Previous Award Recipients

See below for information regarding previous awardees:

AY 2023-2024 Heading link

Fall 2023

Rebecca McKinley Sherrod, Visiting Senior Design Strategist, Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design

Ravinder Sahota, Academic Advising Coordinator and Adjunct Professor, School of Law

Alejandro Rios, Area Coordinator, Campus Housing

Patrick Horton, Associate Instructional Designer, Instructional Design and Media Production Studio

KiKi Wessel, Academic Advisor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Sally Blechschmidt, Honors Advisor and Program Specialist, Honors College

Monica Horga, Associate Director of Financial Administration, Office of Population Health Sciences – Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

Bradley Mueller, Senior Pre-Law Advisor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Nina Goodhue, Associate Athletics Director of Marketing and Ticket Sales, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

Nicole Messier, Senior Instructional Designer, Instructional Design and Media Production Studio

Michelle Garcia, Senior Associate Registrar, Office of the Registrar

Onyinyechi Jessica Ogwumike, Visiting Research Specialist, College of Nursing

Cari Melby, Program and Policy Analyst, Office of Transfer Articulation and Degree Audit

Gail Makuch, Disability Services Specialist, Disability Resource Center

Aisha Pleasant, Director and Instructor, Office of Enrollment Management

Daniel Lamoureux, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Outreach, Admissions – Transfer Outreach and Support

Nicole Powell, Director of Operations, Pathology Laboratories

Spring 2024

Raisa Blazquez-Krebs, Visiting Research Associate, Discovery Partners Institute

Stephanie Werner, Research Specialist, Discovery Partners Institute

Abbi Allen, Associate Director, Policy and Procedure, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Gabrielle Lathrop, Assistant Athletic Director, UIC Athletic Department

Elizabeth Houlihan, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Engagement, Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Erin Stapleton-Corcoran, Instructional Designer, Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence

Renee Carrigan, Assistant Director, Academic Advising, College of Medicine-Peoria

Meg LaLonde, Senior Academic Advisor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Maxine Frendel, Associate Instructional Designer, Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence

AY 2022-2023 Heading link

Fall 2022

Max Anderson, Director of Instructional Design and Learning Innovation, College of Medicine

Nathan Bambenek, Academic Advisor, LAS Student Academic Affairs

Rhea Begeman, Director, Administrative Operations, Department of Emergency Medicine

Sarah Cashdollar, Associate Director of IWERC Research, University of Illinois System

Ifeanyi Chukwudozie, Assistant Director, UI Cancer Center

Olivia Desormeaux, Assistant Director of Pre-Awards Sponsored Projects, School of Public Health

Mario Diaz, Assistant Dean for Recruitment, College of Applied Health Sciences

Kimberly Huang, Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Katie Ingrao, Director of Portfolio Management, Office of Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Jeffrey Jamrok, Police Communications Center Manager, University Police

Ashley Jarrell, Assistant Director, Recruitment & Engagement, LAS Student Academic Affairs

Steven Kowal, Associate Director of Admissions Systems Data, Office of Admissions

Esther Pacheco, Research Associate, Department of Medicine

Corina Ronneberg, Senior Research Specialist, Department of Medicine

Stacey Valuch, Project Manager, Information Services

Yesenia Villalobos, Assistant Director of First-Year Initiatives, Academic Center for Excellence

Spring 2023

Karen Cielo, Director of Research Advancement, Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Meghan Elliott, Research Associate I – Social Sciences, Department of Psychiatry

Brenda Fisher, Assistant Director, Urban Health Program – Rockford Campus, College of Medicine

Jason Goode, Director for Student Affairs, College of Medicine

Amy Haban, Academic Advisor (Student Affairs), College of Medicine

Julien Leider, Senior Research Specialist, Institute for Health Research and Policy

Abigail Marroquin, Research Specialist, Academic Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine

Jorge Mena Robles, Associate Director, Latino Cultural Center

Bradley Mueller, Pre-Law Senior Academic Advisor, Student Academic Affairs LAS

Aisha Pleasant, Director of President’s Award Program, Degree Progress Office

Dedra Ries, Director, Community Engagement Health Equity, UI Cancer Center

Christopher Sayre, Interim Registrar, Office of Registration and Records

Elizabeth Squires, Assistant Director for External & Pipeline Projects, Center for Rural Health Professions

Elizabeth Woods, Associate Director, Grants & Contracts, Center for Biomolecular Sciences

AY 2021-2022 Heading link

Fall 2021

Alexander Adamov, Associate Director of Financial Operations, College of Dentistry

Mirjana Antonic, Senior Research Specialist, Institute for Health Research and Policy

Kaylena Becker, Academic Advisor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Melissa Bryant, Academic Advisor, Department of Computer Science

Theresa Christenson, Director of Graduate Student Professional & Career Development, Graduate College

Elyse Donati, Manager of Research Operations, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

Julie Grey, Emergency Management Specialist, Office of Preparedness and Response

Yue Huang, Clinical Research Coordinator, Department of Medicine

Donald Kamm, Office for Access and Equity and Title IX Coordinator Director, Office for Access and Equity

JaEun Jemma Ku, Digital Accessibility Assistant Director, Office for Access and Equity

Maryam Mirza, Research Specialist, Institute for Health Research and Policy

Nicholas Rummler, Senior Instructional Laboratory Specialist, School of Architecture

Spring 2022

Jeanette Agustin, Director of Administrative Operations, College of Medicine

Stephen Brown, Senior Director, Social Behavioral Health Advocacy, Office of the Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs

Rodney Chambers, Director of Library Business and Financial Operations, University Library

Cat Humpal, Visiting Research Specialist, Department of Medicine

Viviana Kabbabe-Thompson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, College of Applied Health Sciences

Bharat Kurma, Associate Director of Clinical Strategy, Analysis and Practice, College of Medicine

Yasuhiro Kyono, Visiting Research Specialist, College of Pharmacy

Sean MacCready, Director of Development, Office of Vice Chancellor of Advancement

Jocelyn Perez, Visiting Research Associate I, Department of Medicine

Sarah Primeau, Associate Director of the First-Year Writing Program, Department of English

Corina Ronneberg, Senior Research Specialist, Department of Medicine

Carla Ross, Director of Finance, Department of Psychiatry

Angela Yudt, Associate Vice Provost, Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

AY 2020-2021 Heading link

Fall 2020

Shu-Ju Cheng, Education and Outreach Specialist, Women’s Leadership and Resource Center

Sophia Hamilton, Director, Disability Resource Center

Elizabeth Herrera, Director, Career Development and Major Exploration

Kathryn Jackson, Director, Alumni Career Services

Claudia Oropeza, Senior Research Specialist, Department of Medicine/Microbiology and Immunology

Michael Paprzyca, Director, Human Resources and Faculty Affairs, Department of Medicine/College of Medicine

Bala Ramaruju, Executive Director, IT, College of Nursing

Mindy Reeter, Director, Office of Human Research Oversight and Community, Institutional Review Board (CIRB) Accreditation and Compliance, College of Medicine

Laura Roman, Assistant Director of Career Services, School of Public Health, Office of Student Affairs

Robin Sylvester, Director of Research Services, Dean’s Office/School of Public Health

Mindy Ward, International Services Coordinator, Office of Global Engagement, Office of International Services

Spring 2021

Vainis Aleska, Director at the Writing Center, English, LAS

April Andry Rah’man, Instructional Coach, Adult Education/Center for Literacy/ College of Education

Azize Aziz-Bradley, Visiting Regulatory Specialist, Medicine/ Hematology- Oncology

Rita Bieliauskas, Director of Experiential Learning, Business Career Center, College of Business

Jaideep Deshpande, Director of Strategic Initiatives, College of Dentistry

Carol Fendt, Director of PRAIRIE Group, Learning Sciences Research Institute, LAS

Emilie Giacobbe, Analytical Forensic Toxicology Specialist, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Suzanne Hambright, Assistant Director of All of Us Research Program, Medicine

Leslie Hammersmith, Assistant Dean for Technology Enhanced Instruction, Academic Affairs, College of Medicine Peoria

Tanye Harrison, Associate Director, Career Development, Career Services, Student Affairs

Nicolas Llinas, Research Associate, Medicine/ Division of Infectious Diseases

Qingei Luo, Research Scientist, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research

Joey Maman, Lead Academic Advisor, College of Business Administration

Stuart Robinson, Assistant Director of Academic Services, School of Public Health

Wendy Shahpar, Academic Advisor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Tracy Skilorski, Associate Director, Budget and Financial Analysis

Diana Soriano, Assistant Director of Advising and Retention, College of Business Administration

Daniel Woznica, Visiting Clinical Research Coordinator, DOM

AY 2019-2020 Heading link

Fall 2019

Mei Zhang, Director, Department of Administrative Operations, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy

Jen Delos Reyes, Associate Director, Art

Jennifer Sculley, Senior Design Strategist, Population Health Sciences Program, Vice Chancellor for Affairs

Maureen Woods, Associate Director, Office of Admissions

Brittney Beck James, Coordinator of Student Teaching, Council on Teacher Education

Roberta Dupuis Devlin, Digitization Manager, University Library

Brenda Barrie, Sponsored Project Specialist, Office of Research Services

Xiao Dong, Biomedical Informatics Core Research Specialist, Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Michael Diaz, Executive Associate Director, Office for Access and Equity

Julie DeLisa, Visiting Assistant Director of Research Compliance, DOM Breathe Chicago Center

Sierra Ryan, Assistant Director, Council on Teacher Education

Spring 2020

Vimla Homan, Transition Coach, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Academic Programs, Office of First-Year Initiatives

Ryan Ingebritsen, Instructional Laboratory Specialist, School of Theatre and Music

Nester Komolafe, Contract Coordinator, Purchasing

Aaron Rosenthal, Senior Assistant Director of Contracts & Systems, UIC Purchasing

Benjamin Salentine, Associate Director of Health Sciences Managed Care, Department of Managed Care

Caryn Sanders-Marcus, Advisor, Office of Student Affairs and Curricular Affairs/ College of Medicine

Michele Santana, Academic Advisor, AHS Student Affairs

Robert Schroeder, Director of Communications and Marketing, School of Public Health

Hugo Trevino, Disability Services Specialist, Disability Resource Center (DRC)

Stephanie Williams, Director of Student Affairs-Academic Skills, Student Affairs, College of Medicine Rockford Campus

Montanee Wongchinsri, Director of Finance and Budget, LAS Administration

AY 2018-2019 Heading link

Spring 2019

James Lynn, Acting Director, Office of Undergraduate Research, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Academic Programs
Crystal Tse, College Teacher, ACE  (Academic Center for Excellence)
Geoff Thames, Director, Ace, Student Affairs
Kimberly Huang, Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy
Lisa Sanzenbacher, Assistant Director for Sustainability Programs, Office of Sustainability
Joseph Lutz, Associate Director of Postdoctoral Affairs, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
Timothy Sullivan, Director of Academic Affairs & College Registrar, Administration/Academic Affairs/Dentistry
Jennifer Bash, Senior Analytical Forensic Toxicology Specialist/Quality Manager, Bio pharmaceutical Sciences/Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory/College of Pharmacy
Emilie Giacobbe, Analytical Forensic Toxicology Specialist, College of Pharmacy/Biopharmaceutical Sciences/AFTL
Elizabeth Kocs, Director, Programming, Outreach, Research and Education, Energy Initiative/Physics/LAS
Larisa Burke, Visiting Research Specialist, Office of Research Facilitation/College of Nursing
Jenna Vater, Health Professions Educator, National Center for Rural Health Professions

Fall 2018

Vainis Aleksa, Director, UIC Writing Center, Writing Center/English/LAS
Kevin Wlekinski, Sponsored Projects Specialist, Office of Research Services
Dana Plepys, Associate Director, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, Software Technologies Research Center/OVCR and Computer Science/COE
Sherrie Wright, Police Communications Center Manager, UIC Police Department
Nicole Gottleib, Honors Academic Advisor and Program Specialist, Honors College
Elizabeth Woods, Associate Director
Kamil Czarnowski, Center for Biomolecular Sciences/College of Pharmacy
Julien Leider, Research Specialist, Institute for Health Research and Policy
Pilar Carmona, Senior Associate Director, Community Relations, Community Relations UI Hospital
Johnny Quintanilla, Area Coordinator for Residential Engagement, Campus Housing
Anjana Bairavi Maheswaran, Visiting Research Specialist, Department of Emergency Medicine, UIC
Sean Boettcher, Associate Director, Marketing & Recruitment, UIC Extended Campus

Summer 2018 Heading link

Summer 2018

Ashlee Hardgrave, Music Programs Manager/Admissions Liason

Robin Sylvester, Assistant Director, Pre-award Sponsored Projects, School of Public Health

Michael Franklin, Honors Academic Advising and Program Specialist

Stuart Robinson, Academic Coordinator and Advisor

Yochai Eisenberg, Senior Research Specialist

Leo Njongmeta, Assistant Director for Biological Safety