Outstanding Staff Awards

2025 OutSTanding Staff Awards Highlight Reel

Each year, the 杏吧性世界 proudly recognizes employees who go above and beyond in advancing the university鈥檚 mission. The hard work and dedication of these staff and administrative employees greatly contribute to USF's success and upward trajectory.

2025 Winners

Employee of the Year
Sponsored by Gabor Financial Solutions

Janelle Hanson
USF Health - College of Public Health

Jorge Armando Rodriguez
Office of Compliance & Ethics

2025 Individual Winners

  •  A.J. Topp
    Information Technology

  • Ashley Lora
    Muma College of Business

  • Audrianna Goss
    Recreation and Wellness

  • Brandon Roberts
    Athletics

  • Brent Forget
    Morsani College of Medicine

  • Catherine Macaulay Cardinal
    College of Marine Science

  • Charmaine Beall
    Cyber Florida

  • Dalton Hoffer
    New Student & Family Engagement

  • Daniel Crawford
    Parking & Transportation Services

  • Deb Howard
    College of Arts and Sciences

  • Eddie Richardson
    Housing and Residential Services

  • Giovanni Luciano
    College of Arts and Sciences

  • Grant Gundle
    Emergency Management

  • Heather  Ward
    Global and National Security Institute (GNSI)

  • Ivan Viamontes
    Internal Audit

  • Janelle Hanson
    USF Health College of Public Health

  • Jannette Brace
    Information Technology

  • Jena Rossman
    College of Behavioral & Community Sciences

  • Jennifer Valko
    College of Engineering

  • Jerome Thomas
    Office of Admissions

  • Jessica Wilson
    College of Arts and Sciences

  • Jill Srofe
    College of Engineering

  • Jorge Armando Rodriguez
    Office of Compliance & Ethics

  • Katrina Leffers
    Research & Innovation

  • Kelly Pearson
    College of Arts and Sciences

  • Kristi Laribee
    Advancement

  • Lauren Baumgartner
    Muma College of Business

  • Lauren Siegal
    Morsani College of Medicine

  • Leigh West
    USF CONNECT (USFRI)

  • Lesley Brooks
    Libraries

  • Lisa Farrell
    College of Engineering

  • Melissa Villegas
    Morsani College of Medicine

  • Michael Mathon
    Campus Computing

  • Michelle Campbell
    Morsani College of Medicine

  • Michelle Jahn
    Muma College of Business

  • Omar Shaheen
    Office of Research

  • Renea Forde
    Residential Education

  • Shane Combs
    Undergraduate Studies

  • Tammy Moscato
    Student Outreach and Support / SOCAT

  • Torie Doll
    University Communications & Marketing

  • Trang Ly
    USF World

  • Wanda Wood
    Student Accounting Services, UCO

2025 Team Winners

Team 1

  • Allison Madden
    Research and Innovation

  • Ann Comer-Woods
    Research and Innovation

  • Anna Litinskaya
    Research and Innovation

  • Cassidy Delamarter
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Colleen Parker
    Research and Innovation

  • D.J. Pollock
    University Police

  • David Scanga
    College of Education

  • Dawn Coultas
    Advancement

  • Drew Farmer
    Advancement

  • Eddie Aikins
    Research and Innovation

  • Elizabeth Nelson
    Research and Innovation

  • Jamie Spurrier
    Research and Innovation

  • Jamila Cowans
    Research and Innovation

  • Karen Garcia-McGowan
    Research and Innovation

  • Kate Evans
    Advancement

  • Katrina Leffers
    Human Resources

  • Kelsey Deck
    Research and Innovation

  • Lauren Parker
    Research and Innovation

  • Laurie O'Brien
    Advancement

  • Leelavathy Somasundaram
    Information Technology

  • Madeline Stoddard
    Research and Innovation

  • Mark McLaughlin
    Research and Innovation

  • Megan Cott
    Research and Innovation

  • Michele Tyrpak
    Research and Innovation

  • Nazek Jawad
    Research and Innovation

  • Noemi Merced
    Student Accounting Services

  • Omar Shaheen
    Research and Innovation

  • Paul Cardoso
    Research and Innovation

  • Sarah Smith
    Advancement

  • Saundra Johnson Austin
    Research and Innovation

  • Sue Orr
    Advancement

  • Sujie Chen
    Research and Innovation

  • Tracey Marlowe
    Advancement

  • Victoria Stuart
    Research and Innovation

  • Xavier Carr
    University Police

Team 2

  • Allen Amani
    Advancement

  • Ally Rost
    Advancement

  • Allyson Norton
    College of Engineering

  • Althea Johnson
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Andrea Ortiz  
    Human Resources

  • Andres Faza  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Anne Scott  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Ashley Rodrigues
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Beth Pierce
    Advancement

  • Britt Self  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Bryan Dos Reis
    Innovative Education

  • Caitlyn Roberts-Lambert
    Advancement

  • Carly Plate
    Advancement

  • Cassidy Delamarter  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Cynthia Brown Hernandez  
    Office of Decision Support

  • Daisy Matos  
    College of Engineering

  • David Panton  
    Innovative Education

  • David Rosa  
    Libraries

  • Diana Trueman  
    Innovative Education

  • Dominika McLean
    Advancement

  • Ellyn Couillard  
    College of Engineering

  • Emily Limbach
    Advancement

  • Ethan Peebles
    Advancement

  • Gary Granger  
    Innovative Education

  • Ghassan Abdallah  
    Innovative Education

  • Grace Beck  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Ilana Thomsett
    Office of the Provost

  • Jamillia Anderson
    Office of the Registrar

  • Jared Brown
    Innovative Education

  • Jason Su  
    Innovative Education

  • Jeremy Willis  
    Innovative Education

  • Jessica Samaniego  
    Office of the President

  • Jill Hernandez  
    College of Engineering

  • John Cundy  
    Innovative Education

  • John Dudley  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • John Morgan
    College of Engineering

  • John Tipton
    Advancement

  • Karen Sousa
    Student Success

  • Katherine Bourcier
    Student Success

  • Katie Wagner 
    Student Success

  • Kelly Busch
    Advancement

  • Kendrick Scales 
    Student Success

  • Kiley Mallard
    Advancement

  • Krista Lee  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Kyrstin DiMercurio  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Lanie Funaro
    Advancement

  • Laura Owczarek  
    College of Engineering

  • Laura Hemphill
    Human Resources

  • Laura Rivera
    Advancement

  • Leah Reiney
    Advancement

  • Maile Sinclair-Baxter  
    College of Engineering

  • Mark Maiellaro  
    College of Engineering

  • Martin Espinoza
    Innovative Education

  • Mary Goodwin  
    College of Engineering

  • Matthew McDonough
    Libraries

  • Mayra Morfin  
    College of Engineering

  • Michelle King  
    College of Engineering

  • Neona Bailey
    College of Engineering

  • Noah Noonan
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Penny Carnathan
    Advancement

  • Ryan Hughes
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Sophia Ramesar  
    College of Engineering

  • Stacey Sepulveda
    College of Engineering

  • Tara Centeno  
    Office of the Provost

  • Tim Sodhi
    Advancement

  • Tina Meketa  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Tom Woolf  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Torie Doll  
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Tr茅 Smith
    University Communications and Marketing

  • Vanessa Milford  
    Innovative Education

  • Wendy Stoneman-Shelby
    Human Resources

  • Will Tillis  
    Innovative Education

ELIGIBILITY AND NOMINATION PROCESS

Eligibility

All staff and administrative employees in regular, established positions who are continuously employed from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, are eligible for nomination. To maintain eligibility, an employee must hold an established position for at least thirty days prior to the awards ceremony in order to receive the award. Time spent in temporary (OPS) assignments will not count toward eligibility.

Faculty and temporary employees (both student and non-student) are not eligible for nomination for the Outstanding Staff Awards. However, they are encouraged to participate in nominating staff and administrative employees for recognition. 

Nomination Process for the Nominator

Complete the individual or team nomination online using the appropriate 2025 Outstanding Staff Awards Nomination forms during the open nomination period. We will only accept nominations submitted through the online form. Prepare the text of your nomination in advance; we highly recommend writing the body of your nomination ahead of time, . You can then copy and paste the text into the fields of the online form.

Process for the Selection Committee

Central Human Resources (CHR) will validate eligibility and then provide the nominations of all eligible candidates to each VP Area Outstanding Staff Award (OSA) Selection Committee for review. CHR will keep copies of all nomination forms.

 

 

frequently asked questions

Nomination Questions
Question Answer
How many employees can be included in a team nomination? There is no limit to the number of employees who can be nominated for a team award, but each member should have made a significant contribution to the team.
Who can submit a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Award? Any member of the USF community may submit a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Award. As a OneUSF program, we encourage nominations from team members across all campuses to highlight the wide range of contributions of our staff and administrative employees. We also invite nominations for staff and administrative employees who are essential workers, veterans, and members of historically marginalized groups.
Can someone nominate an employee from a different department or VP area? Absolutely. An employee can nominate a colleague, supervisor, or someone they work with from another department.
Can someone nominate themselves for an award? Yes! If an eligible employee would like to nominate themselves for an individual or team award, they are encouraged to do so.
Can someone be nominated for more than one award? Absolutely. An employee can win an individual and/or a team award.
I would like to nominate a team, but one of its members has only been here for six months. Is the team still eligible? Yes, though only team members who meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for an award. Team members who are not eligible can still attend the ceremony and cheer for their fellow team members from the audience, but they will not be recognized on stage or receive a monetary award.
Eligibility Questions
Question Answer
Who is eligible to receive an Outstanding Staff Award? All regular staff and administration employees (with a position number) continuously employed on a position from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, are eligible for nomination. Faculty and temporary employees (student and non-student) are not eligible to be nominated but are welcome to participate in nominating staff and administrative employees.
Are past winners able to win again? Yes, there are no limits on the number of times an employee can receive an Outstanding Staff Award.
Ceremony Questions
Question Answer
When is the ceremony?  The selected winners, their direct supervisors, and Senior Leadership will receive notification of the ceremony date, as well as details regarding parking, guests, and other information to follow. The selected winners will be informed once the selection committee has completed its review and selection.
If I am not a selected winner, can I attend?  Due to space limitations, we regret that not everyone will be able to attend in person. However, we are excited to share that the ceremony will be recorded, and photos will be made available for everyone to enjoy.
How are recipients honored and rewarded? Each recipient of the Outstanding Staff Award is honored by their area leadership during the annual Outstanding Staff Awards ceremony. They receive a trophy and a $500 monetary award.

PAST WINNERS

Award Winners 2024

Award Winners 2021 |

Award Winners 2019 |

Award Winners 2018

Award Winners 2017

For more information, please contact OfficeOfThePresident@usf.edu.