The Presidential Award for Staff Excellence recognizes up to six staff members per year who have gone above and beyond the specific duties assigned to them and have demonstrated excellence in their work. These individuals positively influence the work environment, foster cooperation, achieve goals and/or overcome obstacles/challenges, while carrying out employment responsibilities.
Criteria:
- Be a regular staff member at least 51% time with at least six years of service to NIU or a full-time temporary staff member with at least six years of service to NIU.
- Have demonstrated a record of excellent service at NIU that goes above and beyond basic requirements of position/role.
- Have demonstrated how they positively influence their work environment, the campus and/or the community through their efforts.
- Have not received an SPS Presidential Award for Excellence or Operating Staff Outstanding Service Award in the past.
Michael Corvino
Michael Corvino
There’s no shortage of praise at NIU for Michael Corvino, technical support specialist in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
At least a dozen faculty and staff offered words of support for his recognition. If there hadn’t been a word limit, there would have been more, said Mehdi Semati, professor and chair of the Department of Communication.
“Beyond his knowledge and skills, what makes Michael a positive force in our community are his positive and cheerful disposition, his kindness toward others, and his tendency to treat everyone with patience and respect as he helps them navigate technical issues,” Semati said. “I have never ever heard him complain about anything no matter the circumstances. I say, with utmost sincerity and honesty, he has made my job as the chair for the last seven years much easier than it would have been without his positive presence.”
Joining NIU in 2007 and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2018, Corvino has an extensive record of service in various roles. Within CLAS, he has spearheaded numerous digital conversions, upgraded countless classrooms and labs and provided expert consultation on technology needs, purchases and replacements in software and hardware.
He does it all with a positive attitude and eagerness to help.
“If you talk to any faculty, staff or students that had pleasure working with Michael, you would quickly find that his passion, professionalism and his willingness to step up is infectious,” said Aleksandar Kosoric, Information Systems director for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Completing his undergraduate degree in media studies in 2002 and a master’s degree in communication in 2007 at NIU, Corvino also has been an instructor of media production courses and judged submissions for NIU’s Reality Bytes Independent Student Film Festival for more than a decade.
“Michael leads an exemplary summer film program for high school students. His energy and willingness to work tirelessly with them has become an important recruitment tool for students with no prior knowledge of our program,” said Laura Vazquez, professor and director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Communication.
“He engages current undergraduates as assistants for the program, mentoring them in more than filmmaking techniques as they become important role models for the ‘campers.’ This is above and beyond typical staff activities and is indicative of Michael’s commitment to NIU.”
Bryan Flower
Look around campus and you’ll see the fruits (and vegetables) of Bryan Flower’s labors.
That’s how Rena Cotsones, vice president of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development and chief engagement officer, describes the deep impact Flower has made at NIU.
As the assistant director for Food Systems Innovation in the NIU Office of Innovation, Chef Flower has worked with a team of student volunteers and community partners to create NIU’s Edible Campus. A living learning laboratory focused on food systems, Edible Campus includes a collection of gardens that provide fresh food for food for campus dining, the meal prep program and for food insecure students.
“The footprint of the Edible Campus is impressive and is the direct result of Bryan’s willingness to put in the physical work as well as his ability to attract volunteers, partners and donors to the cause,” Cotsones said.
This year, the gardens are expanding to serve as teaching tools and provide valuable research data, as well as fresh local food.
“In addition to envisioning these spaces and programs, Bryan is always there shovel in hand to till the soil, spatula in hand to teach the meal prep course, or phone in hand to reach out to his wide network to seek products, resources, volunteers, or advice from area farmers and business owners,” Cotsones said. “Whatever needs doing gets done, either by Bryan himself or with Bryan working alongside a crew of volunteers he has recruited.”
While Flower has become most known for the Edible Campus project, he also has built numerous partnerships and developed impactful programming, such as the annual Sustainable Food Systems Innovation Challenge and an Innovation Conversation Series, said Karinne Bredberg, director of the NIU Office of Innovation.
Flower gives back to the NIU community by working with the NIU Foundation on an annual event, An Evening with Chef Bryan. He cooks the meals from produce harvested from the Edible Campus, and the proceeds go to the Huskie Food Pantry.
“Bryan has a natural ability to transfer his passion for food systems onto others,” Bredberg said.
He is a value creator, an inclusive collaborator and a splendid example of Huskie excellence, said Luke Sebby, executive director for strategic development in University Advancement.
“With no road map to follow for envisioning what food systems innovation might look like for NIU, Bryan rolled up his sleeves, charted a course and got to work,” Sebby said.
Theresa LaRocco
When graduate students have questions, they turn to Theresa LaRocco.
As admissions and records associate for the Graduate School at NIU, LaRocco wears numerous hats.
Her focus always is on students.
“Several times in my first year at the Graduate School, I would watch students filter in and out of Theresa’s office. They would come in with questions about their tuition charges or worries about their academic status, and Theresa would sit with them, sometimes for over an hour,” said Bailey Scidmore-Sievers, records representative for the Graduate School.
“She would strategize and comfort and problem solve. Not a single student would leave without some sort of solution in place.”
Working above and beyond, LaRocco has served Huskies in various roles since 2006.
She now leads the enrolled services team of the Graduate School and is responsible for all activities related to graduate students in their coursework through commencement, including grade changes, schedule changes, degree audits and much more, said Kerry Wilks, dean of the Graduate School and associate vice president of the Division of International Affairs.
Due to staffing changes and retirements, LaRocco recently took commencement responsibilities for the Graduate School, as well as the new responsibility of overseeing the Thesis and Dissertation office.
“It is with no hyperbole to state that every graduate student is helped in some way by Theresa and her team,” Wilks said.
She is open to learning new technology and implementing improvements to streamline the processes to enhance student experience, said Purushothaman Damodaran, professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
Damodaran worked with LaRocco as a colleague for 10 years and supervised her for 7 months as interim dean of the Graduate School.
“She is a go-to person for any student issues,” Damodaran said. “With a smile on her face, she is prepared to take up any challenges and is always available to help.”
The enrolled team in the Graduate School is one of the highest functioning units on campus and well-known for its customer service, distinctions owed LaRocco’s leadership and management, said Bradley Bond, associate professor of History.
“Theresa’s proven to be a remarkable trainer of new personnel, incrementally introducing the steps and many mechanical processes necessary for accurate recordkeeping and monitoring new employee’s work carefully,” Dr. Bond said.
“More importantly, she embraced two significant changes in the leadership of the enrolled team. First, she sought not merely to train but to empower her subordinates to make informed decisions independently. Second, to empower staff, she knew that she had to train them to understand not only the catalog [and PeopleSoft] but the philosophy that informed the structure of curricula and the philosophy that placed the needs of students and faculty above the certain bureaucratic rules and all administrative practices.”
Julie Ann O’Connell
When it comes to the many initiatives of the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies (NNGO), Julie Ann O’Connell is on the cutting edge.
The center’s assistant director and internship coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, O’Connell embodies going above and beyond.
She plans a range of diverse events for NNGO, serves as a member of the People’s Organizing Weekend Empowerment Retreat (POWER) planning committee and supervises the Huskie Closet. Opened in the spring of 2022, the closet allows students to shop for free business and casual clothing and shoes in a warm, welcoming environment.
O’Connell’s Huskie spirt and passion to help students succeed is evident in everything she does.
“Julie Ann’s enthusiasm and optimism is contagious – students and local nonprofit agencies alike perk up when her name is brought up, and she is a good ‘glue’ connecting people,” said Mark Schuller, NNGO acting director.
“The best testament to Julie Ann’s positive influence is from the students themselves. Since I took over as acting director this academic year, I have heard from students on numerous occasions about how great she makes them feel, including about themselves,” Schuller said. “Colleagues also share this enthusiasm.”
Her energetic and nurturing personality draws students to her and keeps them returning to NIU, said Sandy López, director of the Undocumented Student Resource Center.
She empowers others.
“Julie Ann embodies the characteristics of an exceptional employee and a transformative leader who upholds inclusion and equity while putting social justice at the front and center of her work,” López said. “She works collaboratively to bring about change while cultivating the abilities of others, so contributions are part of a collective.”
Since Laura Heideman, an associate professor of Sociology, joined NNGO as a new faculty member in 2013, O’Connell has been a constant resource.
She is valued as a teacher, mentor, colleague and community partner.
“She is constantly networking, identifying opportunities and imagining ways to connect our students’ skills with our community’s needs,” Heideman said.
Brian Smith
Compassionate, kind, caring.
Descriptions of Brian Smith often contain these three words. The director of Employee Well-Being, Smith frequently earns recognition through NIU Today’s Applaud a Colleague.
“Brian provides more individual therapy services per day than it seems there are hours in the day!”
“He helps brighten everyone’s day with his boisterous laugh and comforting smile.”
“I have never met someone as genuinely compassionate and respectful as Brian.”
In everything he does, Smith fosters positive change within the university, said Jason Rhode, associate vice provost for Teaching, Learning, and Digital Education.
“Brian’s positive influence permeates every aspect of his work, inspiring colleagues and stakeholders alike to strive for excellence and embrace a culture of care and compassion,” Rhode said. “Within the university setting, Brian’s influence is palpable, as evidenced by the widespread adoption of wellness initiatives and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from faculty and staff.”
Anyone who runs into Smith on campus feels seen and heard, said Sarah Garner, Ethics and Compliance officer. She describes him as one of the most devoted and empathetic people on campus.
He’s always there to help in tough situations, whether it be an employee who needs some assistance or a supervisor who is experiencing challenges, she said.
“Simply put, Brian cares about the people that work at NIU. He makes all of us feel valued and appreciated, despite challenges and obstacles that we may face,” Garner said. “Brian is authentic and is his true self when communicating with staff or faculty.”
He’s the person faculty and staff turn to when they’re in crisis.
“It is an incredible weight to bare, and he does so with humility and grace and in a way that allows people to keep their dignity,” said Simón Weffer, associate professor and director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Sociology.
He recalled the way Smith handled a discussion with College of Liberal Arts and Sciences staff in the fall of 2022 amid the pandemic. All walked away with knowledge of how to have difficult conversations and a true appreciation of what everyone had been through and continuing struggles.
“It was one of the most awe-inspiring interactions I’ve been part of in my dozen years on campus,” Weffer said.
Deirdre Young
As the functional lead for PeopleSoft student records, Deirdre Young’s work has an impact on literally every student and faculty member at NIU.
Her role as associate director of Registration and Records in the Division of Academic Affairs requires technical competency, data proficiency and communication skills.
Yes, she has all that, said Cody Schmitz, director of Registration and Records. But that’s not what defines her impact at NIU.
“Rather, it is her willingness to regularly, consistently and positively go above and beyond to assist individuals, departments and units in improving the quality and efficiency of student services they provide that distinguishes her as a professional,” Schmitz said.
“There have been few enrollment, student success or equity initiatives in recent years that did not utilize, in some form or fashion, the actionable student data that Dede retrieves and presents.”
Colleagues joke that her business cards should include the title “Efficiency Expert.”
During staff turnover and changes in leadership, she has stepped in not only to lead, but to help improve the team’s efficiency and accuracy, Schmitz said.
Regularly recognized in Applaud a Colleague, Young’s efforts stretch far beyond Records and Registration.
“I have supervised many intelligent, competent, and dedicated individuals. Nevertheless, I have never supervised someone about whom I so regularly receive feedback from outside our department and division, detailing the extent to which Dede’s consultation and execution has improved the quality and efficiency of their work, and emphasizing just how fortunate we are as an institution to have someone of Dede’s quality and disposition on our team,” Schmitz said.
She has “come to the rescue” many times, said Steve Estes, director of Academic Advising in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).
For instance, Young used her PeopleSoft skills and creativity to bring a much-needed functionality to MyNIU when the college updated its Bachelor of Science requirements, Estes said.
“It may sound like a small thing, but it saves each of our advisors several hours per semester that can be put to better use directly supporting students,” he said.
Celeste Latham, associate vice president for Resources and Facilities, has worked with Young for more than a decade.
“We have collaborated on numerous projects, and I have always been impressed by her unwavering dedication and work ethic,” Latham said. “No matter the task at hand, Dede consistently exceeds expectations and approaches challenges from multiple angles to discover the best solution.”
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