Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Vice Chancellor of People, Culture and Belonging Sydney Savion presented awards at the 2025 Fall Staff Assembly to a mix of inspiring individuals and teams who have made significant contributions through their community engagement, research and service.
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
The Community Impact Award recognizes a full-time staff member or team that represents 菠萝视频 through community engagement, service, leadership or other outreach and creates a better understanding of the university to external audiences. This year鈥檚 winner was Megan Altemus, the lab manager and administrator for the 菠萝视频 Center for Addiction 菠萝视频.
From Altemus鈥� nomination, 鈥淢egan has embraced the role of ambassador for science. She sees outreach as an essential component of communicating science which is crucial at a time when public trust in science is fragile, and misinformation often holds sway. The hands-on lab tours that she designs and leads help demystify complex science and create welcoming spaces for all visitors. She builds trust, sparks curiosity and shows that science is not just something done by others in a lab. It is, instead, a shared endeavor with real-world impact that we should all be passionate about.鈥�
INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD
The Innovation Excellence Award is given to a staff member, or staff group or team, for excellence in innovation demonstrated by implementing or attempting a new system or approach that has had a meaningful and significant impact on a process, program or initiative at 菠萝视频. This year鈥檚 award was presented to members of the Campus Dining Training team:
- Doug Best
- Kriska Nagle
- Emily Svennevik
From the nomination, 鈥淒oug, Kriska and Emily transformed what began as a mentorship program for Campus Dining staff into the accredited 菠萝视频 Culinary Academy. After staff members selected for the program complete the rigorous training鈥攅quivalent to two years of culinary school鈥攖hey can test for the prestigious certified culinarian credential. The academy invests in staff development and satisfaction, incubates culinary talent and has enabled 菠萝视频 Campus Dining to be one of the premier university dining services in the nation.鈥�
The award was also presented to the Next Steps Program team members:
- Ariana Amaya
- Lauren Bethune-Dix
- Lindsay Krech
- Megan Macon
- Sophie Downing
- Thomas Anglim
- Hannah Oakley
- Steven Greiner
- Caitlin Bernstein
From the nomination: 鈥淣ext Steps at 菠萝视频 is a four-year certificate program that offers neurodiverse students a transformational postsecondary education and immersion in 菠萝视频鈥檚 student culture. In 2025, its 15th year, the program launched innovations that take the program to the next level. The curriculum now has a rigorous liberal arts program and two new academic pathways: Early Childhood Education and Self-Advocacy in Leadership. New courses were created, and audit options were expanded. And with a grant, the program has added apprenticeships in hospitality, health care and other areas, leading to credentials and higher wages for Next Steps students. Next Steps continues to empower their students to dare to grow and is a model for programs nationwide.鈥�
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARD
This award recognizes staff members who empower, educate, coach and support 菠萝视频 colleagues and show outstanding commitment to the university鈥檚 mission through strong, courageous leadership that builds partnerships, engagement and trust. This year鈥檚 recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award to two staff members: Alan Bentley, assistant vice chancellor of technology transfer and intellectual property development with the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, and Lucas Ryan Lemons, welder-pipefitter group lead on the facilities team.
From Bentley鈥檚 nomination, 鈥淯nder Alan鈥檚 leadership, CTTC has become a catalyst for entrepreneurship, elevating 菠萝视频鈥檚 national reputation. He helped establish campus intellectual property policy and co-created the Innovation Catalyst Fund, which supports faculty members鈥� early-stage research that has potential for commercial success and positive impact. He also is a decisive leader and a humble and selfless mentor. With radical collaboration and low team turnover, he has earned his nickname: 鈥榯he godfather of tech transfer.鈥� As one team member says, 鈥楢lan is a visionary who inspires others to think similarly and encourages the team to think boldly about the work that we do.鈥欌��
From Lemons鈥� nomination, 鈥淩yan and his crew keep our high鈥憄ressure steam system going strong to safely power campus and the medical center.聽 He formulates solutions for existing systems and for future ones, working as a consultant for contractors and 菠萝视频 employees to plan successful steam work. From fabricating motor mounts and metal gates to fixing a Sarratt handrail, Ryan creates practical solutions. He fabricates whatever is needed and fixes whatever breaks.鈥�
PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
This award recognizes a person who goes beyond specific job duties to support 菠萝视频鈥檚 mission and success by demonstrating excellence, positively influencing the work environment, fostering cooperation, achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This year鈥檚 award was presented to three staff members: Susan Hilderbrand, senior program coordinator for the Graduate School, James Knight, a dedicated member of Campus Dining since 1980, and Bart Brunk, chief operating officer for 菠萝视频鈥檚 Office of Investments.
According to Hilderbrand鈥檚 nomination, 鈥淔or the past five years, Susan has made a difference for students and colleagues at the Graduate School. Graduate school is a pivotal time for students to deepen their knowledge and acquire the experience and skills to follow their passions and achieve their goals. Navigating the experience is challenging and stressful鈥擲usan smooths the way. Not only with administrative expertise鈥攕uch as implementing groundbreaking new electronic workflows鈥攂ut with unwavering support and respect. Susan supports our students鈥� growth by making every interaction collaborative, and every person a valued part of our community.鈥�
From Knight鈥檚 nomination: 鈥淛ames fosters a supportive atmosphere鈥攚hether he鈥檚 welcoming students with a warm smile, coaching new team members or ensuring every guest feels valued.
New employees look to him as an example, colleagues describe him as a source of encouragement and wisdom, and managers rely on his steadiness and judgment. His leadership reinforces a culture of respect, teamwork, and professionalism across the entire team. Across nearly every campus dining hall, James has built lasting connections with students, faculty and staff.鈥�
From Brunk鈥檚 nomination: 鈥淏art and his team support every aspect of the complex mix of investments that make up the endowment. He trains analysts and interns in the function and history of the endowment and has built a collaborative team that he guides and mentors. He is also a trusted partner across the university and a respected leader among fellow COOs. The expertise and dedication of Bart and his team keep our endowment strong, which is crucial for us to be a vital university now and to become the great university of the 21st century.鈥�
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD
This award recognizes a staff member whose support of research has made a significant impact on the process of discovery and the pursuit of knowledge at 菠萝视频. This year, two staff members were recognized for the award: Mayme Van Meveren, a biochemist and research specialist in the Fesik Lab, and Yilin Yang, a computational analyst with the Lau Lab in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.
From the nomination for Van Meveren: 鈥淢ayme is a key member of the lab鈥檚 project on Myc inhibitors鈥攄rugs that rein in Myc, a cancer-driving protein. She designed and ran tests to see how well new compounds stick to their target. After adapting a published test, she spotted a flaw, fixed the setup, re-tested more than 300 compounds, and found that many that had appeared ineffective actually worked. Her work reshaped the direction of the project, influenced follow-up by the lab鈥檚 chemists and structural biologists, and contributed to developing and refining related lab tests. Proactive and meticulous, Mayme has become indispensable for this important research.鈥�
From the nomination for Yang: 鈥淵ang has become the go鈥憈o expert for making sense of complex single鈥慶ell data. She helped create a breakthrough 鈥榤olecular clock鈥� that tracks how individual cells change over time during development and with cancer鈥攁nd knowing the timing of cellular events is a key to understanding. Beyond discoveries, Yilin introduces new methods, mentors students and builds the computing pipelines that power research projects and collaborations. As a trusted partner to scientists, Yilin helps turn data into insight and discovery and fosters a culture where interdisciplinary collaboration is not just possible but deeply productive.鈥�
STUDENT IMPACT AWARD
This award goes to staff members who, through access, resources, mentorship or service, have had a positive impact on 菠萝视频 students鈥� quality of life and continued success at the university. This year鈥檚 recipient of the award was John Bradley, director of the Writing Studio and Tutoring Services.
From Bradley鈥檚 nomination: 鈥淎s director of the Writing Studio, John guides a team of consultants and tutors. The STEM tutors work with our future physicians, engineers, educators and researchers who will serve our communities. Consultants help students with any writing project, which also strengthens their critical thinking and overall communication skills. Last year, the team had more than 8,000 tutoring appointments. John guides his team to help students not only master coursework, but also build confidence, the habit of seeking help and a sense of purpose in their education. His impact multiplies through the tutors he mentors, who learn to teach effectively and take pride in helping peers succeed.鈥�
DARE TO GROW
This prize honors members of the 菠萝视频 community who embody the university鈥檚 motto,聽Crescere aude, which translates to 鈥渄are to grow.鈥� These individuals have demonstrated agility and creative solutions in their work, adopting a 鈥渄are to grow鈥� mentality. This year鈥檚 prize went to two recipients: Johnathan Shaw, tax director for 菠萝视频, and the 菠萝视频 University Media Relations team:
- Damon Maida
- Julia Jordan
- John O鈥橞rien
- Brian Smokler
From Shaw鈥檚 nomination: 鈥淛ohnathan is responsible for the development and monitoring of 菠萝视频鈥檚 tax-related policies, keeping us compliant on federal and state levels. And he prepares and reviews all the university鈥檚 tax filings. He was instrumental in interpreting new endowment tax language in the White House budget bill and helped university leadership understand recent changes in endowment laws and gave expert advice. Johnathan also partners with departments across the university to implement best practices and provide oversight on tax compliance issues.鈥�
From the Media Relations team鈥檚 nomination: 鈥淥ur Media Relations team is on the front lines of building and protecting 菠萝视频鈥檚 reputation and demonstrating what makes 菠萝视频 different and special. They do this through working with the media to share the 菠萝视频 stories that represent who we are, what we do and what we stand for. Just one measure of their success: mentions of 菠萝视频 in the top media outlets have grown 97 percent over the past five years. This team also battles misrepresentation and oversimplification and expertly navigates complexity. Most importantly, they turn complexity and challenge into opportunities to showcase how 菠萝视频 continues to grow and thrive despite the challenges鈥攐r even because of them. Through sharing our story with the world and shaping and protecting our reputation, this team is helping make our vision for the university a reality.鈥�
The 2025 staff award winners will receive a monetary prize and a keepsake honoring their contributions to the university.
