“Alphonse goes out of his way in helping the Department from faculty, staff, and more importantly to our students. This past summer Alphonse out did even his own resourcefulness and helpfulness. Over the summer we needed to rearrange offices to make room for new faculty coming in the Fall. Three retired and one Faculty on FERP had to be packed and moved. One new Faculty was temporarily moved to have his office painted and then had to be moved back. Alphonse helped them move back into their offices late into the evening to meet deadlines. Here are some samples of how Alphonse has stepped beyond.” — Ginny Smith

“Coming to SJSU from other institutions I was just floored by Alphonse’s dedication to making me feel at home and dropping in to check on how I was doing and if I needed anything for my lab or office. I explained how it might be nice to have a corner desk and in 48 hours, voilà, he had came up with two small desks to create a corner desk. It fit perfectly. I teased him of course for being 1 millimeter off.”  — Dr. Ryan Portner

“Taking on field camp was a big challenge for me and I literally would not have been able to do it without his help. Everything and more I could have think of was in a box and organized so nicely. I only wish we could have given the box back to him in a similarly organized fashion. On top of all of this,  Alphonse is just a fantastic person with a wonderful heart and it has been great getting to know him.” — Dr. Ryan Portner

“For more than 25 years, Alphonse Odisho has provided invaluable support for my students and me. Knowing that I can always count on Alphonse when I need something for class or a research student who needs help with preparing their rock samples for analysis makes my job easier and supports student learning and their progress towards graduation. No matter how busy he is, Alphonse is ever willing to assist , and his efforts make the Geology Department a better place.” — Dr. Ellen Metzger

From Graduate Students:

“The sum of the little things Alphonse has done for me that has made a big difference:

• I got a desk with no drawers – Within an hour, I had a small locking file cabinet to use.
• Needed space to organize samples on a lab bench – a shelf appears.
• Ergonomic issues with chair (feet not touching floor, but chair height appropriate for lab surface – a wooden box to rest feet on appears.
• New desk with not much storage – another shelf appears.

I always say it’s no hurry and he always has my issue resolved within hours. I know how many things he has to do, and yet he manages to make so many people feel like a priority. I would imagine there are hundreds of examples like mine, if not literally thousands.” — Kirsten Bella-Pratt

“Alphonse is always doing at least half a dozen things at once to keep the department running! Despite being so busy, he will always answer questions and helps with requests as they are brought to him. He helps everyone in the department, from undergraduates to professors, keep labs in order, equipment operating, and items moving from place to place. :)” — Megan McEvers

“I was gone all summer. I had a hectic summer at that. I knew I wouldn’t be using the office anymore and that my desk probably needed to be cleaned out. I thought to myself that it was going to be a difficult task since there was a lot in the desk. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to cleaning out my desk before the new semester. However, Alphonse had taken the time to perfectly pack up my desk contents for me in a neat way so it would be easier when I was able to make it there. It only took about 10 mins for me to go through the nicely packed box whereas if my desk wouldn’t had already been packed it would have taken me close to an hour. He didn’t have to be so organized about it but instead he took his time to nicely pack my stuff up. I am not sure but I am betting most people don’t take that sort of time out of their day to do that. I am thankful to him for that but also he has always been there to help whether it was to fix a desk or to move something he goes far beyond what most people do just to help. And therefore to me, Alphonse is definitely a Spartan who steps beyond.”                      — Stephanie Meursing