2020 UAA Staff Awardees

Daniel Barkley

First Year Programs (FYP)

“Daniel is often the first person on our team to consider the impact of a decision or action on our campus partners and consistently advocates for our partners’ needs and goals. He makes intentional time to develop relationships with partners and truly understand their business operations, successes and challenges, and how he can support them in his role within FYP.”

-Matt Skirven, First Year Programs

Sarah Bishop

Pipeline Project

“Sarah played an instrumental role in developing a new America Reads work study program for Pipeline Project. After listening to school partners over the years who expressed a strong interest in UW Pipeline tutors making a longer term commitment beyond one quarter, Sarah collaborated with the UW Work Study office to develop a partnership to engage a group of 20 Pipeline tutors to provide reading and math skills tutoring over the course of a school year.”

-Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Jenelle Birnbaum

Office of the Dean

“Communications work won’t work without collaboration. Timelines need to be built together, story ideas come together through collaboration, larger projects need teamwork to be pulled off. Jenelle has shown time and again that she is a reliable, compassionate, creative and intelligent collaborator, gently steering us in directions we need to go to get things done.”

-Kirsten Atik, Office of the Dean

Kelly Chapman

Honors Program

“Kelly collaborates closely with all our staff, providing enormous support for our diverse curriculum, doing human resources work, supporting our admissions reading sessions, as well as collaborating on our many events. Kelly’s work touches all communities in Honors, including faculty and students from many departments, as well as colleagues across UAA. Without her collaborative spirit and warm demeanor, this work would not happen as smoothly as it does with her at the helm!”

-Vicky Lawson, Juliana Villegas and
Aley Mills Willis, Honors Program

Claire Grant

Honors Program

“From Claire’s first day in her current position she has been willing to jump in, take the initiative and contribute wherever and however she is needed. We are consistently impressed by her enthusiasm to thoroughly research and reflect on each issue she encounters, so that she can be as helpful as possible to those she works with. Claire supports students throughout their entire college path, from meeting with prospective students and families to individual advising appointments, hosting group advising sessions to helping students connect to post-graduation opportunities.”

-Brook Kelly, Honors Program

Sylvie Lapointe

Community Engagement Leadership Education Center, Office of Educational Assessment

“Sylvie takes the time to understand and listen to each program’s situation, questions and needs and has developed a coordinated system to help us effectively track our fiscal expenditures and budget projections. From taking the initiative to attend our CELE staff meetings to better understand the intricacies of our work to stopping by our offices to share an update or ask if we need anything, Sylvie has worked hard to build strong relationships and partnerships with our program staff team.”

-Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center (CELE)

Selam Misgano

Othello-UW Commons

“Selam’s partnership building efforts led to the curation of over 150 events and programs engaging over 60 community-based organizations and over 20 UW departments this past year. Through Selam’s commitment to fostering just and equitable relationships in a spirit of mutuality and solidarity, she has played an instrumental role this past year in advancing the Othello-UW Commons’ vision for the UW to be a valuable, present and long term partner in the ongoing and collective efforts to advance equity in education, health and economic opportunities in Southeast Seattle communities.”

-Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Caroline Shelton

Office for Youth Programs Development & Support

“By building intentional partnerships with diverse youth programs, Caroline cultivates a community of practice that strengthens the collective and individual work of many. Lila Lakehart (KUOW’s RadioActive) shares, ‘Caroline brought together disparate programs and helped us to become a supportive community. I never knew most of these youth programs existed, but it turns out we have many challenges, ideas and desires in common. Caroline helped us see that and to meet those challenges together.'”

-Laura Harrington and Emily Smith, Office for Youth Programs Development & Support

Danielle Greiner Shenk

Undergraduate Advising

“Dani has a keen ability to listen to and incorporate a variety of viewpoints which has only made for a more effective and meaningful course for all involved. Her warm and caring demeanor makes her an ideal collaborator and someone who is well respected and known across the University.”

-Joslin Boroughs, Kyla Mayer and Dan Feetham, Undergraduate Advising

Micah Trapp

Office of the Dean

“Micah’s positivity and enthusiasm for integrating technology into our collaborative spaces move us forward and help us to do our jobs better. She is one of the most patient teachers, and I so appreciate how she constantly thinks about how to get the most out of our shared work while gently getting us to open our minds.”

-Jodene Davis, Office of the Dean

Eric Lopez

Dream Project

“From how Eric never fails to greet you ‘good morning’ to the ways he brings humor and his renowned knowledge of pop culture into meetings to break the ice and connect with colleagues, Eric has created a supportive and kind work environment. Specifically, Eric has built a strong rapport with students and colleagues, one in which they can confide in him and trust he will respond with the empathy and support needed.”

-Nesley Bravo, Dream Project

Andrew (Andy) Pace

Dream Project

“Andy fosters a sense of community and belonging in his leadership with the principles of compassion and respect as important — or more so — as any meeting objective.”

-Jodene Davis, Office of the Dean

Rosa E. Ramirez

Student Academic Services, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

“Rosa’s deep understanding of UW policies and procedures allows her to offer a compassionate interpretation of policy, recognize individual needs within static processes, and offers folks the opportunity to be ’seen’ by a large system that often feels impersonal or impenetrable. Rosa holds us accountable to the rules, while reminding us of our agency and autonomy.”

-Kathryn Pursch Cornforth, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Sala Lina Sataraka

Jumpstart

“Sala works hard to create a Jumpstart culture and community where care for self and others is fostered whether that be through organizing community building breakfast potlucks or facilitating courageous conversations around topics of identity, power and privilege that deepen relationships amongst students.”

-Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

UAA IT Team

Josh Gibbs and Henry Lui

“During this time of COVID-19, Josh and Henry have gone above and beyond the usual call of duty to ensure our staff and students can work effectively from home. They have listened to the many different needs, and challenges people have faced and provided solutions based on individual needs. They have physically gone to campus, when most of us can’t, to troubleshoot and fix any problems without complaint. In what has been a very stressful time for many, they have remained calm and have provided clear guidance on how to move forward in a compassionate and thoughtful way.”

-Micah Trapp, Office of the Dean

Anna Bloch

Office of the Dean

“Anna is never afraid to ask questions and seek clarity around her role and what her responsibilities are. The questions she asks would help me to think more clearly about what this position could be.”

-Micah Trapp, Office of the Dean

Carlos Guillen

First Year Programs

“Carlos works with departments across campus to create content for both U101[an online course students complete before orientation], as well as the Husky Guide which is a published work that is given to thousands of parents and students every year. He works closely with our student coordinators for digital communications to create designs as well as written content. By listening to others and taking in feedback, he creates content that external partners find to be in line with their work.”

-Emma Yamamoto, First Year Programs

Allie Lilley

Office of the Dean

“Allie is my go-to with sticky administrative questions because she is tenacious in asking questions — first to understand the nuance of a problem and then to interrogate policy to unearth all the possible answers.”

-Kathryn Pursch Cornforth, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Donna Pham

Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

“Donna has fostered a culture of inquiry and reciprocal feedback by creating an annual off-boarding process for student staff that allows us to build on successes and identify areas of growth for the future.”

-Kathryn Pursch Cornforth, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Katie Wallace

Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

“The culture of inquiry that Katie fosters has facilitated meaningful discussions on a variety of program improvements and evolution ranging from re-envisioning how we recognize student leadership to re-envisioning how to support student reflection on their service and leadership endeavors to developing a collective identity as a Community Engagement and Leadership Education Center.”

-Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Jessica Hunnicutt Batten

Dream Project

“Due to organizational culture, many students of color that participated as mentors or leaders left Dream Project due to microaggressions and the lack of accessibility due to the high volunteer hours commitment required. To shift this culture, Jessica led the effort to change the Dream Project mission statement, curriculum and recruitment practices to directly discuss and prioritize racial equity. In addition, all student leadership positions were turned into stipended internships so that students who could not afford to volunteer could participate.”

– Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Kathryn Higgins

Robinson Center for Young Scholars

“Kathryn’s innovation about issues of equity in our programs has created more access for students that haven’t been in our programs previously. She has researched and advocated for ways the RC can provide more financial aid and we implemented her suggestions. Because of her ideas, we have seen an increase in financial support for students.”

-Jana Lamon, Robinson Center for
Young Scholars

Rosa E. Ramirez

Student Academic Services, Community Engagement & Leadership Education

“As we strive to remove barriers to increase accessibility to our programs and opportunities, Rosa is there as a partner to help us navigate systems to remove barriers while adhering to policies. For example, Rosa has played an instrumental role in helping our programs remove barriers for undocumented students so they can more fully participate in our programs.”

-Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Sala Lina Sataraka

Jumpstart

“Over the past year, I have witnessed Sala take initiative with the ultimate goal of furthering an equitable culture in UAA for our students and colleagues. In particular, while on a hiring committee together, I noticed the ways Sala advocated for candidates who had more non-traditional work experiences, recognizing their transferable skill sets, and stating how some of the committee’s hiring requirements could serve as barriers to the candidates.”

-Nesley Bravo, Dream Project

Christine Stickler

Pipeline Project

“As University programs, it is sometimes difficult to sustain strong partnerships with historically marginalized communities, and in particular communities who have been devastated by cultural genocide from the history of U.S. education policy. Christine’s focus on building deep relationships of mutual gain and sustaining those relationships over many years is a model of integrity for our University.”

-Sarah Bishop, Pipeline Project

Katie Wallace

Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

” Katie transformed our selection processes for UCBI community partners and undergraduate interns by making the selection criteria transparent, shifting more power for student selection to our community partner organizations, and infusing each step of the process with equitable best practices. I’ve come to trust Katie’s gut — when something we discuss doesn’t sit well with her, the dissonance almost always has a critical question of integrity at its core.”

-Kathryn Pursch Cornforth, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Nesley Bravo

Dream Project

“As the lead instructor for the online Leadership E-portfolio course for the Husky Leadership Certificate students, Nesley led a team of colleagues to improve and implement the curriculum to support student reflection, learning and growth. Through her initiative and attentive care, Nesley helped to improve the rigor of the course curriculum to improve the learning experience for students.”

– Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Kathryn Pursch Cornforth

Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

“Kathryn has been instrumental in helping to shape and articulate a collective narrative for UAA’s community engagement and leadership education work, and she has most recently been instrumental in helping our unit think creatively and courageously about how to show up for our communities during this pandemic. Kathryn is a true advocate and champion for the power of campus-community partnerships as a form of transformative learning, and I am grateful for Kathryn’s steadfast commitment to facilitating reflective learning opportunities anchored in building authentic relationships in and with communities.”

– Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Jodene Davis

Office of the Dean

“This year, Jodene created a way for more staff to attend the Leadership Without Borders training so they could better support our undocumented students. She co-leads the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council and has been leading efforts to get more training and professional development opportunities for our staff as it relates to diversity and inclusion.”

-Micah Trapp, Office of the Dean

Meghan Gescher

Husky Leadership Initiative

“From supporting the recruitment process of a diverse cohort of student participants through social media channels to providing feedback on student assignments in the LEAD 495 Leadership E-portfoio (LEAD 495) and Leadership Firesides (GEN ST 391) courses to managing numerous details associated with the Spotlight on Leadership showcase event, I am greatly appreciative of Meghan’s commitment to providing an optimal student learning experience. The high quality of her student feedback on course assignments demonstrates her dedication to support each individual student’s learning and growth.”

– Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Meghan Robinson

Jumpstart

“Through mentorship and extensive training, undergraduate students engage in self-reflection and critical inquiry as a way to grow and change on both a personal and societal level. Working towards the day when every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed, UW Jumpstart students are cultivating their capacity to contribute to this goal. Along with a Co-Site Manager, Meghan has stewarded this transformative learning opportunity that has brought much value to our students and local community.”

– Francesca Lo, Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center

Undergraduate Research Symposium Team:

Jeamel Alday, Juandalyn Burke, Jennifer Harris, Qanani Khalil, Faith Nyakundi, Daisy Parra-Padilla and Jessica E. Salvador

The Undergraduate Research Symposium is a huge investment of time and effort, and there are many aspects of it that require work “above and beyond” the usual workday and workload. It is always a labor of love, but 2020 has provided a unique challenge that required the team to pivot from a campus-based, in person event to a virtual one in less than 6 weeks. The team led the way in this effort, researching delivery platforms and new modes, creating webinars to provide instruction to participants, offering many hours of drop-in and practice sessions to help the 859 student presenters feel comfortable with this approach. As one of the students, Hank Cheng, wrote recently: ‘Undergraduate research is an unparalleled experience to push the limits of knowledge in a field and my own limits of being a scholar. It is an experience that would be incomplete without the opportunity to share my work, which is why I am grateful that the URP has taken an innovative approach to ensure I can share my research story to others.’ ”

-Janice DeCosmo, Office of the Dean