Recipients of UAA Staff Recognition Awards
What you’ll find here: Debbie McGhee Award for Excellence // Leadership Awards // Distinguished Partner Award // Retired awards
Note: The recognition awards were paused in 2022 to focus on the 2021 recipients who were awarded during the height of the pandemic and on the contributions of all UAA staff during that time.
Debbie McGhee Award for Excellence
The Debbie McGhee Award for Excellence is presented to a current UAA staff member who has substantially advanced our mission to be a “catalyst and advocate for excellence and innovation” and who fully embodies our values: collaboration, compassion, curiosity, equity, integrity and transformative learning. This award represents the highest accolade we bestow upon one another as we celebrate those who lead the way for all of us to continuously strive to do our best work and be our best selves.
In 2019, the Award for Excellence was renamed to honor the memory of Debbie McGhee, a beloved colleague who passed away between the time she was nominated for the award and the event at which it was awarded to her, posthumously, in June of 2019. Read more about Debbie here.
| NAME | YEAR | DEPARTMENT |
| Meghan Coletta | 2024 | First Year Programs |
| Robin Chang | 2023 | Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards |
| Lioudmila Kourenina | 2023 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| No award given | 2022 | |
| Henry Lui | 2021 | Information Technology |
| Pam Robenolt | 2021 | Student-Athlete Academic Services |
| Jennifer Stock | 2021 | Student Academic Services |
| Francesca Lo | 2020 | Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center |
| Debbie McGhee | 2019 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Lisa Bruce | 2018 | Student-Athlete Academic Services |
| Josh Gibbs | 2018 | Information Technology |
| Aley Mills Willis | 2017 | Honors Program |
| Kathryn Pursch Cornforth | 2017 | Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center |
| Josh Lin | 2016 | Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity |
| Deborah Smith | 2015 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Mona Pitre-Collins | 2015 | Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowship & Awards |
| Rachel Vaughn | 2014 | Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center |
| Maren Halvorsen | 2014 | Robinson Center for Young Scholars |
| Sharon Minton | 2013 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Tracy Nyerges | 2013 | Undergraduate Research Program |
| Kirsten Atik | 2012 | Dean’s Office |
| Michaelann Jundt | 2011 | Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center |
| Nana Lowell | 2011 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Jodene Davis | 2010 | Mary Gates Endowment for Students |
| Kay Balston | 2010 | Undergraduate Advising |
| Jennifer Harris | 2009 | Undergraduate Research Program |
| Brook Kelly | 2009 | Honors Program |
| Joanna Loss | 2008 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Ray Carlsen | 2008 | Classroom Support Services |
| Janice DeCosmo | 2007 | Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity |
| Juliana Villegas | 2007 | Honors Program |
| Beret Kischner | 2006 | Undergraduate Advising |
| Ellen Mosolf | 2006 | Robinson Center for Young Scholars |
| Miriam Goldstein | 2006 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Christine Stickler | 2005 | Pipeline Project |
| Jason Johnson | 2004 | First Year Programs |
| Janet Kime | 2004 | Undergraduate Advising |
| Cathy Beyer | 2003 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Donald Zongker | 2003 | Classroom Support Services |
| Ken Etzkorn | 2002 | Dean’s Office |
| Dick Newcomb | 2001 | Undergraduate Advising |
| Jerry Gillmore | 2001 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Ran Hennes | 2001 | Honors Program |
| Dick Simkins | 2000 | Undergraduate Advising Center |
| Pat Wrobel | 1999 | Dean’s Office |
| Patrick Roberts | 1999 | Classroom Support Services |
Leadership Awards
The Leadership Awards were inaugurated in 2020. They are presented to UAA staff who have exemplified UAA values within the past year. Eligible employees include part-time, temporary, student staff and interns as well as teams. Any nominations that demonstrate how a staff member or team has embodied and modeled a specific UAA value in their work will be recognized.
| NAME | VALUE(s) | YEAR | DEPARTMENT or TEAM |
| Julie Berry | Collaboration | 2021 | First Year Programs |
| Alli Botelho | Collaboration / Curiosity | 2021 | Academic Support Programs |
| Jeremy Caci | Collaboration | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Mariana Castaneda | Collaboration | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Raquel Chavez | Transformative learning | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Annabel Cholico | Collaboration | 2021 | Mary Gates Endowment for Students |
| Meghan Coletta | Transformative learning | 2021 | First Year Programs |
| Angela Davis-Unger | Collaboration | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Joyce Diaz | Equity | 2021 | Robinson Center for Young Scholars |
| Kathryn Grubbs | Equity | 2021 | Robinson Center for Young Scholars |
| Kayla Huddleston | Collaboration | 2021 | Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center |
| Trang Hoang | Transformative learning | 2021 | Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center |
| Luda Kourenina | Integrity | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Jana Lamon | Equity | 2021 | Robinson Center for Young Scholars |
| Allison Lilley | Compassion / Collaboration | 2021 | Office of the Dean |
| Eric Lopez | Collaboration | 2021 | Dream Project |
| Adanech Makey | Transformative learning | 2021 | Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center |
| Jon Monteith | Collaboration | 2021 | Resilience Lab |
| Luisa Moreno | Collaboration | 2021 | Riverways Education Partnerships |
| Jillian Morn | Curiosity | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Michelle Mvundura | Compassion | 2021 | Resilience Lab |
| LizAnne Ngo | Collaboration | 2021 | Office of Educational Assessment |
| Richard Parra | Equity | 2021 | Riverways Education Partnerships |
| Rosa Ramirez | Collaboration | 2021 | |
| Saralyn Santos | Transformative learning | 2021 | Riverways Education Partnerships |
| Sala Sataraka | Integrity | 2021 | Jumpstart |
| Emily Smith | Transformative learning | 2021 | Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards |
| Joslin Boroughs, Ryan Burt, Dan Feetham, Carlos Guillen, Kyla Mayer, Rosa Ramirez, Eric Sortun, Martha Tran, LeAnne Wiles | Integrity | 2021 | Student Academic Services Leadership Team |
| Jessica Hunnicutt Batten, Kathryn Pursch Cornforth, Francesca Lo, Christine Stickler | Transformative learning | 2021 | CELE Directors |
| Daniel Barkley | Collaboration | 2020 | First Year Programs |
| Jessica Hunnicutt Batten | Equity | 2020 | Dream Project |
| Jenelle Birnbaum | Collaboration | 2020 | Office of the Dean |
| Sarah Bishop | Collaboration | 2020 | Pipeline Project |
| Anna Bloch | Curiosity | 2020 | Office of the Dean |
| Nesley Bravo | Transformative Learning | 2020 | Dream Project |
| Kelly Chapman | Collaboration | 2020 | Honors Program |
| Kathryn Pursch Cornforth | Transformative Learning | 2020 | Community Engaged Learning Courses
Undergraduate Community Based Internships |
| Jodene Davis | Transformative Learning | 2020 | Office of the Dean |
| Meghan Gescher | Transformative Learning | 2020 | Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center |
| Claire Grant | Collaboration | 2020 | Honors Program |
| Carlos Guillen | Curiosity | 2020 | First Year Programs |
| Kathryn Higgins | Equity | 2020 | Robinson Center for Young Scholars |
| Sylvie Lapointe | Collaboration | 2020 | Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center
Office of Educational Assessment |
| Allie Lilley | Curiosity | 2020 | Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity
Office of the Dean |
| Eric Lopez | Compassion | 2020 | Dream Project |
| Selam Misgano | Collaboration | 2020 | Othello-UW Commons |
| Andrew (Andy) Pace | Compassion | 2020 | Dream Project |
| Donna Pham | Curiosity | 2020 | Community Engaged Learning Courses |
| Rosa E. Ramirez | Compassion and Equity | 2020 | Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center
Student Academic Services |
| Meghan Robinson | Transformative Learning | 2020 | Jumpstart |
| Sala Lina Sataraka | Compassion and Equity | 2020 | Jumpstart |
| Caroline Shelton | Collaboration | 2020 | Office for Youth Programs Development and Support |
| Danielle Greiner Shenk | Collaboration | 2020 | Undergraduate Advising |
| Christine stickler | Integrity | 2020 | Pipeline Project |
| Micah Trapp | Collaboration | 2020 | Office of the Dean |
| Katie Wallace | Curiosity and Integrity | 2020 | Undergraduate Community Based Internships |
| Josh Gibbs and Henry Lui | Compassion | 2020 | UAA IT Team |
| Jeamel Alday, Juandalyn Burke, Jennifer Harris, Qanani Khalil, Faith Nyakundi, Daisy Parra-Padilla and Jessica E. Salvador | Transformative Learning | 2020 | Undergraduate Research Symposium Team |
Distinguished Partner Award
The Distinguished Partner Award recognizes a colleague, program or department whose collaborations with Undergraduate Academic Affairs have made significant advances in the University of Washington’s undergraduate academic experience. These collaborations enhance, enrich and deepen the undergraduate experience. The reciprocity of these relationships benefits undergraduates and the broader campus community.
| DEPARTMENT OR NAME | YEAR |
| The Office of the University Registrar and Enrollment Information Services | 2020 |
| Mary Gates Hall Custodial Team: Desidero De Castro, Maria Devaney, Joe Lo, Zenaida Pagdilao, Emebet Sefara, Cassk Thomas, Robert Thompson, Seare Zerom | 2019 |
| Leilani Lewis and Jeanette James | 2018 |
| Office of Regional & Community Relations | 2018 |
| University of Washington Police Department | 2017 |
| wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ–Intellectual House | 2016 |
| Student-Athlete Academic Services | 2015 |
| Division of Student Life | 2014 |
| Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity | 2013 |
| The Graduate School | 2012 |