VC Spotlight Award

Jasimine Evans | Career Services
Jasimine's nominator said in part, “I want to recognize Jasimine Evans for her commitment to DEI issues at a department and campus level, her ability to supervise an outstanding group of students virtually, and her love of learning and sharing her knowledge and expertise with others.” Her nominator went into great detail about all of the ways in which you have excelled as a DEI advocate, a student supervisor, and a lifelong learner this semester." Thank you, Jasimine!

Katie Ufer | Career Services
Kate's nominator said in part,“Kate is the team mate and colleague that everyone hopes to work with and collaborate with in their professional career. Kate’s professional cadence and thoughtful and caring approach to employers, students and alumni is what has made ends meet for the events team and department during this unique time in history. Kate supported over 10 cross campus partners and aided those who otherwise would not have had the means or tools to run a virtual event. In all Kate helped the team to serve over 1,873 students and 453 employer partners between 5 fairs during the fall 2020 season alone.” Thank you, Kate!

Marcus Lies | Integrated Security
Marcus' nominator said, "Overall Excellence and going the extra mile for the university. They always respond to calls and help in any way they can, always willing to help out. Has a great positive attitude that exudes out onto others.” Thank you, Marcus!

Meagan Larsen | SA Communications
Meagan's nominator said, “Meagan is extremely hard-working and has given so much of her time and energy to make sure students have a great first year experience. She has taken additional responsibilities and puts 110% effort into everything she does. She is also a joy to work with, I just can't say enough great things!” Thank you, Meagan!

Katie Campbell | SA Communications
Katie's nominator said, “I would like to nominate Katie Campbell for the spotlight award for her collaboration with Student Housing. For three weeks, Katie worked closely with me and easily put in many hours to update and revamp the housing portion of the website for all of the 2021-22 housing application processes. When we started the updating, it was just that; however, as we continued through the process and decisions were being made regarding the housing offered in 2021-22 the updates evolved to a whole new look and feel. Katie worked collaboratively with me to make the website student and family friendly. She worked late and last minute, as well as offered insight and suggestions that really supported the direction we were headed. She also was a pleasure to work with and supported us at every turn. While Katie planned to work with us on website updates, she was not planning or expecting this to be the large scale project it ended up being. This nomination is just a small way to show our appreciation and gratitude for the support she gave our unit.” Thank you, Katie!

Marcie Bigsby | Student Legal Services
Marcie's nominator said, “Equity, Social Justice and Inclusion: Marcie recognizes that she has hidden biases; she has taken training and continues to seek out training opportunities so that she can learn and grow in that regard. Student-Centered Environment: Marcie possesses amazing customer service skills and a top-notch ability to communicate with others. He ability to put anxious and often scared students at ease is nothing short of incredible. Excellent Staff Experience: Marcie expertly anticipates what the attorneys need from her and offers that support whenever and however she can, almost always before we even think to ask. She consistently strives to improve office policies and procedures, and is extremely detail-oriented with her work.” Thank you, Marcie!

Amanda Taylor | University Memorial Center
Mandy's nominator said, “[Mandy] Taylor and Roxane Ruggles have been strong leaders from Student Affairs on the campus-wide project to make EMS more accessible and easy to use for students. They were integral in creating and improving the Find Your Study Spot reservation system. Through their knowledge with EMS, constant work with the vendor, continual testing and stakeholder engagement, students can now reserve space quickly and conveniently. This project improved the sign-on interface, the usability of the system as a whole, and brought together multiple facilities (some that were not integrated into EMS previously). Their work on implementation directly aligns with the focus of enhancing the student experience in Spring 2021. In addition to enhancing the student experience this spring, this project has laid the ground work for future collaboration and campus-wide use of EMS. Way to go!” Thank you, Mandy!

Jessica Doty | Administrative Services
Jess' nominator said, “Jess Doty is a dedicated, passionate leader in Health and Wellness Services. She brings a strong and quiet presence to leadership meetings. She is a STRONG collaborator. She is always looking at a way to make things work that are not only student centered, but also thinking about how to support staff and build teams in efficient ways. She is committed to figuring things out, good at thinking about the big picture, but not forgetting the details and is a great strategic thinker/planner. She does not shy away from a challenge. She actually takes challenges head on and I think this is not only a strength of hers, she likes to take on tough challenges and we need that in this division and we need to recognize and honor we have this strong leader in on our team. She is a great thought partner for me and probably many others. She is always willing to consult and I appreciate where she challenges and pushes back on me, making me, I hope, a better leader. I can have direct tough conversations, still laugh, and usually end up with a good plan. Thank you Jess for being my colleague and the work you do in the division, she helps keep this complex division running.” Thank you, Jess!

Lindsay Schotters | Administrative Services
Lindsay's nominator said in part, “The last year has presented numerous opportunities which Lindsay used to demonstrate how data, analysis, and reporting present opportunity to facilitate a more Student-Centered Environment - ultimately leading to greater student success on the Boulder campus. Over the past year, Lindsay’s efforts led to an increase in collaboration and communication between Administrative Services and other areas of the University to respond to student needs. Lindsay’s analysis and reporting strengths have been widely utilized by a variety of stakeholders including Health Promotion, Contact Tracing and Case Investigation Team, staff at the BioFrontiers Institute, on‐campus Epidemiologists, Medical Clinic staff, and many others, to provide data and help inform processes to better serve students through COVID. Lindsay’s direction contributed significantly to a substantive improvement in the quality of services and information we delivered to students, staff, and the community at large through the pandemic.” Thank you, Lindsay!

Lindy Stein | Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution
Lindy's nominator said in part, “Lindy’s leadership was not isolated to overseeing the conduct process this last year. She also continued to be one of our office’s primary liaisons with Boulder Police to ensure that we receive reports quickly, the Conduct Review Committee with Admissions so that students with previous disciplinary histories both have access to higher education and that we keep the CU community safe, and the Retroactive Withdrawal Committee so that students who experienced crises are able to receive the support to continue their education when they are ready. What is clear in all the ways that Lindy engaged in her work this past year, that she cares for the success of all students.” Thank you, Lindy!

Tyler Keyworth | Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution
Tyler's nominator said in part, “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how inter-connected all of the various communities are at CU Boulder. The spread of the virus certainly impacted the physical health of our communities, but it also highlighted existed holes in those relationships and exacerbated historically unresolved conflicts between groups of students, Boulder residents, and the city... Tyler has gone above and beyond is sustaining and growing the Restorative Justice program in a way that strengthened relationships across CU and the city and contributes to an inclusive and equitable campus.” Thank you, Tyler!

Jennifer Kovarik | Health Promotion
Jen's nominator said, “It has been over a year since the pandemic has started and Jen has been a critical part of the response for CU Boulder. She has helped develop and manage over 60 contact tracers and case investigators that have prevented so many possible outbreaks throughout the pandemic. She has worked from morning and into the night almost every day. She has worked into most weekends during the pandemic to help contact tracing and case investigating, so students, faculty, and staff can have a safe college campus and community. There has been countless times where Jen had to figure out unique case investigating and contact tracing situations by partnering with county and state health officials. I truly believe that Jen was and still is a crucial reason why we continue to have an academic year on the CU campus.” Thank you, Jen!

Marcus Wirth | Recreation Services
Marcus' nominator said in part, “I am nominating Marcus Wirth… because he has been instrumental in ensuring the successful day to day operations of the Rec Center... As the department’s risk manager, he has had to safeguard the Rec Center, ensuring operational protocol meets the regulations and guidelines of campus, Boulder County and the CDPHE. The Rec Center has remained opened throughout the pandemic and all colors on the dial and it’s due to Marcus’ leadership, commitment, and management… Marcus is consistently working in-person to ensure the Rec Center is meeting the needs of student members and is an exceptional role model for student employees... To sum up, Marcus is well deserving of this recognition as I’ve outlined. He is very humble and strives for high quality, and looks for the best in everyone!” Thank you, Marcus!

Christina Patarino | CU Conference Services
Christina's nominators said in part, “I am nominating Christina in recognition of her strong and continued commitment and support of CUCS, the Division of Student Affairs, and the university at large. She played a pivotal role this past year within CUCS, serving as the first coordinator in the office to successfully run a large virtual conference for a longstanding client in the face of a pandemic... What was special about this program is it demonstrated Conference Services continued support of an academic conference that has been held at CU Boulder for over 50 years. Christina's vision and meticulous planning are what made this possible" Thank you, Christina!

Zach Stroth | Residence Life
Zach's nominators said in part, "Zach Stroth has gone above and beyond this year and, especially this semester, to show his commitment to social justice, our students, student affairs, and the Reslife Department. There have been many challenges this year, and Zach has consistently pushed himself to rise above them. He always wants to do what is best for the team and the students we support... Zach is someone who consistently brings enthusiasm and energy to his work – whether it be in departmental meetings, 1:1s, work with his staff, training, or during informal interactions, he has a clear care for those around him. He is someone who maintains a positive outlook, and when challenges arise looks for ways to work through them in an efficient and positive way that keep our students at the forefront." Thank you, Zach!

Meagan D'Souza | Residence Life
Meagan writes, "Because of COVID I haven't been able to have in person affinity spaces or lunches. To adapt to the times I started a "Resident Advisor Person of Color Zoom Lunch". The idea was to again create space for student staff to talk and share experiences. This is still in the early stages and I have only piloted it with the buildings in my work area. My commitment to Equity, Social Justice, Inclusion, and Student Support are at the core of what I do and what I continue to do in my work. I hope to continue the support ideas that I have done for students and staff of color and turn them into programs that everyone feels supported at." Thank you, Meagan!

Matt Bratton | Campus Dining Services
Matt's nominator said, "Matt and Nicole have been the CDS main points of contact for work place mitigation over the past year. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that staff members involved in work place mitigation have the most accurate information and resources available during this uncertain time. Matt works with the management to assess operational impacts and Nicole does the outreach and assessment of employees when they can safely return to work.” Thank you, Matt!

Nicole Grisham | Campus Dining Services
Nicole's nominator said, "Matt and Nicole have been the CDS main points of contact for work place mitigation over the past year. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that staff members involved in work place mitigation have the most accurate information and resources available during this uncertain time. Matt works with the management to assess operational impacts and Nicole does the outreach and assessment of employees when they can safely return to work.” Thank you, Nicole!

The Alley Dining Team | Campus Dining Services
Their nominator said, “This team has provided isolation meals to students this past year. From food preparation to packaging to delivery this team has done it all and adjusted to the ebbs and flows of the occupancy, working with dietary needs and all the while still operating an order ahead grab n go. This team was front and center delivering to the isolations halls.” Thank you to the Alley Dining Team!

The team: Rolf Luehrs, Stephen Lodwick, Shristina Purja, Helen Lopez, Lahoucine Boudiz, Dora Fuentes, Rosa de Guiterrez, Maria Carmen Navas, Isabella Campos, Lijun Liu, Xiaofang Su, Steven Skonicki, Krishna Ranjit, Devi Sharma, Bhuban Sainju, Sanita Shrestha, Laxmi Bista Karki

CDS Food Stores Team​ | Campus Dining Services
Their nominator said, “This team has provided isolation meals to students this past year. From food preparation to packaging to delivery this team has done it all and adjusted to the ebbs and flows of the occupancy, working with dietary needs and all the while still operating an order ahead grab n go. This team was front and center delivering to the isolations halls.” Thank you, CDS Food StoresTeam!

The team: Delaney O’Malley, Mark Brown, Jamie Zapata, Tony Vigil, Sylvestre Rangel

Nutrislice Team | Campus Dining Services
Their nominator said, "This team was the driving force behind getting the Nutrislice application up and running in 3 months which was originally slated to take 18 months to fully implement. This application has been a welcome and needed addition to the student dining experience. Especially given the many restrictions to in person dining and contactless pick up.” Thank you, Nutrislice Team!

The team: Eliah Golden, Lisa Whalen, Erica Carichner, Dave Panish and Nick Knobbs

The CDS Team | Campus Dining Services
Their nominator said, “CDS staff, like others, are Essential Services staff. Essential Services staff come to work as scheduled when campus is closed in order to be of service to students and the campus. Although these staff are Essential Services, they went above beyond during the March snowstorm and next days by putting in additional hours and shifts, staying overnight, and/or coming into work when others were not able to do so. Their time, energy and positive presence ensured we had multiple dining options open for students. They worked quickly to adapt operations, food offerings, and staffing due to changing staffing patterns and low inventory when delivery trucks were not able to make the scheduled deliveries. The dedication of all Essential Services staff truly makes a difference for our students and our campus. Going above and beyond -- to stay overnight, to work additional hours, to come in on a day off -- speaks to the commitment of these staff and of CDS. I believe these staff are a representation of the CDS staff as a whole. Thank you to each of these staff for their work -- we are lucky to have all of you at CU Boulder.” Thank you all!

The team: Chij Maya Gurung, Maya Sunuwar, Ram Kumari Gurung, Kesh Bahadur Gurung ,Pi-Ying Chang, Jose Gallardo, Nicholas Crabtree, Shu Liu, Irene Villalobos, Danny Campbell, T Weber