Recognition recipients

2020

John (Alex) McWhorter, 5/15/20 --  Nominated by Molly Gross

Alex has worked tirelessly to hold our "office" together through COVID-19. He has created countless Docusign forms at a moments request to facility our ability to work from home. He is **always** available when anyone needs anything no matter how small or how complex. Being the office manager of Procurement Services is a tough job on a regular day (we are a high maintenance bunch!), but taking care of our needs when we are not all in one location is a herculean effort. Alex has handled it all with grace and humor. I am grateful for everything he has done and continues to do for us on a daily basis. I hope his contributions to the office before the pandemic, and especially during, are given the recognition they deserve. Thank you Alex for putting up with us and helping us through this!

Christopher (Dinkus) Deane, 5/15/20 --  Nominated by Linda Johnson

Christopher "Dinkus" Deane has been the point person for the VCU School of the Arts and has taken all requests for persons needing to come to the campus and enter any VCU Arts facilities. He has made numerous trips to campus so that faculty and staff (also students, I believe) could access spaces to pick up items that were needed in order to do their jobs. In the case of the Department of Music, he met with our piano technician so that he could tune and monitor our very valuable concert grand pianos so that they did not deteriorate during the time of the buildings being closed. He has worked with other people's schedules and never made anyone feel like it was inconvenient for him. His integrity and willingness to take the initiative to make it easy for others is exemplary.

Mark Meier, 5/15/20 --  Nominated by Nadia Inserra

I'm nominating Mark Meier for his tireless work helping out students in need, particularly during this past month. I believe Mark did a great job of reaching out to students and working with them one on one, while also providing both academic and mental support in ways that go beyond his job requirements.

Laura Gariepy, 5/15/20 --  Nominated by Teresa Knott

Laura worked tirelessly to set the VCU Libraries up for success as we moved to a virtual environment and is leading the way for the VCU Libraries to reopen our physical spaces safely. She is highly collaborative and an excellent advocate.

Kristen Ramussen, 5/14/20 --  Nominated by Ciera Harris

Kristen has become an invaluable member of the Online@VCU/ALT Lab team. Her initiatives will help to make the program more productive and cost-efficient which is critical in the times ahead. WAY TO GO!

Derek Hottell, 5/14/20 --  Nominated by Abigail Zaremba

I would like to recognize Derek for his continued support through the COVID19 pandemic. I work in Central Procurement as a Senior Buyer. Derek has assisted by giving disinfectant wipes normally used at the Cary Street Gym to the VCU Police a few weeks ago. Most recently today, he was able to provide wipes for Student Health until their shipment arrives. PPE and disinfectant wipes are hard to come by. There is a raw materials shortage keeping manufactures from being able to produce wipes. His generosity in helping our first responders and Student Health department is amazing. I know his department has been hit hard by this crisis but he still finds the spirit to give. I am truly grateful for his assistance.

Christy Tyndall, 5/13/20 --  Nominated by Mary Boyes

Dr. Tyndall has been a consummate colleague during this time. Even though she has many demands on her time—children at home, a high course load, obligations to many committees— Christy has been extremely flexible, responsive, supportive and reliable. I am especially impressed by her cool-headed, problem-solving attitude with students and colleagues alike. And, I’m grateful for how Dr. Tyndall always steps up to help everyone in a supportive and useful way.

Aimee Walters, 5/13/20 --  Nominated by Andrew Arroyo

The Office of the Provost (academic affairs) frequently receives time-sensitive requests regarding existing, new and innovative academic programs. These requests often require market research. Aimee Walters goes above and beyond the call of duty in producing market research that academic units use to inform action. On a personal level, I appreciate Aimee's high level of responsiveness. She is a model teammate and a true asset to VCU. Thank you, Aimee! 

Sterling Daniel, 5/12/20 --  Nominated by Michael Southam-Gerow

Mr. Daniel has been working countless hours to manage a budget crisis in CHS and he has done so with integrity and respect. We have some difficult choices to make as a college and a university and I am comforted to have someone like Sterling participating in our decision making.

Alexis Finc, 5/8/2020 --  Nominated by Tracey Dawson Cruz

Alexis and her team have done a remarkable job with the CHS virtual graduation celebration! In addition to the College page, they coordinated pages for all the units - this was a remarkable amount of work and she has done a stellar job keeping it all organized! They deserve a lot of credit for making the day special for our graduates. Additionally, Alexis has gone above and beyond in helping us reach out to prospective students, despite the limitations placed by SEM. Her help and responsiveness in setting up our virtual preview day was amazing and and she even stepped in to check on us during the Zoom event. Our recruiting and outreach efforts have DEFINITELY stepped up since Alexis has been with the college. THANK YOU!

Jennifer Elswick, 5/8/2020 --  Nominated by Tracey Dawson Cruz

Jen has managed to do the work of an army for the College this semester, but she is just one person!! Her help through the year on the unit websites and her work on getting the graduation sites up has been truly remarkable! We are so grateful for all of her hard work.

Carolina Wilson, 5/8/2020  --   Nominated by Daryl King

Carolina has always worked tirelessly in making sure that all is complete and taken care of, in all that I've seen her involved in. No matter the situation, she's always professional, and quickly helps in resolving issues.

Donielda Tripp-Leino, 5/8/2020 --  Nominated by My Rigby Bendele

Donielda is always incredibly responsive when I need to request changes to a student's posted transfer credit! She's wonderful in every interaction that I have and is very good at doublechecking any unusual requests I may have.

 Cameron Carter, 5/8/20 -- Nominated by Abbie Innebrew

Cameron has taken a leadership role in supporting faculty field liaisons in adjusting to the changes brought on by the pandemic. She advocated for the needs of liaisons, field instructors, and students when developing revised program policies and procedures and has made herself available in both regularly scheduled and immediate ways to process reactions, problem solve, and plan for the future. She also took a leadership role in creating revisions to the summer field courses necessitated by the stay at home order and through this process has both been collaborative and taken the initiative to develop two entirely new syllabi. As it always is, her work on this has been grounded in integrity to student learning while also keeping the capacity of instructors in mind. Cameron is an indispensable member and leader of our team and school.

Megan Rapchick, 5/8/20 -- Nominated by Jean Giddens

Megan has done a fabulous job pulling a team together to offer our graduating students a virtual recognition ceremony. She was very well organized and the end product is fabulous. This is an important event in the lives of our students and I am grateful that we had an opportunity to recognize their efforts. Thank you Megan!

Tyler Conrad, 5/8/20 --  Nominated by Jen Elswick

The last six weeks has been a whirlwind of hard deadlines for our team and Tyler has proven to be of critical importance to our success. I have appreciated his easygoing attitude when having to re-perform tasks that would have flustered the most patient among us. He produced great products on time and with attention to detail. He kept up with priorities that were sometimes shifting by the minute and demonstrated a great attitude throughout that I aspire to emulate myself! Thank you, Tyler!

Jennifer Elswick, 5/7/2020  --  Nominated by Andrea Wight

Jen Elswick is the gift that keeps on giving. She is talented, knowledgeable, hard-working, and through it all, always responsive and giving of her time. The work she and the other members of the CHS communications team have accomplished in quarantine during an extremely challenging time is inspiring. The work includes, but I'm sure it is not limited to setting up the "get to know a student" for each of the CHS departments, as well as the "graduation 2020" pages for each of the CHS departments. I am very happy to submit this form to recognize her work as well as the work of Tyler Conrad and Alexis Finc, and any other staff involved in these projects.

Mike Forder, 5/8/20 -- Nominated by Suzanne Wright

Mike is attentive and takes the initiative to get the job done. He is supportive and approachable. He brings the team together and is eager to help.

John Hendershot, 5/8/20 -- Nominated by Sara Midkiff

John continues to "Hold Fast" no matter what changes are occuring. I am so grateful to have a supervisor who is resilient, stead fast and continuing to excel.

Scott Oates, 5/7/20 -- Nominated by Andrew Arroyo

Scott has leveraged his expertise to make a significant contribution to the re-launch of academic program review. Whether providing critical operational support and training to myself and the academic units in Taskstream, or giving insightful, substantive feedback on program review content such as the handbook and self-study questions, Scott's responsiveness has been invaluable to this university initiative for degree program excellence. Thank you!

Sandy Morgan, 5/7/20 -- Nominated by Andrew Arroyo

Sandy displays utmost integrity in her vital work as executive assistant to the senior vice provost for academic affairs. As a member of the academic affairs team, I am able to go to Sandy with any professional issue, at any time, knowing that she will be honest and trustworthy in her response. Sandy is the cohesive factor in the academic affairs team, enabling us to function at a high performing level in an environment of trust. Thank you!

Rachel Gable, 5/7/20 -- Nominated by Andrew Arroyo

Rachel is one of the most competent, versatile and serviceoriented professionals I have worked with in higher education. Among her many other contributions to VCU, she is highlyresponsive to her academic affairs teammates. There is almost no successful project in my portfolio that Rachel has not contributed to either directly or indirectly. I know the same holds true for my colleagues. Thank you!

Veronica Shuford, 5/7/20 -- Nominated by Andrew Arroyo

Veronica has shown incredible initiative in her work as SCHEV liaison during this COVID-19 pandemic. Kudos to Veronica for maintaining poise and positivity while working remotely with VCU stakeholders and SCHEV staff to keep program development activities moving forward.

Jennifer Elswick, 5/6/20 -- Nominated by Jo Murphy

In a university in which faculty & staff often complain of being overworked, Jen could be near the top of the list. Her job as webmaster for the entire CHS could easily be a multi-person job, especially now as we're moving so many events online. However, Jen not only doesn't complain, she maintains a positive attitude while responding quickly, patiently & efficiently to help resolve all of our issues. We so much appreciate her overall ability to help without judgement.

David Morefield, 5/6/20 -- Nominated by Lydia Klinger

David Morefield, Zoom King, is literally keeping the business of the university going. Thank you, David, for keeping us all up to date, for making sure Zoom is accessible and running and as easy to use as possible for all of us who never imagined we'd be conducting almost all of our in-person jobs on this platform. You're the hero of this era of VCU!

Kenneth Warren, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Katherine Henderson

During the past several months, Dr. Warren has gone above and beyond to help faculty respond to the challenges the move to online has created. From filming and editing last minute videos for graduation to responding quickly to blackboard question, he has enabled the success of the transition for many SOM faculty.

Talia Anderson, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sandra Mazzoli

Talia has been a great help throughout the year. She is always professional, courteous, and responds to my requests almost immediately. In the last few weeks, she has been instrumental in helping ensure the SOE's summer semester applications are complete and ready for review by the program coordinators, specifically those applications affiliated with the RTR group (formerly Richmond Teacher Residency).

Amy Andres, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Jacqulyn Williams

I am truly grateful for Ms. Andres' collaborative leadership style, sense of calm, and grace in such an unprecedented time. Because of her unflagging leadership, the VCUarts Qatar Libraries team has continued to perform and deliver outstanding work to our campus community. She has maintained consistent, high energy as well as a proactive and positive attitude, strengthening and uplifting our team. In such uncertain times, Ms. Andres -- backed up by evidence of performance -continues to be an inspiring VCUarts Qatar campus leader

Danielle Pearles, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Ash Taylor-Beierl

Thank you for being an amazing leader! We all appreciate the hard work you put into supporting us and keeping our EED team strong. You always hear us, you are always willing to hustle for us, and we can always rely on your wisdom and expertise to guide us to success, even as we navigate this difficult time. Thank you for your excellent guidance, support, and leadership.

Michelle Adcock, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Patti Jackson

Michelle has gone above and beyond by compiling the work of the Events Task Force to present to the Massey Advisory Board; by coordinating the Massey Alliance Lunch and Advocacy event on May 19; by coordinating and sharing updates with the Massey Advisory Board, the Massey Alliance, and the Massey Development staff throughout the COVID-19 situation. Michelle has kept our spirits up and found ways to stay focused while finding the humor and bright side. She is juggling a lot and makes it look effortless.

Amy Miller, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Carrier

Thank you Amy for all your hard work over the past few weeks! You have been responsive to students/faculty/staff and have gone above and beyond so many times. Thank you for your initiative in creating the returnee website and for always being positive and encouraging. Our team so appreciates you and I know your students do too!

Dana Regusters, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Burton-Everette

As a supervisor, I am very lucky to say that I deeply admire Dana. Her thoughtfulness and care for her colleagues and students unrivaled. She has a natural gift for looking at problems from a macro perspective and developing a plan for ways to streamline processes to serve others more efficiently. Dana is an incredibly valued member of our team!

Katelynn Jarrells, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Burton-Everette

As a double alumna of the VCU School of Social Work, Katelynn is constantly seeking ways to better support her students and to aid the SSW in meeting student needs in an ever-changing landscape. In spite of the challenges Covid-19 has thrown our way, Katelynn continues to show up for her students and connect them to the resources they need to persevere through the crisis.

Joanna Pinto-Coelho, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Burton-Everette

Joanna joined our team in October and hit the ground running! She has a wealth of knowledge and creative ideas for ways to connect with students that will make developing their writing skills seem like a less daunting challenge. She is warm, approachable, and passionate about empowering students to succeed. We are so lucky to have her on the team!

Madison Woodroof, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Burton-Everette

Madison is still in her first year of working with the School of Social Work, and she has navigated our constantly changing landscape with professionalism and an excellent sense of humor! She asks excellent questions that help us to form new ideas on the best ways to meet the needs of our students both in times of crisis and pre-crisis. She is a valued member of our team!

Jake Branigan, 5/1/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Burton-Everette

During this time of crisis, Jake has expertly navigated meeting the needs of current students as well as his incoming freshman and transfer students. Jake has a gift for strategy and organization, and his feedback on ways we can streamline processes has been invaluable to the BSW program. We are so happy to have him as a part of the team!

Sarah Carrier, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Jill Blondin

Sarah has stepped in as acting director of Education Abroad during an unprecedented and ever-changing time. This has required quick action, responsiveness to students in need, and effectively leading a team of study abroad advisors. Sarah has been efficient and extraordinarily helpful, and always has a “can do” spirit, even under the most challenging circumstances. She deserves recognition—not for a single act—but for nearly 7
weeks of leadership during the COVID disruption.

Lindsay Freeman, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Brianne Morrison

Lindsay has always been quick to respond and thorough in her response. For one of my teaching candidates, she did a deep dive into what she was enrolled in for Summer and sought after an override in a course the student needed. It was not her student, but the way she handled the situation showed her care and concern for student progression & success. This is typical for Lindsay- typical, amazing care for VCU students and clear, quick support for colleagues.

Levi Walter, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Liz Canfield

I wish I could check all four for Levi. Levi is the most amazing person to work with. I always look forward to when I get to see them. They do their job with such heart, and it's obvious that they really care about the faculty, students and other staff that they interact with. Levi is VCU's hidden gem!

Mia Williams, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Barbara Kidd

Mia and her team have done an exceptional job with the student refunds. They have worked so hard and accomplished so much. Great Job

Tom Woodward, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Kaprea Johnson

I had an idea for a website and Tom made it come to life! The university is in a time of flux and I can imagine that everyone who supports technology services would be swamped. Even with Toms work, im sure doubling, he took the time out to support me and my website project. I know that it is apart of the ALT Labs mission to support faculty but Tom went above and beyond; His kindness is what touched me the most. I asked a tremendous amount of questions, some times back to back over email, and he was patient, kind, and never made me feel like I had asked a dumb question. His responsiveness to the needs of faculty is remarkable but on top of that his ability to break down complex syntax to make it meaningful was amazing. Today we met virtually for the first time as he walked me through the website, again being patient and kind as he answered my questions and thought through problems with me. I just want him to know that his collaborative spirit and overall kindness and generosity means so much to me as a faculty member. Thank you, you are appreciated!

Amanda Hall, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Kaprea Johnson

Amanda is a champion for the SOE and community engaged research. As a newer faculty member at VCU, I wasn't aware of all of the great resources available to faculty and students interested in community engaged research. With all that is going on and everyone's work load doubling, Amanda took the time this morning to provide a thorough review of all of the great opportunities that The Center for Community Engagement and Impact, offers faculty, students, and the community. Being at such a large university, like VCU, I have felt a bit isolated at times when trying to find collaborators and my "research community". This meeting with Amanda, which she probably doesn't know, WAS EXACTLY what I needed at the moment. She explained all of the programming, ways to get connected, and she noted that I had found my "research community". It was probably 1 meeting im sure on her packed schedule, but it was more than that for me. I am truly appreciative of the time spent and the welcome into the community engaged research community. It's amazing how one conversation can make you feel connected and inspired. I just wanted to say Thank you Amanda for taking the time out to introduce me to everything the SOE and the center for community engagement and impact, has to offer! You are appreciated!

Jessica Abernathy, 4/30/20 -- Nominated by Jill Blondin

Jessica is a responsive, proactive colleague who is also very student-centered. This is evidenced in the work that she has done to process more than 450 reimbursements for study abroad and international students who have been impacted by the COVID-19 disruption (residence hall reimbursement as well as reimbursements for spring study abroad students who had to return to the United States, etc.). Jessica has done this work efficiently and always with the student in mind. Additionally, Jessica was instrumental in the transition of GEO to telework. She quickly assisted all of her GEO colleagues in making sure that they had the appropriate equipment and software to complete their tasks and projects remotely. For all of these reasons, I want to recognize Jessica.

Sarah Burton-Everette, 4/29/20 -- Nominated by Casey Jensen

Sarah is an amazing colleague who is always so thoughtful, conscientious, and on top of everything. Despite the many challenges of COVID, including working with her active toddler next to each day, she is always present and responsive to the ever-changing landscape. I truly admire her unflagging spirit and warmth that she gives to each and every person.

Levi Walter, 4/29/20 -- Nominated by Bee Coston

Truly, if this form were better, I could recognize you for every interaction we've ever had, on the basis of initiative, integrity, respect, and responsiveness. But also on modes of operating that go beyond those that VCU has deemed (in making this form) as "good work" for your job. You go above and beyond for us and you are definitely not taken for granted. We appreciate you! Thank you!

Tim Davey, 4/29/20 -- Nominated by Kaprea Johnson

Tim Davey, has been my mentor and supervisor during my role as a provost's faculty fellow over this last year. My recognition is for responsiveness because we can only choose one category but Tim should be recognized for integrity, initiative, and respect. He is amazing! In his role, he has many task related to the transition that VCU is  currently in, which takes a lot of time. Even though he has many prior responsibilities, and lots of new task, he still makes time to meet with me weekly for our mentorship meetings and I am truly thankful. At a time like this, he could have easily cancelled all of our early morning meetings, to give himself a break or time to manage other more important business, but he prioritized our relationship and the work that we do to support VCU and to that I am forever grateful. He truly is an amazing human being and I feel blessed that I was paired with him for the faculty fellow opportunity. He deserves this recognition and so much more. Thank you Tim for all that you do, you are appreciated.

Katherine Falls, 4/28/20 -- Nominated by Carla Nye

Kathie continually finds ways to help our NP students at RHWP! She is always ready to help, always positive, and always creative and student-focused.

Ramont Reed, 4/28/20 -- Nominated by Karen Rader

I am teleworking and a computer virus acquired when I was logged into my VCU Chrome browser almost shut me down --Ramont spent an hour on the phone with me cleaning the computer up, then finding a workaround for me in the meantime. Wow -- that is dedication, skill, and customer service. Thank you, Ramont -- you and the team at HASTech are a VCU treasure.

Erin McClinton, 4/28/20 -- Nominated by Kaprea Johnson

I am recognizing Erin for being responsive, respectful, and kind. Throughout this transition she has been amazing in meeting the needs of everyone in the SOE. Even when emailing after hours or on the weekend to ask a clarifying question Erin answers. Most recently she suggested an initiative that is so simple but so meaningful - the idea was that we all identify people to "check-in" on during this time of social distancing. I was so moved by how selfless she is, because I know she is swamped there is always a lot going on in the SOE and she is impacted just as much as anyone else, but on her mind was making others feel better. I just appreciate her for always being there, being so kind and thoughtful.... Thanks Erin for being you, it is appreciated!

Kevin Bailey, 4/28/20 -- Nominated by Carla Nye

Kevin operates as an admissions specialist with the highest standards of integrity. I cannot thank him enough for being a beacon of "doing the right thing"! He upholds the high standards in admissions, and makes VCU proud!

Dana Regusters, 4/27/20 -- Nominated by Casey Jensen

Dana has gone above and beyond so much throughout this year. Watching her interact with our incoming students at a Getting Ready Live Session highlighted what I see her do every day. Her kind and thoughtful approach with students keeps our students engaged and looking forward to graduate school. In a time where her student load is increasing and student anxiety is at an all-time high, she stays calm, collected, and compassionate to all those around her.

Tiffany Freitas, 4/27/20 -- Nominated by Kim Case

Since this pandemic crisis began, Tiffany has really stepped up with positive, responsive, and helpfulness. As a member of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, her commitment to faculty support and ability to stay flexible has made a huge difference for people. Kudos!

Cinzia Corubolo, 4/26/20 -- Nominated by Mark Wood

I want to recognize Cinzia Corubolo for all the hard work she does to support her students. She does an amazing job and is always ready and able to step in to cover a course. She is passionate about teaching and does all she can to make sure our students do their best.

Akiliah McKelvey, 4/22/20 -- Nominated by Ashley Brown

Akiliah always goes above and beyond any time I have asked for any help on something. Sometimes I like to just get her professional opinion on a project or problem that needs to be solved. She always tries to find ways to make things more efficient and she offers ideas that I would not have thought about. Her approach is thorough and I truly appreciate everything she does for our office. She helped me with a task recently and took it a step further to allow me to build a query to pull data on a regular basis related to the task I was working on. She is a great asset to the office and university!

Crystal Wade, 4/22/20 -- Nominated by Sandra Mazzoli

Ms. Wade is one of my primary contacts in the graduate admissions office. She has worked closely with me to ensure a recent influx of applications for one of the School of Education's programs were processed in less than a week! This allowed these new students to register for their Summer 2020 classes. She truly went above and beyond! Thank you Crystal!

Lauren Jackson, 4/21/20 -- Nominated by Betsy Seymour

In March, Lauren was quick to approach the challenge of working from home and the online setting. Within 3 days, she had set up a creative approach to advising programming, "Advising After Dark." This group model provided students a sense of belonging during a time of crisis and confusion. Following her successful program, she shared this idea with our team of first-year academic advisors. Lauren set the standard and the rest of the team followed, sharing new opportunities for connection with their collective population of nearly 1700 students. Since that time and with Lauren's model in mind, members of our team have provided for their students video tutorials, group advising, registration workshops, tours of their home offices, check-in forms, and other experimental methods that cut down on email messaging and help students feel a sense of connection to "their person" at VCU.

Rochelle Upshur, 4/21/20 -- Nominated by Kelly Kitchen

Rochelle has taken on the task of heading up the committee to move our Rammy's award ceremony online. She has researched different ways to highlight our students accomplishments throughout the year while also celebrating our graduates. She has been very timely and organized throughout the whole process. Everyone has been heard and all ideas have been shared equally. Her true care for these students shines through not only in the office but virtually as well. She wants these students to genuinely feel that we appreciate their hard work, and celebrate their successes.

Adam Pearcy, 4/21/20 -- Nominated by Matt Halquist

Dr. Pearcy has been a great team member in the BAL as a first- year post-doctoral fellow. He has faced many challenging projects in the lab and approaches all of them with a great attitude, work ethic, and critical thinker. Happy to have him in the BAL at VCU SoP!

Joan Rhodes, 4/21/20 -- Nominated by Lisa Cipolletti

Joan Rhodes is an encourager and each day shares words of appreciation and support to the department. I look forward to the daily cartoon, video, or song in my inbox which makes me smile. Earlier this week there were conversations regarding scheduling, and Joan quickly organized a meeting so that each person's voice could be heard and to allow for collaboration. This meeting was at the end of her already busy day. I am so appreciative of her leadership during this uncertain time. I know that I have her full support, and I am very thankful for that.

 Pam Stephenson, 4/21/20 -- Nominated by Melissa Jamerson

Pam is one of the most important people in our department. She works tirelessly to make sure that things stay in order, especially when it comes to admissions. She has always done this, but recently her hard work has become even more evident. She has made sure that the transition to interviewing students after mandatory telecommuting has occurred seamlessly. Faculty always have everything that is needed due to her diligence. Without her and her hard work this would not be possible.

 Terry L. Austin, 4/20/20 -- Nominated by Philip Duane Coston

Terry Austin has done an outstanding job keeping faculty informed through this unprecedented time. Dr. Austin makes himself available to all and is very responsive to questions, comments, and concerns. He is to be commended for his outstanding leadership.

Tim Aro, 4/20/20 -- Nominated by Shirley Helm

Tim has provided the institutional clinical research program(s) invaluable informatics assistance in development and responsiveness to institutional requests regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Tim has worked tirelessly, off-hours, and weekends to fulfill these requests, and repeated requests for database modifications following initial development.

 Laure Ray, 4/20/20 -- Nominated by Matt Halquist

Laure has taken great initiative during this time to manage revisions of our procedures, report writing, ordering, and setting up for future projects when our lab opens soon! Thankful to have her a part of a great team at VCU in the BAL!

Elise Kepus, 4/17/20 -- Nominated by Carolina Wilson

Elise has maintained clear and transparent communication, promoted collaborative work, and has ensured that her staff feel safe, respected, and apart of something larger than ourselves.

Jingmei Song, 4/17/20 -- Nominated by Sarah Reves

I've worked with Emily (Jingmei) over the last couple of weeks on an urgent need of my team but for which I had no knowledge of how to obtain what I needed. Emily was kind, patient, super responsive, and beyond helpful during a time when I know her department is stretched to the limit.

Malorie Burkett, 4/17/20 -- Nominated by Trevor Worden

Malorie has done an incredible job, starting in a pandemic, and has been a wonderful colleague!

Greg Prince, 4/17/20 -- Nominated by Trevor Worden

Greg has navigated these trying times in philanthropy expertly. He is still closing major gifts, reaching out to our top donors, and maintaining relationships. Greg has been a real model for the rest of the university to follow and appreciate.

Beth Ayers, 4/17/20 -- Nominated by Trevor Worden

Beth has done an incredible job responding to the College’s changing needs. Working in this difficult time is a challenge, and Beth has continued her work effortlessly. She is a wonderful colleague.

Martha Harper, 4/16/20 -- Nominated by Maggie Tolan

Martha is an academic advisor in University College. During her outreach to a case referral that came in on one of her students who was struggling with remote learning and personal finance,she learned that the individual was eligible for social security benefits (due to age) - but the student was not aware of their eligibility. For the past 10 days she has been working with him to apply for social security benefits - which has included helping him secure a credit report, completing online applications during weekend hours, and she holds video meetings with him weekly to also help him complete homework assignments in one of his courses that he potentially could fail - just to ensure he finishes this semester and graduates. She has gone above and beyond and continues to do so!

Sterling Hundley, 4/16/20 -- Nominated by Jason Bennett

Sterling has started an online server to connect artists / creators with medical faculty / professionals, allowing cross-talk and alignment of resources between disciplines on such topics as gowns, masks, and other PPE.

Jon Philip Sheridan, 4/15/20 -- Nominated by Michael Lease

I am humbled by Jon's marshalling of artists across the city in mask-making efforts. He has set a perfect example for all of us at VCU and the following quote (from the VCU News article posted 4/15) should be required reading for all: “Artists are fundamentally makers and flexible creative problem-solvers. Learning to make art is learning to create solutions with limited resources. We are exceptional at teaching ourselves new skills, and learning to use new materials. [We also know how to] activate social economies: If I don’t know how to do something, I have a network of artist friends who can teach me how, or who will do it for me.”

Terrence Walker, 4/15/20 -- Nominated by Tanya White

Terrence has been instrumental in making sure that the department (UCS) clinicians and administrative staff are supplied with the necessary tools to be efficient in our new work environment. He never hesitates to be the point person going the extra mile for the team to care for the needs by going above and beyond, respectfully and deliberately without hesitation. I confidently speak on behalf of the team, to recognize Terrence Walker for all of his efforts during VCU-UCS Work from Home, "new normal". He has been flexible, accommodating, and considerate of our needs through the storm, as we travel through this journey. Just a note of thanks to my fellow
teammate, "TWalker".

Claire Pickering, 4/15/20 -- Nominated by Lillian Facka

Claire represents what it means to be a good nurse. She practices based on evidence and safety. Claire also regularly precepts new nurses, teaching them bone marrow skills, hallmarking how important it is to protect our patients.

Laura Foy, 4/13/20 -- Nominated by Ashley Harrison

Laura truly stepped up to lead the Wilder School's first Staff Awards committee. She kept our meetings focused and organized while maintaining a positive and motivating attitude! Her leadership was crucial in the awarding of our school's first Staff Awards.

Kathy Naneyshvili, 4/13/20 -- Nominated by Heather Davison

Kathy went above and beyond in each of the categories listed above. She has been helpful, responsive, and taken on a great deal of responsibility. She has taken initiative and worked with the IT department to help coordinate aspects of the "virtual" graduation ceremony for the School of Medicine. She always has a friendly face and is quick to help. She is a true joy to work with.

Jessica Carey, 4/10/20 -- Nominated by Meredith Lane

Jessica went out of her way to help on-board two new employees when the HR Manager from another department was out of the office unexpectedly. She contact both new employees, guided them through the on-boarding process, completed the required paperwork and ensured both employees had everything they needed to get started on the right foot. Her willingness to help was so appreciated! Thank you for the extra effort, Jessica!

Peter Jordan, 4/9/20 -- Nominated by Bernard Adam

Peter Jordan, although he is working remotely, has been extremely responsive to his team. Most of his staff are considered essential, and as a result, he cannot always have face to face contact with them. Peter goes above and beyond to ensure his team has what they need to get their jobs done. He provides support by making sure the have enough protective equipment so they remain safe during the crisis. Peter is well respected by his team, because he leads by example.

Barry Lanneau, 4/8/20 -- Nominated by Carol Ann Lawson

HR had to create a process very quickly to help capture information for the hiring freeze exception process. Barry worked with us (literally day and night) to make it happen. He was incredibly responsive, patient to the constant changes, intuitive about what help might be needed - overall, he could not have been better to work with. This was such a time sensitive and stressful project, and Barry was there for all the rapid turnarounds and changes that I continued to arise. We are appreciative of all his time, efforts, and patience. I know he was also balancing this on top of other very time sensitive priorities.

Jesse MacLelland, 4/8/20 -- Nominated by Bernard Adam

As a result of having to work from home, our department was unprepared to meet that challenge. We did not have the equipment or technology in place to get started. Jesse spent many hours working with telecommunications and his team to ensure we were prepared. As a result of his willingness to go above and beyond, our team is working effectively remotely. His desire to see a cohesive team has made our lives so much easier during this crisis.

Joan Rhodes, 4/8/20 -- Nominated by Misti Mueller

Joan is the Chair for the Department of Teaching and Learning. She is sending daily positive messages. Her dedication and support forher department has been unwaivering. We are so fortunate to have Joan as our leader.

Melanie Wiggins, 4/4/20 -- Nominated by Lisa Ballance

Melanie Wiggins has personally reviewed and shepherded through every industry contract for COVID19 clinical trial therapies that have been in the new therapeutics pipeline at VCU. She has worked on weekends, after hours, and before hours and participated in daily 'huddles' to monitor the activation status of these trials where priorities can change daily based upon population needs. Thank you, Melanie, for being a great team leader, lending your experience and talents so generously, and for being a trusted collaborator across the enterprise.

Cait Burns, 3/23/20 -- Nominated by Britni Purcell

Cait did a fantastic job taking initiative in creating virtual workshops to continue engaging the School of Business students and VCU community. It was a quick turn-around, and the end products were informative, relevant, and encouraging. Cait remains calm under pressure, and extends so much grace to her colleagues. She is truly admirable.

 

Karen Gau, 4/3/20 -- Nominated by Roy Brown

In my role as the library liaison to the VCU School of Nursing and the nurses of VCU Health, I receive questions on an array of topics. Many of these questions are based on the use of library resources and what is in the library collection. In the last several weeks, Karen has been instrumental in ensuring that those I assist have been able to get access to what they need. She has done this by purchasing an unlimited license for an e-book and adding a resource to the library collection. Her attention to detail and willingness to problem-solve is appreciated. I truly value her as a library colleague. She makes my job easier and I just wanted to let her know that I appreciate her continued assistance with collections issues. Thank you for all of your help!

Sam Ray, 3/23/20 -- Nominated by Brianne Morrison

Sam responded to my request to move the appeals process for teacher preparation online to meet student needs and current circumstances (with COVID 19). Although she was very busy, she still made time to do it. It went above expectations of her position and I thank her so much for doing so. This has helped my work with my students and my student's experience so much better. THANK YOU!

Vicki Humphreys, 3/23/20 -- Nominated by Deidre Henley

Vicki has been a consistently reliable leader of our Family Medicine and Population Health's Administrative Team during the university's transition to teleworking. Under her guidance we have been able to continue our department's operations without missing a beat. She has ensured that we have all of the hardware and software required and her continuously calming online presence has kept our team unified and uplifted.

Kat Wilson, 3/23/20 -- Nominated by Brooke Inman

Kat has done a wonderful job keeping us all in the PAPR department informed and afloat during the transition to remote working and teaching. Thank you Kat!

Jennifer Johnson, 3/20/20 -- Nominated by Diana Gay Cutchin

Throughout VCU's response to the Covid 19 crisis, Jennifer has been available, responsive and a wonderful leader for our department. As an adjunct, the level of support that has been provided to me has been absolutely essential in enabling me to continue to teach my classes. In the beginning of this crisis, she seemed to be "always there". She continues to communicate with us regularly and does her best to ensure that we are able to do our jobs in an unprecedented situation. I have always felt supported, appreciated and through her leadership, I have learned new ways to connect with and teach my students. As an instructor for 30 years, I must say that this has been the most difficult thing I have experienced in my teaching career; but Jennifer has been my champion, advisor and role model.

Lauren Bailey, 3/20/20 -- Nominated by Keith Van Inwegen

Lauren assisted VCU Health and Physical Plant in converting the Honors Dorm to I-2 Occupancy for use as a hospital. She worked long hours including weekends to assist in this emergency project. She also had to deal with a health emergency in her family during this time. In this time of crisis, Lauren rose to the occasion and embodied the "Make it Amazing" spirit of VCU Administration.

Joe Bower, 3/19/20 -- Nominated by Todd Kitten

I put in a work order for an HVAC problem that occurred in the dental school. Joe Bower and another repairman (I'm sorry that I didn't get his name) came out and fixed the problem a short time later. I'm not commenting because there was anything special that happened this time. In fact, it's the opposite--I'm commenting because this work order was handled just like every other HVAC work order I submit in that it was fixed without any further effort on my part. It made me realize how lucky we are to have service that we can count on every time, and I wanted to say how much I appreciate Joe and his co-workers for their responsiveness, reliability, and expertise.

Rico Jones, 3/19/20 -- Nominated by Robert Wilson

I just wanted to acknowledge the assistance of Rico Jones. I was informed on Sunday evening 03/15/2020 that my department would be working remotely. Even though we were made aware of the possibility on Friday 03/13/2020 I did not complete the VPN download because of unsuccessful attempts. I contacted Technology Services around 9 pm on Sunday night and Rico Jones was very patient with me and helpful while trying to work through the process even while I was dealing with phone calls and emails from my department. VCU has some great employees and Rico Jones is definitely one of them.

Barry Lanneau, 3/18/20 -- Nominated by Sheila Baker

I submitted a ticket to Tech Services for assistance with ImageNow. Barry called and remote into my computer. He took me step by step through the process and explained everything he was doing and why. I really appreciated the time he took to make me feel as if I knew what he was talking about. He was so nice about it. Without going into a lot of details, Barry also helped me Avaya and Google Hangout videos. He was so patient throughout the entire call. Before this call, I was a little stressed about technically doing my job. After the call, I felt confident. Barry not only helped me with my request but went over and beyond by helping me with other options so that I can successfully complete my tasks remotely. Thank you so much Barry for your outstanding customer service!

Jamey Lovin, 3/18/20 -- Nominated by Rani Satyam

From the beginning, Jamey gave so much of her time and effort to help others in the department move to online teaching. She was part of the Blackboard session - but moreover held one-on-one hours with faculty (tenure-track, instructors, adjuncts) to personally help them move their course online and showed patience while doing so. All while she had four classes moving online herself. I'm sure there are a multitude of other things she has done to help people in the dept with this shift that I'm not even aware of. She's an MVP of the pandemic.

Tim Aro, 3/07/20 -- Nominated by Lisa Ballance

Tim Aro applied his knowledge of REDCap over a weekend to create a system for developing a classification system and ensuring justification and approval of human research activities that would continue in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. This classification and approval system quickly became a model shared with other academic institutions and will facilitate the process for ramping up clinical research at VCU and VCU Health when the time comes.

Tim Siegel, 3/3/20 -- Nominated by Roy Brown

This note of thank you and recognition is something I have been meaning to write over the last several months. In late October/ early November of 2019, a problem arose concerning library access for staff and participants in the VCU Health Dietetic Intern Program. This problem was particularly problematic because the program was preparing for an upcoming accreditation visit. When I brought this issue to Tim, he looked to find a solution right away. The solution was not an easy one and had him reaching out to members of VCU Health IT to determine the cause of the issue. This effort took several days and he was good about providing regular updates. Access to library resources for the program was restored before the accreditation visit and helped it to go smoothly. I just wanted to formally thank Tim for his assistance with solving this issue. His time and attention to finding a solution were appreciated.

Tim Hurley, 3/3/20 -- Nominated by Roy Brown

Over the last several weeks I have had to call on Tim several times to answer questions about poster printing by those who work at VCU Health. In every instance, he has always been willing to help figure out how to best answer the questions or address the challenges members of the health system were having. This was especially true yesterday were he not only talked with me but also assisted a nurse who had additional questions when she called him. I appreciate his continued help and just wanted to formally thank him for all he has done to help me in fielding these various poster printing questions.

Heather Brickley, 3/3/20 -- Nominated by Dana Rajczewski

Heather has been managing a chair search for our department, and she's getting it all done with patience, hard work, and a positive outlook! There are a lot of moving parts, many of which are confidential, and she is balancing them all with ease. A lot of work has to go on in the background for it to be so seamless for everyone involved in the process (and there are a lot of people involved!), and I know she has put my mind at ease many times during what is surely a stressful process. She is an awesome representative of SOM and VCU, and I feel so fortunate to work with her!

Jessica Kirschner, 2/27/20 -- Nominated by Roy Brown

In my role as the library liaison to the VCU School of Nursing, I am tasked with having to assist people with many different types of questions. Over the last several months the school has had an increased focus on affordable course content. Without Jessica's past help and continued assistance with fielding these questions, I would not have been to help the faculty and staff with their affordable course content questions. I wanted to thank her for her responsiveness and thoughtfulness as she helped me to address some of the challenges that come with the issues around affordable course content. I appreciate her continued assistance and value her as a library colleague. Thank you for all your help!

Patricia Murdock, 2/27/20 -- Nominated by Isac Crouch

While in the field I came across a network closet that wasn't opening after a successful card swipe. I sent an email to Patti and she responded within 5 minutes letting me know that she had someone headed my way to repair the door. The door access issue was repaired efficiently and a clear explanation was in my inbox by the time I returned to my desk. Patti's responsiveness to my reported issue was faster than anything I've ever experienced. Thank you Patti!

Alvin (Joe) Bower, 2/19/20 -- Nominated by Buddy Weston

Joe is always quick to respond to any hot/cold issues and displays extreme professionalism when responding to such calls. He is an important asset to Zone 300

Jerred Daniels, 2/19/20 -- Nominated by David Gressett

Jerred has always responded quickly and with excessive professionalism to any issue that may arise at the School of Dentistry. He is an excellent asset to Zone 300

Shane Conner, 1/16/20 -- Nominated by Deborah Baines                                                                                 

I had an issue with the Banner 9 Admin Pages development environment for almost two weeks and had been working with the vendor for multiple days. When I noticed that the application error mentioned CAS, I sent an email to Shane on the off chance that it would shake up a new lead for me to chase to resolve the issue. While Shane didn't have the answer, he mentioned he'd heard about a time sync issue that was similar to my application error statement and he forwarded my email on to the person who could provide the details.

Jim Rosen quickly replied to my email and advised that there was one remaining server with a time issue. It was rebooted the next day and I'm back in Banner 9 Admin Pages development business!

Thanks to the responsiveness of our VCU team, I hope to meet an important deadline for developing an extension necessary for the Ad Astra pilot group project. Thanks to both of you for your help!

Jim Rosen, 1/16/20 -- Nominated by Deborah Baines                                                                                    

I had an issue with the Banner 9 Admin Pages development environment for almost two weeks and had been working with the vendor for multiple days. When I noticed that the application error mentioned CAS, I sent an email to Shane on the off chance that it would shake up a new lead for me to chase to resolve the issue. While Shane didn't have the answer, he mentioned he'd heard about a time sync issue that was similar to my application error statement and he forwarded my email on to the person who could provide the details. 

Jim Rosen quickly replied to my email and advised that there was one remaining server with a time issue. It was rebooted the next day and I'm back in Banner 9 Admin Pages development business!

Thanks to the responsiveness of our VCU team, I hope to meet an important deadline for developing an extension necessary for the Ad Astra pilot group project. Thanks to both of you for your help!

Michael Forder, 1/9/20 -- Nominated by Lauretta Cathers

One of our PhD courses was at a standstill due to the technical difficulties related to Blackboard update. Mr. Forder not only took the initiative to assist our faculty in moving their courses over into the new template, but also dropped everything he was working on when the instructor and students of this particular class were unable to access the blackboard during their on-campus session. His responsiveness to the situation minimized frustration and we were able to keep the in-person class going in a timely manner.   

2019

Edward Lichtenstein, 12/23/19 -- Nominated by Jamillah Martin                                                                                                 

Joe (Edward) spent countless hours over the entire winter holiday break working on Blackboard system issues and handling support tickets.  

Rebecca Lester Scholtes, 12/20/19 -- Nominated by Caroline Cobb (Amey);

Rebecca and the rest of the P3 team worked very hard to enroll and complete active participants in the last weeks of the winter semester. I was very impressed with her efforts and initiative in this respect.

Megan Underwood, 12/20/19 -- Nominated by Caroline Cobb (Amey)

Megan and rest of the P3 team worked extremely hard during the last weeks of the winter semester to enroll and complete active participants in our study. I was very impressed by her efforts and initiative in this respect.

Leetah Stanley, 12/19/19

Leetah is an absolute pleasure to work with! She has worked tirelessly on a reporting project to make information accessible and understandable to people who are not experts in the topic at hand, and I know that took a lot of ingenuity, creativity, frustration, and time on her part to get it just right. She listened to a lot of input regarding what was needed for the reports, and I'm sure at times it must have seemed like she was asked to figure out things that didn't have a solution. But you would never have known that in talking with her, as she was always receptive to suggestions and feedback. Now that the reports are ready to go, she has answered questions and offered guidance with patience, humor, and grace. She really makes things easy! Simply put, she is a wonderful colleague and a tremendous resource to SOM - thank you, Leetah!

Leetah Stanley, 12/18/19 -- Nominated by Michelle Holder                                                                                   

I have had the pleasure of working with Leetah on rolling out departmental reports for the School of Medicine and VCU Health. This was a massive project, requiring an inestimable amount of forethought, relationship building, and countless hours of hard work. I can’t say enough good things about working with Leetah and the degree of excellence she brings to our stewardship efforts. I feel that Leetah has gone above and beyond to set us up for success, and I’m very lucky to work with her!

Colin Drake, 12/13/19 -- Nominated by Bob Burgess

I am always happy when Colin is assigned a work request because he is quick to respond, communicates well and does quality work. Thanks for doing an excellent job Colin!

Jessica Lyon, 12/6/19 -- Nominated by Shana Ryman

Jessica Lyon is quick to respond and jump in to help. Jessica has helped to format and offer assistance with 2 small projects and includes me in each step of the editing process. Additionally, she makes working together productive and efficient with her expertise and online communication She is a professional colleague with which to collaborate and create.

Luis Coral, 11/25/19 -- Nominated by Nicholas Shipman

Luis responded successfully with initiative and grace to last-minute modifications of a request pursuant to a relatively new duty. I was impressed and grateful.

Nickie Brandenburger, 11/26/19 -- Nominated by Flip Grey

Nickie is a team player! I am ever thankful for her initiative to jump in and help in anyway that she can. While we work on separate projects we also co-direct a team. She senses when the stress is on and has jumped in to assist wherever she can to help her colleagues and the team as a whole. It's the simple things that mean a great deal. Thanks, Nickie, for your initiative and energy! I'm grateful for your willingness to tackle the tough  stuff collaboratively while offering words of wisdom that sets my mind at ease.

Jackie Robinson-Brock, 11/21/19 -- Nominated by Flip Grey

Jackie is an outstanding mentor! I wish I could check all of the recognition boxes and more. She is always responsive, reliable, supportive, encouraging, thoughtful and available. I have no idea how you do it, Jackie, but I am grateful to have you as a colleague and mentor. Thank you for always being there with thoughtful insight and guidance!

Patrice Beard, 11/14/19 -- Nominated by Dana Yarbrough

Patrice has taken on responsibility for a complex data system that 20 staff enter information into weekly. This requires that she constantly train staff, 'clean' data entry, run monthly reports to identify gaps in data collection, and more recently, correspond with the database contractor to problem solve customization of the database so it works better for reporting to our multitude of funders. Recently, Patrice has gone above and beyond her responsibilities to discuss and/or create workable solutions for a number of staff challenges with the database.

Rob Downs, 11/1/19 -- Nominated by Leetah Stanley

Rob and his team have been incredibly helpful in working with units to build the new acknowledgment reports in RADAR that were very much needed. They took the time to listen to every request, consider every possibility and made a system that works beautifully, filling the needs of both the units, in terms of functionality, and of Central, in terms of accurate record keeping etc. about the stewardship of gifts. Additionally, Rob dedicated even more time to us here at medicine to cooperate with our SOM IT group to give us what we needed to use a system developed to produce and archive our acknowledgement letters and to create our departmental gift reports so that our chairs can be engaged further in stewarding donors to their individual areas. This had long been the desire of Dean Buckley. The feedback from everyone over the initial report was beyond positive, and it simply would not have been possible without the cooperation of Rob and his team.

Elizabeth Seward, 10/25/10 -- Nominated by Melanie Pilco

It was very hard for me to decide on which one I wanted torecognize Elizabeth for, on the time I have met her she has showed Initiative on every aspect and curve ball thrown to our department, her experience and wealth of knowledge always came handy when it was time to determine a new route to take when things were changing, her initiative was displayed in so many ways weather it was for a brand new project or an ongoing project in which we may later on see possible issues, she showed integrity in everything she did, it was 110%. Her responsiveness was always exactly as that word is defined "the quality of reacting quickly and positively" even when things got tough she was always finding ways around the problem the most efficient way. Now the reason I chose Respect is because that really is the best way to describe how she should be recognized, all the qualities she has displayed has really made her a person I enjoyed working with. Its a privilege ,honor and honestly so fun to work with someone with so much knowledge and such willingness to teach the way she has.

Felecia Williams, 10/1/19 -- Nominated by Elizabeth Fagan

Felecia is a natural mentor who informally watched over the integration of all new Focused Inquiry faculty in 2019-2020. She has a talent for recognizing possibility in her colleagues and for fostering it. Our first in-depth interaction happened last fall, when she walked by my office, and she saw something on my face that suggested I was overwhelmed. She took the time to listen to my concerns, and then proceeded to actually quote my CV at me as evidence for how she knew that whatever was overwhelming me would pass, and that I would be able to overcome it. It was a pep talk *with evidence,* which is a very impressive (and compelling) way to provide reassurance! Thereafter, she would stop by and we'd talk strategy about various pedagogical and administrative details, and her careful attention to my development and integration into the department quickly made me feel like an important part of FI and VCU. I've also watched her interact with other new faculty, many of whom have said that, like for me, Felecia quickly became a helpful informal mentor.

Sha-Kim Craft, 9/10/19 -- Nominated by Warran Dawson 

Sha-kim started with very little and built a graduate program tracking spreadsheet that is used school-wide. She consistently answers inquiries in a timely manner and has improved the overall graduate office by leaps and bounds. Thank you Sha-kim.

Josh Ambrose, 9/3/19 -- Nominated by Sue McGinnis

I put in an electrical ticket because our podium that controls all of our presentation equipment for presenters was getting no power. I initially thought it was an issue with electric coming from the wall. Josh came over and found that wasn't the issue. He stayed to help me troubleshoot the piece of equipment in the podium (the power conditioner) that needed to be reset. He very easily could have said that his job was over after finding the problem was inside of the podium, but it was his kindness and responsiveness that helped me resolve the issue quickly for our customers. He is a wonderful asset to the university!

Kelly Winn, 8/9/19 -- Nominated by Charol Shakeshaft

I needed information on our doctoral graduates, names of dissertations. We also asked for a list of capstone titles and EdD graduates since 2011. Kelly was very responsive in helping us to put this information together.

Keyetta Tate, 8/9/19 -- Nominated by Warran Dawson

Keyetta is always very proactive with her work and excels at responding to any question/problem/conflict we throw at her. She works for many different faculty members and somehow keeps it all straight. She should be commended for the outstanding work ethic and overall effectiveness and efficiency. She certainly makes my job easier. Thank you Keyetta.

Brenna Monk, 8/5/19 -- Nominated by Dana Rajczewski

Another member of our department and I have been working with Brenna to prepare for an event during the MCV Campus Reunion Weekend in April 2020. She is extremely responsive, very helpful and she offers guidance with patience and kindness. She has put our minds at ease on numerous occasions and simplified what at first seemed to be a somewhat overwhelming process. She is a pleasure to work with. We are grateful for her expertise and willingness to share it. Thank you, Brenna!

Paul Allmon, 7/19/19 -- Nominated by Matthew Wilkes

Our department was recently asked to teach the power tool portion of a quick start program VCU is involved with. We were given very short notice with not much time to prepare the shop or ourselves for an appropriate lesson. Pauls previous experience in work programs that utilize and train beginner level trades workers made him first to mind to assist me in giving the lessons. Paul was very quick to take on the task. He studied the module and took notes on his own time at home the evening before and had an overall lesson planned on the morning we were scheduled to give class. Pauls excitement and attitude about the task, that many would decline, was infectious and engaging. Paul applies these same principles in his everyday workload at VCU and he is a valuable asset to our department.

Jamie Holcomb, 7/17/19 -- Nominated by Danise Harmon

Jamie is always responsive and extremely timely to all of my requests. She is knowledgeable, helpful and takes the time to explain and route me to the correct information on the many VCU screens and portals. I truly appreciate when I call she often answers her telephone line and she also returns phone calls quickly. Jamie is an asset to the VCU Office of Procurement. It's my pleasure working with her.

Shane Conner, 6/28/19 -- Nominated by Shelley Jordan

I would like to recognize Shane for always lending his expertise to help me troubleshoot and resolve technical issues that are particularly puzzling. An issue occurred early in the day and went unresolved after attempts by multiple areas until I reached out to Shane for guidance. I was unsure if the issue was something that fell under his purview, but knew he could at least point me in the right direction. Shane waved his magic wand and all was fixed! Shane's responsiveness to my issue was greatly appreciated not only by myself, but by other staff who were impacted by the issue.

Harris Middleton, 6/21/19 -- Nominated by Dana Rajczewski

To say that Harris is a team player is an understatement! We have had a few staff members with unavoidably unpredictable schedules in the past few weeks, and Harris has put everyone's mind at ease by filling in whenever and wherever needed. It was so seamless that I'm not sure others even noticed that anything was different! He is efficient, hard-working, professional, and kind, and all of these things make a huge difference in our department and division on a daily basis. It does not go unnoticed every day, but it is especially evident during these sorts of weeks. Thank you, Harris!!

Sharon Kelly, 6/13/19 -- Nominated by Lauren Mortensen

Sharon has been amazingly helpful to me over the past few weeks as I have been navigating ordering various things for an upcoming student session. No matter how many times I stop by her office or email her, she is always quick to help and never makes me feel like I am bothering her - even though she has been extremely busy working towards the end of the fiscal year.

Morgan Huff, 6/12/19 -- Nominated by Corie Forest

I have submitted an increased number of web requests to update the VCU homepage to be in complete WCAG 2.0, AA compliance. Recently, time sensitive updates have been requested and Morgan continues to be responsive and diligent to achieve resolutions. We really appreciate his efforts.

Reginald Brown, 6/10/19 -- Nominated by Denise Harmon

I am recognizing Reggie Brown for his outstanding assistance and knowledge in keeping things going. Our School is going through transition again regarding fiscal processes and Reggie has and does take the initiative to help complete various tasks and assignments, ask questions when needed, and always available. He always makes sure that all bases are covered in terms of details and is a team player. We are extremely lucky to have him. Thank you Reggie for all that you do.

Orlante "Tanto" Duncan, 6/5/19 -- Nominated by Warran Dawson

Tonto is always welcoming and offers his assistance with anything I need. Tonto is always on the phone speaking to perspective students and he has an answer for everything. I can imagine being a student, wanting to get good information as I navigate my way through college life. I call the VCU School of Pharmacy and hear a bright and sunny “Hello” when Tonto answers the phone, then answers all my questions, and then tells me to “Have a nice day!” He goes above and beyond to make sure everyone has a nice day.

Melanie Pilco, 6/3/19 -- Nominated by Elizabeth Seward

I would like to recognize Melanie Pilco for her continued outstanding performance. Our department has been through a tough transition period and Melanie took a lot of initiative to find ways to help complete various tasks and assignments to help the department stay afloat. She is a creative thinker when it comes to problem solving. She always makes sure that all bases are covered in terms of details and she is a team player. I often look to her for opinions on how to complete certain tasks and the best way to approach situations. She has recently accepted a full time position within our department and we are extremely lucky to have her on board on a full time basis. Melanie truly represents what VCU is all about. She has a heart to help others and she is a true GEM!!! Thank you Melanie for all that you do. CSCC would not be the department it is without all of your contributions.

Jean Scott, 5/25/19 -- Nominated by Sue McGinnis

Jean went above and beyond getting a situation resolved for our post-doc so that she could check out a book at the library. Jean had to contact multiple folks in multiple departments and explain the situation in many ways, but she kept with it to achieve success. I'm not sure what we would have done without her! Jean displayed fantastic customer service and determination!

Rebecca Lester-Scholtes, 5/22/19 -- Nominated by Caroline Cobb

Rebecca did an incredible job getting our laboratory/office move organized and completed in an efficient manner. She responded to move requests/tasks quickly and completed them a high degree. She also put in additional effort/time to coordinate the delivery of sensitive data/equipment across several VCU locations! Couldn't have done it without her.

Bob Burgess, 5/20/19 -- Nominated by Caroline Cobb

Bob did an incredible job making sure our move from Thurston House to CSTP/McGuire Hall went perfectly. He was incredibly responsive to our needs/concerns and everything went super smoothly under his command. We are thankful for his presence at the Psychology Department.

Claudia Street, 5/20/19 -- Nominated by Reggie Brown

Ms. Street has repeatedly gone above and beyond in her responsiveness to getting big jobs completed in a timely manner. Her respect, courtesy and overall professionalism should be recognized as she has provided exemplary service to the VCU School of Education throughout the years. I'm certain other areas of the university that have been fortunate enough to work with Ms. Street have experienced her excellent brand of service.

Martha VanMeter, 5/17/19 -- Nominated by David Plunkett

Martha is always helpful when a request is sent her way. An expense hit an NIH grant and the expense needed to be moved to another Index. She researched the expense and keyed the journal voucher within 30 minutes. This timely response resolved the issue efficiently and quickly. Martha and Nancy Fogg are terrific to work with and are an asset to Virginia Commonwealth University!!

Shirley B.Farrar, 5/7/19 -- Nominated by Andrea Perkins

Since the onset of my start date at VCU, Shirley has taken the initiative to be a mentor. She has given me suggestions, advice and assistance. I value having such a terrific co-worker and am appreciative of what she does. It's purely because she elects to do so. I certainly hope Shirley receives the recognition she deserves!

Jacqueline Glover, 5/7/19 -- Nominated by Andrea Perkins

Each time I've reached out to Jackie, she's always been immediately responsive, helpful and wonderful! Today I spoke to her and once again her demeanor is refreshing and she perfectly assisted me with my concerns. I hope Jackie gets recognized for her outstanding services!

Jeanne Schroeder, 4/30/19 -- Nominated by Carrie Main

Jeanne played a critical role as a Graphic Designer and Website Manager in the development of an online training course for Child Development (zero to three). The Child Development training reaches professionals in our state, nationally, and internationally. Jeanne's continual dedication to innovation guarantees the excellence of our training products.

Rhonda Pearson, 4/25/19 -- Nominated by Jo Robins

Every day, Rhonda greets every person with a smile. She makes sure to make everyone feel acknowledged and welcomed. She is always kind and respectful. Several of us are nominating her together (Elizabeth Miles and Kyungeh An) because we are grateful to walk into our building and see her everyday and we value what a difference she makes for our school.

Amanda Hall, 4/25/19 -- Nominated by Jose Alcaine

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Amanda Hall for her tremendous drive, initiative, and support of the School of Education and related activities. Certainly her work and actions have wide raging impact at VCU, across many departments, and with the whole community, but she goes above and beyond in helping the many programs and initiatives at School of Education succeed. Most recently, she has been instrumental in welcoming a group of visiting foreign students to campus and the city. This is no easy feat given her other professional and personal demands. She is always willing to help and go the extra mile for programs, events, and activities. Throughout all this work she exhibits a positive, "can do" attitude that really makes a difference. For all her work and dedication to the School of Education and VCU, I would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you. Your efforts are commendable and much appreciated!

Shirley Helm, 4/25/19 -- Nominated by Lisa Ballance

Shirley Helm organized the details of the Inaugural Virginia Clinical Research Conference hosted by VCU on April 12, 2019 in addition to her other responsibilities. She had no prior 'event planning' experience but formulated a team, including the VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education, which was lean, resourceful, and led to a highly successful event including attendees and speakers from across Virginia. Shirley had a vision and took the initiative to find the resources needed, early. She was realistic, optimistic, and clearly demonstrates a passion for VCU.

Jennifer Sisane, 4/25/19 -- Nominated by Lisa Ballance

Jennifer Sisane has been working with a planning team from across the research enterprise in order to pull off the Inaugural Virginia Clinical Research Conference right here in Richmond. We had presenters and attendees from across the state, many of whom took the time to remark that the Office of Continuing and Professional Education (and specifically Jennifer) hosted a very well-coordinated event. Even before the event, we knew that our conference was in great hands with Jennifer. She is calm, capable, and has an eye toward efficiency and resource conservation.

Jo Robins, 4/23/19 -- Nominated by Sue McGinnis

Jo is constantly looking for positive ways to influence faculty and staff in the School of Nursing. She is so kind, thoughtful, andconsiderate that I consider myself very fortunate to work with her.

Tamara Zurakowski, 4/17/19 -- Nominated by Jo Robins

Tamara exemplifies what it means to be a team player. She openly shares information and is responsive and facilitatory when information or guidance is requested. She consistently places high priority on helping others succeed.

Kody Wyatt, 4/15/19 -- Nominated by Shana Ryman

Mr. Wyatt provided excellent customer service and expert assistance when our office was experiencing computer issues recently. My colleagues and I were very impressed with Mr. Wyatt's amicable demeanor as well as his quick and efficient ability to multitask and repair all of our computer issues. His skillfulness and professionalism put us all at ease and left a wonderful impression. Thank you!

Jeanine Giles Larson, 4/4/19 -- Nominated by Harris Middleton

We owe Jeanine a big thank you from Family Medicine! I had received a last-minute travel change/update request near the end of the day yesterday from one of our research associates that needed immediate assistance to ensure that she would be able to complete a site visit that next morning. Jeanine was quick to respond and worked to provide a solution to help review and approve the travel needed to facilitate the site visit in time. Jeanine went above and beyond to help us and continues to be polite, professional and courteous to all members of the department and our colleagues whenever we are in need of assistance. Thank you, Jeanine!

Hope Walker, 3/20/19 -- Nominated by Andrea Perkins

Hope Walker was my colleague at Putney House and now has a new position at Massey Cancer Center. I wish I had known about the "Employee Recognition Form" earlier since I would have submitted it last year. Hope really possesses all characteristics within the recognition list and it is difficult selecting just one. Instantly when I started at Putney, Hope befriended me and wasn't just a coworker, but became my mentor on her own volition. We worked on separate floors for different supervisors, yet she always assisted me with any questions. In the midst of her busy schedule, plus working for two supervisors and dealing with her own deadlines, she was responsive to my phone calls, computer glitches, emails, general office questions, etc. She never hesitated to help and consistently replied to my inquiries in an expedited manner. On 3/18/19, I called Hope and she immediately responded by offering guidance on an office question that I knew she was familiar with; once again she continues to be an incredible mentor. I certainly Hope Walker receives the recognition that she deserves!

Carol Ann Irby, 3/20/19 -- Nominated by Andrea Perkins

Carol Ann was my supervisor and has received a promotion at VCU. She should be acknowledged for all of the recognition subcategories: initiative, integrity, respect, responsiveness. She has illustrated these traits on a daily basis! After Carol Ann started her new position; she attended a meeting on the MCV campus and decided to check on her replacement while she was nearby. She traveled to our building so they could 'catch up'. From my time working for Carol Ann Irby, I've seen that she exemplifies such extraordinary qualities in every aspect. I sincerely hope that she gets the recognition she deserves!

Kayla Watts, 3/20/19 -- Nominated by Andrea Perkins

Kayla has high moral standards, exemplifies nobility, and is sincere and genuine. Kayla demonstrates these qualities each day.

Dana Rajczewski, 2/11/19 -- Nominated by Dr. Anton Kuzel

Dana is one of the most professional and efficient individuals with whom I have had the pleasure of working. She always seems to find the answer and is the go to person when it comes to planning an event or finding a solution (from the smallest to the biggest challenge). She maintains an amicable demeanor and treats everyone with respect and kindness. Recently, she helped me find two spaces on campus for different events, in a pinch. She is an extraordinary VCU employee who contributes so much to our department, division, university and city!

Carolyn Lee, 1/31/19 -- Nominated by Dana Rajczewski

Carolyn has been a tremendous resource during the VCU Staff Performance Evaluation cycle! She is very knowledgeable about the process and if there is something that she has been unsure of, she has worked with SOM and/or University HR to get an answer in a timely fashion. I think she's relieved quite a bit of anxiety that comes with a new way of doing things (including a new software system) and we are so lucky to have her in our department!

Carrie Main, 1/23/19 -- Nominated by Jeanne Schroeder

Carrie is awesome at project management and keeping our team informed of progress as an eLearning Specialist. She's always looking for new ways to improve the quality of the products we develop and is fantastic to work with!

Marcus Mickle, 1/1/19 -- Nominated by Lisa Dougherty

This recognition is long overdue as Marcus has always been responsive, thorough, pleasant and professional. His recent work on the Student Services Center and Admissions non-degree online application project is the latest example of Marcus' exemplary work. His willingness to collaborate, attention to detail and generosity with his time were instrumental in getting this project up and running on time. He is a tremendous asset to this university.

 

Archives

2016 recognitions

2015 recognitions