Milton Young, the supervisor for all University Park campus animal research facilities, was presented the 2008 President’s Award for Staff Achievement.

Young, who has worked at USC for more than four decades, received his award from USC President Steven B. Sample at the April 22 staff recognition luncheon.

Sample said that Young “exemplifies the type of steadfast, loyal employee who resides at the heart of the Trojan Family. For more than four decades, he has contributed enormously to laboratory animal research at USC, maintaining the highest levels of animal care and an impeccable work ethic. His personal integrity has consistently reflected the very best that USC staff can be.”

Sample noted that Young’s work has facilitated the work of generations of faculty scientists and has been the foundation of many successful long-term studies. “His dedicated service has included personally caring for baby mice during holidays and meeting shipments of animals at all hours of the day and night,” Sample said.

Young was instrumental in the university’s obtaining its first accreditation by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care – required for both federal and private funding for medical research – and he has helped ensure continued accreditation during his tenure.

In addition, Sample noted, Young carries on the Trojan spirit of community service through volunteer work on weekends with at-risk neighborhood youth through the “Glory Kids” program.

Young works in the Department of Animal Resources, in the division of health affairs. In a letter supporting Young’s nomination, department director Donald Casebolt wrote: “I can say without hesitation that Milton is the most loyal, dedicated, gentle and diligent staff member that a supervisor can ever hope for.”

Casebolt attached a letter from former faculty member Julie Andersen, who thanked Young for hand-feeding baby mouse pups over the new year’s weekend after their mother died. This was “far above and beyond what I would have expected from even the most thoughtful animal caregiver,” Andersen wrote.

Erlinda Kirkman, the department’s associate director, called Young “a treasure.” And Jack Turman, chair of the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, observed that during a recent national accreditation visit, “the site team commended Mr. Young for his meticulous handling of animal housing and care on the University Park campus. Without his attention to detail, the university’s millions of dollars in grant funding for basic science work would be in great jeopardy.”

Young first came to USC in 1962 and returned after serving in the Army from 1965 to 1967. He has held his present position since 1994.