Cuesta College Physical Science students owe a lot to their course work in the lab, made possible by individuals like Terry Croxton. The 32-year Cuesta Employee has been named this year’s recipient of the Cuesta College Service Excellence Award. The award was established as an endowment fund by the Cuesta Foundation to recognize distinguished performance and excellence in service at Cuesta College.

It could be said that Croxton is a one-person support system for the Cuesta biology labs. "He graciously helps us with new equipment and is extremely talented in getting the most of what we have – especially in lean budget years," said one nominator. "If something does not work in the lab, he comes up with an alternative – he has a great sense of humor and takes safety issues very seriously." Croxton has kept up with changing technology over the years, and his many duties include caring and storing biological specimens, training and giving direction to new lab assistants, inventory control and building outdoor lab benches. He juggles the needs of 14 faculty – all done with a professional attitude. According to more than one nominator, Croxton consistently does the work of two to three people.

Croxton attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a major in biology. He was hired in 1971 as a full-time biology lab technician, after working part-time as a biology and chemistry lab assistant. He resides in Los Osos.