Four Rutherford County residents, all employees of Middle Tennessee State University, are joined by Provost Mark Byrnes, center, to celebrate their announcement as the 2022-23 recipients of the university’s annual Employee Recognition Awards. The employee-nominated awards honor non-faculty colleagues’ dedication, service and positive attitudes toward students, faculty and fellow employees colleagues and making the university a more efficient, effective workplace. From left are Missy Mullins of Smyrna, Tennessee, coordinator for MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance and the new Classified Employee of the Year, who’s worked at MTSU since 2006; MTSU alumna Kristy O’Neal of Christiana, Tennessee, print manager for the university’s Printing Services Department in Creative and Visual Services and recipient of the Administration Employee of the Year award, who’s worked for the university since 2020; Byrnes; Lyn Powers of Murfreesboro, coordinator for MTSU’s Department of Biology and recipient of the Administrative/Professional Employee of the Year award, who’s worked at MTSU since 2012; and Terry Martin of Murfreesboro, a print production assistant in MTSU’s Printing Services Department in its Creative and Visual Services offices and recipient of the Technical Employee of the Year award, who’s been a Blue Raider employee since 1998. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)