The virtual Staff Appreciation Awards Ceremony Presented by DATCU took place Tuesday, March 2, to honor the staff members who received our annual staff awards and three presidential awards this year. Find the livestream of the event archived on YouTube and a playlist of videos with supervisors' comments about each award recipient.
The staff and presidential award winners recognized were:
Customer Service Award
Gwendolyn Moore, Assistant Director of Outreach in the Division of Enrollment
Gwendolyn supervises more than 60 G-Force mentors and communicates with over 30 high
schools each week. When it comes to customer service, she is a shining example of
supporting students, engaging families and creating effective relationships with external
partners. Gwendolyn has shown tremendous flexibility in her efforts to ensure that
high schools can continue to utilize G-Force mentors despite the fact that their GO-Centers
had been temporarily closed by COVID-19. Over the summer, she created virtual GO-Centers
for all 12 districts that use UNT G-Force — each with its own unique needs, resources
and limitations. When she noticed that many of the mentors were struggling, she created
a monthly newsletter to provide them with resources for their success. Even with her
busy schedule, Gwendolyn serves as a committee chair for Employee Engagement in both
the Black Professional Network and the Enrollment Diversity Council. She is always
asking what else the organizations — and the university as a whole — can do to support
employees.
Laurea Irving, Director for Customer Experience in the Division of Enrollment
Thanks to Laurea, the Eagle Ambassador program, Call Center and Welcome Center have
continued to run exceptionally smoothly. She has a passion for making every UNT visitor
feel like a VIP and models excellent customer service in everything she does. For
years, Laurea has shaped the external face of UNT, from assisting in the development
of a new website for the Welcome Center to improving the tour experience and increasing
campus visitors by a landslide — pre-pandemic, of course. When COVID-19 struck, she
kept that momentum by implementing virtual tours and developing new ways to engage
with prospective students, ultimately enhancing the Welcome Center's suite of customer
service options. As the founder and leader of the Eagle Student Services Center's
Customer Experience Team, Laurea has trained several departments on ways to strengthen
the customer experience for students, faculty and staff.
Niccolas Dorlouis, UNT Police Officer
Despite being a newer employee, Niccolas has made a big impact on the UNT community
with his dedication and positive attitude. He has shown himself to be more than a
police officer, but someone who consistently puts students first and builds connections
while on patrol. He can often be seen conversing with students around campus, asking
them how they're doing and providing assistance when needed. Niccolas believes in
showing compassion to everyone he encounters, and once paid for a Lyft ride when it
was evident someone he encountered was not fit to drive home, but not breaking any
laws. He's also developed strong relationships with faculty and staff. When campus
closed for COVID-19, Niccolas continued his patrols, serving the remaining residents
and taking some time to get to know his colleagues in other areas that were still
providing in-person services, like Housing and Dining. As an alumnus himself, he has
a love for the Mean Green community and a firm belief that good policing starts with
building good connections.
UNT Spirit Award
Diana Dunklau, Events Coordinator for TAMS and the Honors College
For Diana, spirit, service and UNT pride are inseparable. Diana helps organize Great
Conversations and Scholars Day, two major events for students, faculty and community
partners that have successfully gone virtual thanks in no small part to her tireless
efforts. Her can-do spirit was especially noticeable when she took the lead in coordinating
the filming of 20 faculty presentations about undergraduate research for the Offices
of the President and Provost. Now available on YouTube, those videos are destined
to help recruit students and inspire them to pursue their dreams. Outside of her normal
job duties, Diana serves as a member of the TAMS and Honors College Diversity, Inclusion
and Equality Council and volunteers with numerous organizations, including the Denton
Benefit League and Our Daily Bread of Denton.
Melisa Brown, Senior Communications Specialist for Social Media in University Brand Strategy and Communications
Kindness, in even the most stressful circumstances, is Melisa's specialty. As a member
of the social media team in the Division of University Brand Strategy and Communications,
she's seen everything come across the UNT Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels
— from strange requests to complaints to mean comments. She calmly replies to each
one, asking what she can do to help. In one case, she went above and beyond to help
a disabled student voice their concerns to administrators about wheelchair accessibility
on campus. Melisa is a lifelong Dentonite whose UNT spirit shines through in everything
she does. She earned her bachelor's degree at UNT, and in spring 2020, after five
years of hard work, she completed her master's. It was her suggestion to “light the
tower” green in honor of the spring and summer 2020 graduates. Although her commencement
ceremony turned into a virtual event, Melisa still found a way to celebrate. She put
on her regalia, laced up a pair of roller skates and took graduation pictures against
the green-lit McConnell Tower - with her Boston Terrier Piggie Sue nearby in her own
doggie graduation gown.
Student Success Award
Carla Parker, Administrative Specialist and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Philosophy and Religion
Considered a trusted friend by students and colleagues alike, Carla embodies UNT's
commitment to being a caring community. She never fails to show up for students, whether
it's providing a ride, lending a sympathetic ear or connecting soon-to-be-graduates
with professional mentors as they take the next step in their career. Carla's compassion,
generosity and wisdom have helped countless students navigate the challenges of graduate
student life. Knowing that food insecurity is a serious problem on many college campuses,
Carla transformed the office break room into a food pantry stocked with healthy and
nutritious foods to fuel students for their long days of teaching and studying. Pre-pandemic
you might even find her cooking breakfast for students right in the office! She would
say it's her Italian nature, but students and colleagues know that it's just one of
many ways Carla shows her abundance of love for the people she works with and her
passion for helping them succeed.
Creating UNiTy Award
Kevin Sanders, Student Success Coordinator for the Learning Center
Kevin is an advocate for all students, no matter their identity. It is evident to
anyone who meets him that he has a heart for students and exudes compassion, acceptance
and kindness. In the past year alone he has supported students seeking hospitalization
or in-patient counseling, students struggling with gender identity, and students working
through bias related to their race. Some of these students have been his employees,
but many are students he's interacted with in the multiple campus organizations he
provides leadership and service to, including the First Generation Student Celebration
committee, the Multicultural Center, the Martial Eagles program, the Black Student
Union and A Few Good Men. In addition to being a personal force of unity and inclusion
on campus, Kevin has led staff trainings in the Learning Center on micro-aggressions
and cultural awareness, engaging his colleagues in conversations as to how their team
can better serve first-generation and minority students.
Shaureece Park, Director of Library Administrative Services
With a driven and open heart, Shareece advocates for diversity and inclusion both
professionally and personally. Already well-versed in issues of equity, she still
takes every opportunity to deepen her understanding by participating in numerous training
programs. She has used her knowledge and experience to improve library services, from
updating hiring practices to establishing a department-wide Diversity and Inclusion
Council. She also worked with the campus Diversity and Inclusion Office to create
and distribute a culture survey to all full-time UNT Libraries employees, a survey
that can be used by any UNT department. As if all of that wasn't enough, Shaureece
has volunteered to assist the Division of Institutional Equity & Diversity with a
number of projects and initiatives. Thanks to all of the training she sought out,
she was able to jump right in and get to work. She consistently goes above and beyond
to help make UNT a more diverse and inclusive campus.
Rising Star Award
Kristi Nelson, Administrative Specialist in the Department of Mathematics
Kristi has only been at UNT since 2019, but she's already proven to be a dedicated
staff member who goes above and beyond to support students, faculty and staff in the
math department and all across campus. Kristi's star was on the rise well before the
pandemic began, but when campus shut down she worked tirelessly to ensure that instructors
had the technology and supplies they needed to teach remotely. She transformed the
labs and meeting spaces for social distancing, and when the math department had to
cancel its annual Celebration of Faculty and Student Achievements last spring, she
created a virtual ceremony so faculty, students and parents could celebrate together,
safely apart. With a great sense of humor and an attitude that brightens up the office,
Kristi continues to shine in her new role as graduate program coordinator.
Excellence in Leadership Award
Brandi Renton, Associate Vice President for Administrative Services
Brandi's stellar contributions to UNT's initial COVID-19 response earned her the position
of co-leader of UNT's Safety and Incident Management Advisory Group. In her new role,
she participated in several UNT town halls and assisted President Smatresk with UNT's
plan to re-open. She also helped develop UNT's contact tracing team as well as obtain
PPE for campus usage. Brandi knows that supporting the UNT mission requires flexibility
and problem-solving. Prior to leading the advisory group, she assisted Transportation
Services in developing a more robust customer service response for students. The experience
taught her the importance of cross-campus collaboration, a belief that has shaped
her into the creative, hard-working and supportive leader she is today. Brandi takes
UNT's mission to heart, encouraging her staff to hire students so they can have the
kinds of real-world experiences that will prepare them for their future careers. She
also has represented UNT as a guest speaker at numerous national and state conferences
for higher education.
Ruby Raines Administrative Professionals Award
Tennie Jones, Senior Administrative Coordinator in Risk Management
While Tennie goes above and beyond on a daily basis, her remarkable attitude and selflessness
truly reached a new level during this challenging year. In the early stages of the
pandemic, it was clear that we had to be proactive in acquiring critical personal
protective equipment and sanitation supplies for the university. Tennie was persistent
in tracking down high-demand and specialty items, all while managing the day-to-day
administrative duties of the department. Her caring leadership brings her department
closer and makes everyone she interacts with feel welcome. She approaches each day
with a focus on improvement, and she's not afraid to challenge the status quo on her
mission to make UNT a better place.
President's Special Recognition Award
Jason Eleazar, Call Center Director in the Division of Enrollment
Jason serves our students and the university with creative innovation and expertise
that goes far beyond the role of Call Center director. His calm and encouraging leadership
resonates with Call Center representatives, who often take some of the most difficult
calls for last-minute student issues. In addition to his director responsibilities,
Jason oversees a variety of phone services that serve multiple departments across
campus. The pandemic has only intensified his commitment to going above and beyond
— in less than a year, he's created UNT's COVID hotline; an emergency hotline; a full-service
registrar call center; 23 call campaigns for student-facing divisions including Admissions
and UNT International; and outgoing phone lines for 300 advisors back when our campus
went remote in March 2020. Jason's previous projects have included new sign-in software
for the Financial Aid team, a scholarship calculator for the UNT Excellence Scholarship
and an internal ticketing system for Student Financial Services that drastically reduced
their response time to students in need. With his dedication to process improvement
and servant leadership, Jason represents UNT's innovative spirit at its finest.
Virnin Bonner, Academic Counselor in the College of Science
Virnin has called UNT home for a while, first as a student and now as a health professions
advisor in the College of Science. His deep knowledge of UNT and passion for serving
students make him uniquely equipped to help them realize their academic and career
goals. He goes above and beyond in his advising, engaging students in deep conversations
that make them feel valuable and important. Not only does he build great rapport,
but he also provides them with endless encouragement and the knowledge and resources
they need to succeed. When the office gets busy, Virnin is often the first to jump
in and lessen the load for his colleagues. For example, he teaches two sections of
the first-year Science Success Seminar and frequently serves as a mentor and advisor
for those students as well, reviewing their academic plans and guiding them along
their academic journey. Virnin also helps run the Joint Admission Medical Program,
whose goal is to support students coming from underserved backgrounds on their path
to medical school.
UNT Community Award
Heather Vidaurri, Administrative Coordinator in the Department of Chemistry
Heather never fails to show up when others are in need, whether it's helping a student,
training a colleague or lending an ear to someone who's having a terrible day. Heather
is a pillar of strength for the students and her colleagues in the chemistry department.
At the beginning of the pandemic, she stepped in to train a coworker who was flooded
with new tasks after a department retirement. She also was more than willing to take
on extra work to support team members who needed to take time off for personal matters.
She is a champion for students as well, looking out for their best interests and being
the go-to person for any and all questions.
Bob Rogers Service and Community Engagement Award
Maureen McGuinness, Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
Anyone who's met Moe knows she bleeds green. As the big heart working tirelessly to
support students, Moe demonstrates selfless service on a daily basis. She is responsible
for many programs that benefit students, including the UNT Food Pantry, Mean Green
Gowns for Grads, the CARE Team and the survivor advocate program. She is passionate
about getting students the help they need and works closely with staff and faculty
all over campus to build a strong network of support. Moe is a generous ambassador
for UNT and her star shines brightest when she advocates for student success. From
her early days in Housing at UNT, Moe has always exhibited a welcoming spirt for all
our students and their families; helping to show them how caring and supportive our
campus community can be. You'll find her at UNT activities (sporting her green tutu
or huge UNT sunglasses) and see UNT's core values reflected in her every action and
word. She dedicates herself to making UNT more than a place where students get their
degree, but a place they can call home.
Steve Miller Outstanding Employee Award
David Barkenhagen, Manager of Custodial Services in UNT Facilities
With more than 19 years of service to UNT — 17 of those as leader of the Facilities
custodial team — David has cemented his reputation as a dedicated employee. Throughout
the pandemic, he has not only maintained his impressive work ethic but exceeded it,
leading over 100 custodians in their mission to keep UNT's more than 4.5 million square
feet of facilities clean and safe for the campus community. He created and placed
600 disinfectant kits in learning spaces all over campus and personally set up 350
hand sanitizer stands to keep community members safe on the go. He also made it his
mission to keep his team stocked with cleaning supplies — no small task in a pandemic.
David exemplifies servant leadership, consistently showing up for his team and working
to keep them engaged in UNT's mission. To ensure his new employees get off on the
right foot, he makes sure everyone receives training on custodial processes and responsibilities.
This year, two different professional organizations complimented his management of
UNT's custodial crews during their peer inspection visits organized by UNT System.
James Fairchild, Associate Director for Housing
James has far exceeded what is expected of him during the pandemic, working diligently
to ensure that students and their families are informed, prepared and cared for. James's
mission has always been to put his students and staff first. During the pandemic,
he has played a critical role in establishing Housing's “new normal,” from facilitating
socially distanced move-outs and reconfiguring residence hall spaces to overhauling
the housing registration system to make the process more efficient for students and
staff. Knowing that this past year has been especially hard on parents and their students
who are away from home, he always takes the time to speak with them directly, even
if it means an evening or weekend phone call. He also has worked incredibly hard to
continue supporting his staff with thoughtful leadership and a commitment to excellence.
James Jackson, Communications Strategist in the Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity
Although he's worked at UNT for just over a year, James has become an incredible asset
to his team in the Division of Institutional Equity & Diversity. James' collaborative
spirit and creative skills have been pivotal in the university's increased efforts
toward diversity and inclusion initiatives. He developed both the “Black Lives Matter
at UNT” and the “Diversity and Inclusion at UNT'' websites and revamped the Equity
and Diversity e-newsletter, Culture Connection, to include more feature stories. He
also took the initiative to make the UNT community more aware of the Division of Institutional
Equity & Diversity through his interactive Twitter video series, "Who We Are." His
work has had a major impact not just on his division but on the university as a whole.