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UW announces 2022 Awards of Excellence recipients 

This year’s Awards of Excellence recipients are being recognized for achievements in teaching, mentoring, public service and staff support. 

The winners will be honored from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on June 9 at the Meany Hall for the Performing Arts. The UW community and the general public are encouraged to attend. The program includes a one-hour ceremony hosted by President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards, followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres, desserts, a photo booth and a chance to connect and celebrate with your team members and the rest of the UW community. Please invite your colleagues, friends and family! 

Alumna Summa Laude Dignata 

  • Pamela F. Cipriano (she/her), ’81, School of Nursing; President, International Council of Nurses 

David B. Thorud Leadership Award 

  • Karen E. Moe (she/her), Director, Human Subjects Division and Assistant Vice Provost, Office of Research 
  • Julie K. Stein (she/her), Emeritus Executive Director, Burke Museum; Professor, Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences  

Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award 

  • David N. Stone (he/him), ’68, Michael G. Foster School of Business; Signal Corps Officer, U.S. Army (ret.) 

Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning Award 

  • Yvonne S. Lin (she/her), Associate Professor, Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy 

Distinguished Librarian Award 

  • Azusa Tanaka (she/her), Japanese Studies Librarian, University Libraries 

Distinguished Service Award 

  • Michael Verchot (he/him), Director, Consulting and Business Development Center, Michael G. Foster School of Business 

Distinguished Teaching Award

  • Stefanie Iverson Cabral (she/her), Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Nursing & Health Studies, UW Bothell 
  • Samuel Jaffee (he/him), Associate Teaching Professor, Spanish & Portuguese Studies, College of Arts & Sciences 
  • Ines Jurcevic (she/her), Assistant Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance 
  • Adam Leaché (he/him), Professor, Biology, College of Arts & Sciences; Curator, Burke Museum 
  • Mikelle Nuwer (she/her), Associate Teaching Professor, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment 
  • Claudia Sellmaier (she/her), Assistant Professor, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice, UW Tacoma 

 Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award 

  • Kenneth A. Sirotnik (he/him), Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education (posthumous) 

Excellence in Teaching Award 

  • Marcus J. Johnson (he/him), Doctoral Candidate, Communication, College of Arts & Sciences 
  • Kristin Privitera-Johnson (she/her), Doctoral Candidate, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment 

Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award 

  • Ralina L. Joseph (she/her), Professor, Communication, College of Arts & Sciences; Director, Center for Communication, Difference and Equity 

Outstanding Public Service Award 

  • Ann Spangler (she/her), Administrative Assistant, W.H. Gates Public Service Law Program, School of Law 

Retiree Excellence in Community Service Award 

  • Erasmo Coronado Gamboa (he/him), Professor Emeritus, American Ethnic Studies, College of Arts & Sciences 

Together We Will Award 

  • Taylor Paul Anuhea Ahana (he/him), Program Manager, UW Study Abroad, Office of Global Affairs 
  • Yasmin Ahmed (they/them), Assistant Director of Student and Community Engagement, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, College of Arts & Sciences 
  • BrieAnna Bales (she/her), Senior Director of Operations, Office of Advancement, UW Tacoma  
  • Burlyn Birkemeier (she/her), Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, College of the Environment
  • Jacob Dobner (he/him), Manager, Creative Communications
  • Kirsten Espiritu (she/her), Area Director, Housing & Food Services, Student Life
  • Erin Goecker (she/her), Retrovirology Laboratory Manager, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, UW Medicine
  • Jennifer Greenwood (she/her), Senior Remote Testing Site Manager, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, UW Medicine
  • Nell Gross (she/her), Director of Academic Services, Geography, College of Arts & Sciences
  • China S. Hardison (she/her), Program Operations Specialist, Surgery, School of Medicine
  • Joanna Long (she/her), Gardener, UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment
  • Jessica Muhamad (she/her), Medical Assistant, Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, UW Medical Center
  • Evalina Taganna Romano (she/her), Custodian, Building Services, UW Facilities
  • Adrienne Schippers (she/her), Manager, Infection Prevention, UW Medical Center
  • Madison Schumaker (she/her), Certified Nursing Assistant, Surgery, Harborview Medical Center; Patient Care Technician, Surgery, UW Medical Center
  • Samuel Shupe (he/him), Physics Lab Coordinator, Physical Sciences, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, UW Bothell
  • Kevin Springer (he/him), Program Support Supervisor II, UW Counseling Center
  • Kathy Strand (she/her), Health Services Manager, Campus Health Clinics Montlake/Northwest, UW Medical Center
  • Rick Wells (he/him), Research Scientist, Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine
  • Renee M. Wolken (she/her), RN3 and Assistant Nurse Manager, Orthopaedics Operating Room, Harborview Medical Center 

University Faculty Lecture Award 

  • David W. Hertzog (he/him), Professor, Physics, College of Arts & Sciences