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

Award recipients will be recognized at the Faculty and Staff Awards Banquet held by the state Board of Regents on Tuesday, Oct. 6 in Iowa City.