Staff Awards Recognize Employee Dedication, Resilience
Alice Goddard, assistant administrator in the UA's pediatrics department, is this year's winner of the Billy Joe Varney Award for Excellence.
Jennifer Cubeta, an academic adviser in the department of molecular and cellular biology,is one of this year's recipients of a University Staff Award for Excellence.
Dubbed the "Renaissance Man" of computer science information technology by his colleagues, Tom Lowry is another of this year's University Staff Award for Excellence recipients.
A team of Facilities Management employees that helped prepare McKale Memorial Center for President Barack Obama's visit to campus is being recognized with a Team Award for Excellence.
The University of Arizona has seen a lot of changes over the past few years, with the University's Transformation Plan and a $100 million cut in state funding altering the way many campus units do business. Several recipients of this year's Staff Awards of Excellence have been praised by their nominators for their resilience and positive attitudes in the face of these transitions.
The Staff Awards for Excellence, presented annually by the UA Staff Advisory Council, the Appointed Professionals Advisory Council, President Robert N. Shelton and the President's Cabinet, are designed to recognize employees who go above and beyond the call of duty in their jobs, whether it's by putting in extra hours, initiating innovative programs or always arriving at the office with a smile.
"Over the past couple of years, these awards have become especially meaningful to the recipients," said Eddie Gomez, president of the Staff Advisory Council. "Not only are they being acknowledged for their professional talents, they are being acknowledged for their resiliency and steadfastness in the face of unprecedented fiscal challenge."
Awards are given in four categories, recognizing individual employees, teams and departments on campus. This year's recipients will be honored today at 3 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom. The following honorees' names will be read by Carl Olson, associate insect curator in the UA department of entomology.
University Staff Awards for Excellence
Awarded to multiple benefits-eligible staff or appointed personnel for outstanding workplace achievements. Winners receive $1,000.
Debra Cox-Howard, mental health clinician in the Campus Health Service's Counseling and Psychological Services division, frequently goes above and beyond her regular responsibilities, which include working with student-athletes, students with substance abuse issues and students who have suffered severe loss. She oversees the outreach component of CAPS and initiated and maintains the Parents Matter Program, a consultation service for parents of UA students. She also coordinates annual depression screenings, breast cancer awareness events and "Safe Spring Break" events and assists with Campus Health's Love Your Body Day, Fat Talk Free Day and eating disorder screenings. In the past year, Cox-Howard has also set up an interdepartmental Substance Abuse Assessment Team, made up of specialists from many disciplines, to discuss treatment and policy and supervise difficult substance abuse cases.
Jennifer Cubeta, an academic adviser in the department of molecular and cellular biology, is known as a mentor, guide and friend to students, according to her nominators. In addition to working with about 550 molecular and cellular biology majors to offer timely and compassionate academic advice, she is also an integral member of committees planning future directions for the molecular and cellular biology department. Nominators say student success is the ultimate goal of all of her initiatives, which include mandatory freshman advising and the development and coordination of an accelerated master's degree program, among others.
Maria Estapa, a custodian with Facilities Management, is part of a team that keeps the Biological Sciences West building "one of the cleanest on campus," while maintaining an upbeat attitude and enthusiastic approach, according to her nominators. One of her nominators wrote: "Just seeing Maria in the morning helps me start my day on a positive note. She is so enthusiastic, very obviously dedicated to her job and happy to be here, and always goes out of her way to help with any situation that could arise."
Shetara OliwoOlabode, a senior office specialist at the Think Tank, was hired in June 2009 to help establish the UA's new academic support center, a unit formed as a result of the University's Transformation Plan. OliwoOlabode worked to establish the Think Tank's business practices. She also hires, trains and supervises all front-desk staff for Think Tank locations at the Nugent Building, the Student Recreation Center and the Park Student Union. A consummate professional, she is decidedly the Think Tank "go-to" person for students and professional staff, according to her nominators.
Susana Ruiz, administrative associate in the department of German studies, has been the department's sole staff member for the past two years because of budget cuts. Nominator Barbara Kosta, head of German studies, says it would be an understatement to say she's relied on Ruiz to help run the department. Ruiz is now the point person for all graduate programs in the recently formed School of International Languages, Literatures and Culture. Bringing dedication, commitment and kindness to her position, she is known for her creative problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
Talisha Mottinger, business manager for the department of chemistry and biochemistry, is credited with taking a leadership role in getting the Department of Energy-funded $15 million Energy Frontier Research Center at UA off the ground. She also contributed extensively to the merger of the chemistry and biochemistry departments, leading the business office team through challenging times and numerous shifts and reformations of positions and duties related to the merger. Mottinger has brought a sense of stability and confident leadership to the department, according to her nominators.
Theresa A. Allen, senior management analyst in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, worked extra hours, often from home and on weekends, as she led an effort to streamline the UA Pell Grant program's paper-based process, using technology to reduce the time it takes to process awards and disbursements. Her efforts enabled the University to receive its funds on time and disburse them to students without delay. Her nominators say she not only demonstrates efficiency and skill but also grace and humor, even during the office's busiest times.
Tom Lowry, principal information technology support analyst in the department of computer science, has been called a "Renaissance man" when it comes to computer science information technology and, due to budget and staffing cuts over the past two years, he has at times become a one-man show, according to his nominators. Lowry has been technical support person for PlanetLab, a global research consortium, since its inception. He also has been instrumental in setting up communications in the newly formed Computer Science Robotics Laboratory and is an initial member of the newly formed College of Letters, Arts and Science Information Technology group.
The Billy Joe Varney Award for Excellence
Awarded to one benefits-eligible employee with at least 15 cumulative years of employment at the UA to recognize a career of dedicated service. The winner receives $1,500.
Alice A. Goddard, assistant administrator in the department of pediatrics, is the recipient of this year's Billy Joe Varney Award for Excellence. Goddard, who began working at the UA nearly 24 years ago, rose rapidly from the role of administrative secretary to business manager to business manager senior to her current position, in which she supports nearly 70 faculty, 21 appointed personnel, 42 classified staff and 48 resident physicians. Goddard's achievements include assisting with the development of a $500,000 Angel Charity proposal to renovate clinical and basic science research space for juvenile diabetes, developing a departmental administrative staff organizational plan that reduced administrative staffing by nearly 15 percent, and more. She is also an active and dedicated community member, volunteering for the Humane Society, Equine Voices, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the International Wild Mustang and Burro Organization and other animal rescue groups.
The University Team Award for Excellence
Awarded to teams of three or more people committed to a common purpose or goal at the UA. Team members share a $1,500 prize.
The Facilities Management McKale Memorial Center Setup Team is one of this year's honorees. The team came together to prepare McKale Memorial Center and Arizona Stadium for President Barack Obama's visit to campus in January, completing work that would normally take three days in less than 48 hours. From preparing the floor to installing lighting and stages to providing the cable hookup for the event, the team worked into the night with a "whatever-it-takes attitude," according to nominator Chris Kopach, Facilities Management director. Obama spoke at the UA's "Together We Thrive" event, which drew thousands to campus to honor the victims of the tragic Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson.
The Pre-Health Professions Advising Center, a division of the Center for Exploratory Students in the College of Letters, Arts, and Science, is also a recipient of a Team Award for Excellence. The team's academic advisers – Randi Lynn Kent, Stephanie Rollins and Mara Vahratian – worked together to create an innovative Clinical Rotation Internship course for pre-med students in partnership with University Physicians administrators and faculty from the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and the UA main campus, as well as clinical sites throughout the community. The internship consists of a weekly lecture series and mentoring by community physicians over a three-month period, providing students with hands-on experience to help prepare them for medical school and careers in medicine.
The Department Award for Excellence
Awarded to a single campus department for excellence in managing people and resources.
The Center for Exploratory Students, in the College of Letters, Arts, and Science, is this year's recipient of the Department Award for Excellence. Formerly University College, the center is charged with advising more than 3,000 undecided, exploratory, pre-nursing, interdisciplinary and international studies students at the UA, plus more than 2,000 pre-health and pre-law students completing majors in various disciplines. To meet the needs of such a dynamic mixture of students, staff at the center must coordinate closely with one another as well as with the broader UA academic community. The UA Transformation Plan brought many changes to the center, including structural changes and loss of staff, but nominators say it has emerged as a department that exemplifies resilience and interdisciplinary collaboration.
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