Excellence at Stevens

Employee Excellence

Each year we acknowledge faculty and staff who are doing exceptional work in advancing our strategic goals in one of the categories outlined below:

Award Categories

Academic Year Service Anniversary - Awarded to those who have been working at Stevens in increments of 5 years

Strategic Plan Awards

Excellence Award Categories

Creating a Connected Community - This award goes to one faculty and one staff member who has consistently demonstrated behaviors and taking actions to create, lead, or support diverse experiences and perspectives that strengthen the Stevens community.

Excellence in All We Do – This award goes to one faculty and one staff member whose work embodies the values of quality and excellence above all else. Regardless of the demands of their position, this employee significantly exceeds expectations and maintains high standards in all that they do.

Innovation Powered by Technology - Our legacy is built on technology. This award goes to one faculty and one staff member who has, over the past year, found innovative means of incorporating technology into their work for the betterment of the university’s operational and educational environment. Examples include, but not limited to, innovating impactful teaching technology, introducing advanced software to improve office effectiveness, and securing campus networks.

Leading by Example (Assistant Vice President, Assistant Vice Provost, or Assistant Dean and above) - This award recognizes an Academic Affairs and Staff Administration leader who inspires and motivates others through their actions and behaviors in alignment with Stevens’ core values. When nominating a leader, please consider the following criteria:

  • Inspirational Actions: The nominee's actions and accomplishments have inspired and positively influenced others to follow their lead, fostering a culture of excellence.

  • Demonstrates Excellence: This nominee embodies the Stevens values of quality and excellence above all else.

  • Innovative Thinking: The nominee displays innovative and forward-thinking approaches in their leadership or actions, challenging the status quo and driving positive change.

  • Empowerment of Others: Evidence of empowering and mentoring others to excel and reach their full potential, with tangible examples of those who have benefited from their guidance.

  • Positive Workplace Culture: Contributing to a positive workplace culture by fostering teamwork, cooperation, and a healthy work environment, which results in increased productivity and job satisfaction.

  • Feedback and Improvement: Seeking and implementing feedback from colleagues, peers, or community members to continuously improve their leadership and impact.

Lifetime Achievement Award – This award goes to one former staff or faculty member who spent 10+ years of their career at Stevens Institute of Technology, and who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the Stevens mission and helped promote the reputation of the University.

Stevens Brand Ambassador – This award goes to one faculty and one staff member whose efforts have directly or indirectly led to increased prestige or enhanced reputation for the University. Whether through education, research, service or other means this employee’s efforts have contributed to Stevens’ increasingly stellar reputation. Examples include publications in high impact journals, media, academic presses, and extraordinary service that promotes Stevens’ recognition.

Student Success Champion – This award goes to one faculty and one staff member who made a significant contribution and impact over the past year in enhancing the student experience and success inside and outside the classroom. This individual’s efforts go above and beyond the requirements of their position.

Through Collaboration, Impact – This award goes to one faculty and one staff member who, over the past year, has shown excellence in establishing fruitful partnerships with others (whether Stevens’ employees, or members of the greater community) to advance the goals of the institution and its students. The high impact of this employee’s efforts demonstrates the value of collaboration and partnership.

Transformative Teamwork – This award recognizes cross-functional, interdisciplinary, or inter-office/inter-departmental team comprised of faculty and/or staff who have worked together in an exemplary manner on a project, process, initiative, or other significant efforts that advance departmental goals, organizational goals, and/or the University’s mission and institutional vision.

Previous Award Recipients

AWARD

2025

2024

2023

Creating a Connected Community

Nancy Nowacek, (F)

Dakota Van Deursen, (S)

Lainie Fefferman (F)

Jaquion Gholston, (S)

Excellence in All We Do

Jennifer Kang-Mieler, (F)

Amy Mattare, (S)

Lindsey Swindall, (F)

Natalie Lebert, (S)

Maryam Mirza, Elizabeth O’Connell, & Jean Lee

Stevens Brand Ambassador

Ting Lu, (F)

Kevin Finnegan, (S)

Matthew Libera, (F)

Harry Ortiz, (S)

Greg Townsend, Dan Buehring, & Thania Benios

Student Success Champion

Patricia Anne Muisener, (F)

Ann Petrigliano, (S)

Frank Fisher, (F)

Phil Gehman, (S)

Mary Newell, Linda Beninghove, & Lindsay Hartelius

Innovation Powered by Technology

Christopher Robinson, (S)

Sarah Goodman, (F)

Ashley Chillar, (S)

Louis Oh, Rafat Azad, & Dariel Bobadilla

Through Collaboration, Impact

Jan Cannizzo, (F)

Sandra Clavijo, (S)

Hongjun Wang, (F)

Rekha Manohar, (S)

Ashley Lytle, Albeirys Francisco & Jenna Nimar

Transformative Teamwork

Feed the Flock

Aaron Garfinkle

Ashley Chillar

Carthy McGuire

Chris Gladden

Chris Laguerre

Dawne Eng

Gabby Gallagher

Jillian Ryan

Ken Nilsen

Kristen Conti

Olivia Cecchi

Olivia Conner-Bennett

Tara Roach

Trina Ballantyne

Tony Blazini

International Education Month Committee

Susi Rachouh

Vicky Orlofsky

Courtney Walsh

Chloe Bergman-Ray

Samaneh Jafari

Nathalie Waite

Jillian Ryan

Zach Balog

Stevens NextGen Wireless Deployment Project

Dereck Persaud, Hammad Ali, Jayson Viray, Luis Quispe, Mauricio Castano & Ted Vallejos

Lifetime Achievement Award

Suphan Kovenklioglu, (F)

Mary Beth Milas, (S)

David Vaccari, (F)

Erol Cesmebasi, & Tim Koeller

Leading By Example

Jessica de Veyga, (F)

Eve Riskin, (S)

Gregory Prastacos, (F)

Dawn da Silva, (S)

Faculty Winner denoted "F"

Staff Winner denoted by "S"