Ruth Ashton

About

Department/School/Division: Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy
Campus: Lake Shore Campus
Years at Loyola: 6

Rush Ashton passed away on June 27. This staff award is being presented, in her honor, to her family. In her memory, colleagues have shared the following about her dedication to the department and Loyola community.

Hiring Ruth as our office coordinator was one of the best decisions made by our department. We already knew Ruth as a kind, caring individual with strong campus involvement and an equally strong commitment to Jesuit values. What we continued to find—and cherish—was the insight, creativity, dedication, and overall strength she brought to our office.

We acknowledge the efforts of our late colleague, whose absence in our office and our lives is obvious. Ruth worked tirelessly to create databases for tracking online course graduates, event participation, and assessment records. She assisted in scheduling events, completed budgeting paperwork, and kept us up and running smoothly. She was instrumental in the inaugural success of IDEA by conducting training, providing hands-on assistance, and creating a series of videos to help department representatives work their way through the process of organizing course evaluations.

Ruth did all this while also battling cancer. She carried herself with such quiet strength and dignity that one wouldn't guess this initially. Her dedication to her job and to Loyola never wavered, and her strength was an inspiration to her co-workers and to others in the community who knew her.

Ruth’s positive attitude, courage, commitment, and energy made her the ideal colleague; her warm personality and sense of humor made her an endearing friend.