Daniel J. Ihm, project manager of Information Technology Services, is one of four supportive professional staff being honored with the university’s Presidential Award For Excellence.

“It’s very impressive to be listed with those who were nominated,” Ihm said.

Ihm, a 1988 graduate of NIU, worked in Chicago but felt that DeKalb would be a good place for him to settle.

“The town of DeKalb was really attractive for us to raise a family,” Ihm said.

Ihm serves as project manager for ITS and became manager of Campus Web Services three years ago. Ihm has also worked on NIU’s Web Presence Project.

In addition, Ihm oversees NIU’s use of Blackboard, which hosts nearly 23,000 students and 1,900 courses. Ihm works with fellow staffers to create and develop web applications; he also oversees and assists his development staff. Ihm said he enjoys working with NIU’s academic community.

“NIU has a lot of positives as far as the work environment,” Ihm said.

Ihm said that if everything is running smoothly, then he can remain relatively anonymous.

“In my position, I try to stay in the background,” Ihm said.

Murali Krishnamurthi, director of faculty development, assists Ihm in his anonymity.

“I intentionally do not publicize his name to protect him from being bombarded with e-mail messages and phone calls about the various systems he is in charge of,” Krishnamurthi said in a press release.

The Presidential Awards of Excellence were also given to Margaret Cook, director of the LGBT Resource Center; Jennice O’Brien, assistant director for Web Communication of the Office of Public Affairs; and Judy Santacaterina, academic adviser in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

According to a recent press release, all four recipients played critical roles in NIU’s response to the Feb. 14 shootings.