Recipients of 2015 Board of Regents Staff Awards Announced
Adelphi, Md. (Sept. 18, 2014) -- University
System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Chairman James L. Shea and USM
Chancellor Robert L. Caret honored winners of the 2015 USM Regents' Staff Awards
at a breakfast ceremony before today's board meeting at Coppin State
University.
The
awards recognize staff members who have made exceptional contributions to their
organizations, students and the university community.
Award
winners are selected based on nominations and letters of support from
colleagues, culminating in a formal recommendation from the Council of
University System Staff, which provides non-faculty USM employees with a voice
in system governance.
Each
award carries a $1,000 prize, provided by the institutions and the University
System of Maryland Foundation.
The
following USM staff members were honored:
Regents' Staff Awards for Effectiveness and Efficiency
Marsha Velli, an accounting associate in the
Imaging Research Center (IRC) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
(UMBC).
The IRC,
which is supported primarily through grants and contracts, conducts research in
digital technology, media arts, and visualization. Most granting organizations tend to not provide
support for basic infrastructure and lab costs, which in the case of the IRC are
in the range of $70,000 annually. To address this challenge, the IRC
established a Service Center Account that allowed the center to charge an equipment
"day rate" for all work conducted in the IRC. Ms. Velli was instrumental in
making this a success. Her
determination, communication skills, collaborative approach, and attention to
detail helped build a broad community of support to help resolve issues and
make the effort successful. The IRC
estimates that her work has saved the campus $60,000 to $65,000 per year.
Uche Enwesi, manager for University Libraries at
the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). A member of the UMCP family
for almost two decades, Mr. Enwesi has contributed significantly to the success
of the Digital Systems and Stewardship division, and the Libraries as a whole. He created the Windows LAN infrastructure
that established a mechanism for staff to use in working collaboratively on
projects and developing shared documents. Uche brought the virtualization of
servers into the Libraries when this mode of technology was in its infancy.
His understanding
of the value of virtualization saved the Libraries approximately $100,000 in
three years. He created the Staff Loaner Program to provide laptops for conference
presentations and seminars. Most
recently, he developed The Student Laptop Loan Program to loan laptops to
students and provide a way to refresh them.
And these are just a few of Mr. Enwesi's contributions.
Regents' Staff Award for Outstanding Service to Students in
an Academic or Residential Environment
Exempt Staff
Sherrye Larkins, director of special events at
Coppin State University (CSU). Ms. Larkins, who has held this position for the
past nine years, has distinguished herself as a committed, caring staff member
who goes above and beyond to help students succeed. She has a "student-first"
attitude and demonstrates a strong personal commitment to helping CSU students
succeed and graduate. She involves
students in a number of activities aimed at retention, success, and completion.
These activities
include book clubs, study groups, community service opportunities, and her newest
initiative, The Ladies Connecting Across Campus Mentoring Program. Over 70 percent of Coppin students are female,
and this effort-developed and implemented by Ms. Larkins-has made a significant
impact on retention and graduation rates. As one student said recently, "Ms.
Larkins has made a difference in my life through her encouragement and
eagerness to help me succeed."
Non-Exempt
Staff:
M. Robert Maddux, multi-trades supervisor for the auxiliaries
at Salisbury University (SU). Mr. Maddux supervises the maintenance of 11
residence halls housing upwards of 2,300 students, as well as the University
Center and the Commons. The students at Salisbury know that they can count on Mr.
Maddux to make their home-away-from-home the best it can be. Along with his heavy and unpredictable
workload, Mr. Maddux also volunteers in other capacities that support students
at SU.
He leads new
student orientation programs like Bike, Beach and Beyond to help new students
make connections, develop friendships, and become engaged with SU before
classes even begin. He also participates
in the student Outdoor Club and often is a rider in the Sea Gull Century
100-mile bike ride, raising important funds for student scholarships and other
causes. As President Janet Dudley-Eshbach
observed, "For 30 years, [Bob] has been a critical and positive member of the
SU Team."
Regents' Staff Award for Exceptional
Contributions to the Institution or Unit
Exempt
Staff
Colleen Wright-Riva, Director of Dining Services at
UMCP. Ms. Wright-Riva's contributions extend
from Dining Services to the greater University community, and beyond. Thanks to her leadership, Terp Farm-a partnership
between Dining Services and the College of Agriculture-dedicates several acres
in Upper Marlboro as both a student laboratory and food producing acreage, with
10 percent of the food grown on the farm donated to those in need in Prince
George's County. The Food Pantry initiative,
which she helped launch last year, seeks to alleviate food hardship among UMCP students,
faculty and staff by providing emergency food to Terps in need.
Ms.
Wright-Riva also consistently provides a culture of growth and professional
development for her staff. One of her chefs earned a gold medal and second place
in the national competition, while a staff member received the Grand Prize for
Excellence in Sustainable Dining.
Non-Exempt
Staff:
Michele Kimery, UMBC. Ms. Kimery emphasizes the
continuity between her private sector career in customer service and the
service she provides to the campus community and the public. When she first
came to Human Resources, Ms. Kimery took on the challenge of reorganizing the
office's filing system and designing a sustainable solution to meet its filing
needs. She also developed a document outlining best practices and procedures
for introducing new employees to the workplace, creating a valuable resource
for supervisors across campus.
Her dedication
to the UMBC community is also reflected in her leadership of the Service Awards
Committee, whose annual event recognizes employees for their years of service
to UMBC and the state of Maryland. As a colleague noted, "Every time I talk to
Michele I am moved to become a better employee and a better person!" There could not be higher praise.
Regents'
Staff Award for Extraordinary Public Service to the University or the Greater
Community
Exempt
Staff:
Beatrice
Wright, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). During her 30 years of service at UMES,
Beatrice has inspired senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students with the
various community service and engagement initiatives she has led--including both
on-campus and community based programs.
She has driven UMES' participation in the Salvation Army Red Kettle
Campaign, the celebration of Women's History Month on campus, and brought prominent
speakers such as Black Girls Rock! founder Beverly Bond to UMES to motivate and
inspire women across campus.
Outside of
UMES, Beatrice has been very active and involved as a member of her church, as
a member of the Concerned Citizens for Somerset County, and as an advocate for students
in the Somerset County Public School System. Her service has been recognized on
campus, where she is the recipient of numerous honors and awards.
Non-Exempt
Staff:
Julia Heng, detective for the Office of Public
Safety at UMCP. Detective Heng's service to the greater community comes as part
of a collaborative effort known as the Metropolitan Area Drug Task force, a
multijurisdictional task force comprised of the Maryland State Police, Prince
George's County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department,
Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Greenbelt City Police
Department, and the UMCP Police Department.
Detective
Heng is responsible for all aspects of criminal investigations related to
illegal drugs. She conducts narcotics investigations, handling informants,
executing search and seizure warrants, making arrests, and processing those
arrested. Her investigations have led to the seizure of $900,000 in cash, 27
vehicles, 47 firearms, 1.1 kg of heroin, 9.5 kg of cocaine, and over 10,000
ecstasy pills. She works above and beyond the 8-hour workday to improve the
quality of life for the community she serves.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
