University of Arizona Awards for Excellence - 2020

Joan Timeche, Executive Director, Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy

Joan has created an atmosphere that supports and encourages Native professionals to excel and advance in their chosen areas of work. She has provided all staff with both individual and team opportunities for professional development. Joan's inclusive investments in staff excellence pays off in capacity and effectiveness yet when staff move on to higher positions elsewhere it is through her commitment to them that they are prepared to follow their dreams.

Patricia Barcelo-Sanders, Program Coordinator, Senior, Department of Surgery

Patty was recognized for her responsible, energetic and goal-orientated capabilities. She draws on her own immigrant background to assist visiting fellows with visas and with orienting to Tucson and the University. She is an amazing woman who works hard and always goes above and beyond in all she does.

Nicole F. Bergier, Coordinator, Prevention Research, Health Promotion Sciences

Nicole works to enhance student and community engagement. She leads the Health2BMe! summer camp for children in under served communities. Nicole coordinates the camp, its curriculum and faculty participation, and sponsorship. Anyone who has the pleasure to interact with Nicole sees her giving spirit and willingness to help as unique and welcome.

Nichole M. Guard, Program Coordinator, Senior, Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Nichole is recognized as a diligent, organized and inspirational leader. She works to ensure that programs within the Department of Spanish and Portuguese connect seamlessly with programs in other units, ensuring that student needs are met. She goes above and beyond her job description to counsel and mentor students, and finding creative ways to give the the resources they need to be successful.

Angela Hackett, Manager, Administration, School of Government & Public Policy

Angela wears many hats. She is an administrative supervisor, a department liaison, she directs faculty affairs, coordinates with the business staff, manages scholarship awards, and coordinates event planning. She is a person who gets things done and is a motivated leader and liaison. She always seems to know which approach is appropriate. She is truly and indispensable member of the School.

Toni Holloway, Applications Systems Analyst/Developer, Principal, Student Admin Systems Group

As a unit manager, Toni is always committed to the needs and growth of her staff. She is consistently making herself available and is committed to a true 'open-door' policy. She takes every opportunity to recognize her staff achievements, and ensure they are getting the tools and resources they need to achieve their career goals. Toni was instrumental in the redesign process, for the Next Steps Center, one of the most visible and critically important online experiences for new students, overcoming many technical obstacles along the way. Toni has earned the affectionate nickname, "Mad Dawg" from colleagues for her loyalty, tenaciousness, and integrity.

Mark St. Onge, Director, Utility Services, Facilities Management

Mark goes to great lengths on a daily basis to inculcate a positive, supportive and inclusive culture in Utility Services. Mark is a champion of growing talent within his organization, providing opportunities for on-the-job training and supporting internal and professional development. He also spearheads successful practices and strategies to make Utilities' more efficient, sharing his knowledge with other universities and bringing back best practices that can be used here.

Maria Schuchardt, Program Coordinator, Senior, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

Cory made a special effort to be inclusive of the distance education activities and CRM needs, aiding in renaming the instance ‘Extended Campuses’ to ensure we, and our student population, were considered in larger decisions affecting the operations and design of the software. Not only did this strengthen the work of the distance education efforts, but it allowed for greater collaboration and sharing of ideas across Online and Distance Education, making us all better at what we trying to accomplish. Distance Education has almost doubled statewide undergraduate enrollment from 400studentsto 750 students while Arizona Online has grown exponentially from 150 to 3700 students. Without the contributions of Cory LaPlant in managing and communicating with our prospective students and applicants, our teams would not have been able to sustain this growth trajectory.

Peter Scorcia, Director, Enrollment Management Systems and Communication, Admissions and New Student Enrollment

Peter is a positive and level-headed leader, who invests in each of his team members. He serves as a mentor and gives team members the opportunity to develop new skills, and builds a sense of comradery and professionalism among the group. He is strong advocate for the student experience and promotes ideas and technology that improve operational productivity while keeping the student experience in mind. An out-of-the-box thinker himself, Peter understands the value that comes from working with people of different backgrounds, with different perspectives and ideas. 

Jennifer Uhrlab, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Immunobiology

Jennifer is recognized for her scientific experience, knowledge base and problem-solving skills. In her role as a lab manager, she is a mentor for students and junior technicians in the laboratory. All of the labs in the department benefit from her time, attention and advice. Whether it's designing an experiment, editing a paper, or listening to a trainee's practice presentation, Jen is ready to make it happen. Jen is an amazing leader, mentor and scientist, and truly epitomizes "outstanding achievement in the workplace". The second picture shows Jen dressed in the BSL3 PPE required for some of her work.