Staff Celebration
The annual CNS Staff Celebration offers opportunities to enjoy food, raffle prizes, the Excellence Awards presentation and more.
The 2026 Staff Celebration was held Friday, June 26! See you next time for a brunch and a celebration of our outstanding college staff.
College Staff Excellence Awards
CNS Staff Excellence Awards recognize members of our community who go above and beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of their job with outstanding dedication, competence, resourcefulness and customer service. Award recipients are selected based on:
-
Significant Impact: Award recipients have made significant, positive impacts on the college community and/or the teaching, research and service missions of the university.
-
Commitment to Excellence: Award recipients are considered leaders in their respective work domains based on exceptional, high-quality standards of their professional contributions to campus.
-
Embodied College Values: Award recipients contribute to and uphold the college values of community, discovery and impact at scale. They help make campus a more welcoming place for learning and discovery for students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds.
Eligibility: Staff who have not received a CNS staff award in the past 5 years.
Staff Award Nomination Process
Nominations are now open for recognizing members of the staff who excel in their work.
To present the strongest nomination possible, we encourage:
- A single nomination per employee
- One-page letters of support (max of 3) may be uploaded with the nomination form above or via UT Box. Letters of support should be attached documents (not sent via email), and attachments should be titled with both the last name of the nominee and the last name of the nominator (ex: Reyes nominated by Lewis).
The nomination deadline is Friday, May 8, 2026.
2026 CNS Staff Excellence Award Winners
* indicates Rom Rhome Staff Excellence Award for the year
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Adam Cohen | Integrative Biology |
| Briana Denham | Academic Advising |
| Alex Donovan* | Texas Science & Natural History Museum |
| Steve Franklin | Communications Office |
| Amanda Jacoby | Marine Science |
| Adam Kennedy | Chemistry |
| Elizabeth Morgan | Office of Undergraduate Education |
| Salvador Rojas | Molecular Biosciences |
| Loren Schriefer | Nutritional Sciences |
| Amy Winters | UTeach |
Previous Award Winners
* indicates Rom Rhome Staff Excellence Award for the year
2025
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Kelly Alvarez |
Molecular Biosciences
|
| Sherry Ambani |
Charles A Dana Center
|
| Mary Conovan | UTeach |
| Carrie Culpepper | UTeach |
| Jolie Flink |
Human Development and Family Sciences
|
| Casey Kyte | Astronomy |
| Rachel Meyer |
Statistics and Data Sciences
|
| Carisma Nuñez-Chavez | Chemistry |
| Tyra Skinner |
Computer Science
|
2023-2024
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Brandi Bankhead | School of Human Ecology |
| Lara Eakins | Department of Astronomy |
| Jacquie Fuentes | Department of Statistics and Data Sciences |
| Lydia Galavis | Department of Computer Science |
| Michael Hyndman | Biology Instruction Office |
| Tasha Schuricht | Department of Mathematics |
| Christine Sinatra | Dean's Office, Communications |
| Courtney Vollmert | Department of Molecular Biosciences |
| Eric Wigdahl* | Department of Chemistry |
2022 – 2023
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Olivia Biehle | Math, Physics and Astronomy Advising |
| Christina Christiansen-Hedge | Office of Undergraduate Education |
| Jill Lawler* | School of Human Ecology Advising |
| Desiree Ledet | Department of Molecular Biosciences |
| Carolyn Lum | Office of Undergraduate Education |
| Amy Moreland | UTeach |
| Danielle Nestler | Department of Chemistry |
| Marek Proga | Department of Physics |
| Josh Recio | Charles A. Dana Center |
2021 – 2022
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Josh Byrnes* | Department of Computer Science |
| Ben Costello | Department of Physics |
| Chris Connelly | Office of Undergraduate Education |
| Ophella Dano | Charles A. Dana Center |
| Laura Evans | Biology Instructional Office |
| Jane Huk | TIDES |
| Herman Kriel | McDonald Observatory |
| Mark McFarland | Office of Information Technology |
2020 – 2021
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Vivian Abagiu | CNS Communications |
| Yvette Cañedo | Department of Molecular Biosciences |
| Amy Chavez | UTeach |
| Brandon Crabtree | Undergraduate Education |
| Laura Enneian | Department of Neuroscience |
| Scott Fleenor | Department of Nutritional Sciences |
| Kristi Fontenot | Office of Development |
| Sara Guajardo | Center for First-Year Advising |
| Betsy Hamblen | Department of Chemistry |
| Tepera Holman* | TIP Program |
| Alfonso Huerta Garcia | Department of Nutritional Sciences |
| Jordan Johnson | Department of Chemistry |
| Addie Kohlmetz | UTeach Outreach |
| Shane Lewis | Information Technology |
| Jenna Livingston | Department of Human Development and Family Sciences |
| Phillip MacQueen | McDonald Observatory |
| Victoria Obioma | Department of Statistics and Data Sciences |
| Elizabeth Osterndorff-Kahanek | Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research |
| Maggie Rigney | CNS Career Services |
| David Roberts | Information Technology |
| Susan Rozmiarek | Department of Neuroscience |
| Didi Smith | Undergraduate Education |
| Laurel Sweet | Department of Computer Science |
| Angel Syrett | Strategic Research Initiatives |
| Alisha Thompson | Charles A. Dana Center |
| Katie Traughber Dahm | Department of Computer Science |
2019 – 2020
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Julie Bowers | Department of Molecular Biosciences |
| Lynda Gonzales | Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science (TIDES) |
| Becky Kester | Office of Undergraduate Education |
| Susan May* | Charles A. Dana Center |
| Shane Merrell | Biological Sciences Greenhouses |
| Peggy Pitts | UTeach |
| Doug Roberts | Computer Sciences Advising |
2018 – 2019
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| John Baxendale | Department of Chemistry |
| Anneke Chy | CNS Undergraduate Education |
| Nicole Elmer | Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics and Biodiversity Center |
| Heather Leigh | CNS Events |
| Margaret McCook | Charles A. Dana Center |
| Elizabeth Morgan | CNS Undergraduate Education |
| Rachel Poole | Department of Statistics and Data Sciences |
| Chris Weatherly* | Department of Neuroscience |
2017 – 2018
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Francesca Fraga Leahy | Charles A. Dana Center |
| Marc Airhart | CNS Communications |
| Lisa Gandy | McDonald Observatory |
| Allan Schroeder | Department of Physics Machine Shop |
| Linda Beltran | School of Human Ecology |
| Corolyn Holub* | Department of Molecular Biosciences |
All Winners in Earlier Years
1990 – 2016
2016-2017
Amy Bush, Department of Computer Science
Chris Costello, UTeach Science Program
Lara Eakins, Department of Astronomy
Lisa Gentry, Department of Physics
Kathy McWilliams, Department of Nutritional Science
2015-2016
Sasha Schellenberg, Department of Statistics & Data Sciences
Kelly Quinney, Department of Astronomy
Jon Howard, Advising Center, Math, Physics and Astronomy
Tamra Rogers, Biology Instructional Office
Angela Missildine, Department of Chemistry
Hanshin Lee, McDonald Observatory
2014-2015
Dorothy Frasch, Supervisor, McDonald Observatory
Sally Amen, New Employee, Department of Statistics and Data Sciences
Eileen Drake, School of Human Ecology
Teresa Garza, Institute for Fusion Studies
Mary Lozano, Department of Molecular Biosciences
Sylvia Moore, Department of Integrative Biology
2013-2014
Judith Quinney, Supervisor, Student Records
Vicki Keller, New Employee, Statistics & Scientific Computation
Herb Boehl, Physics
Melissa Taylor, Office of Honors, Research and International Studies
Ron Leck, McDonald Observatory
Angie Steelman, Chemistry & Biochemistry
2012-2013
Toren K. Smith, Computer Science
Linda Breining, Human Ecology
Sandra Catlett, Mathematics
Glenn Suchan, Physics
Roger Williams, Chemistry
David Steadman, Communications
2011-2012
Sally Morehead, Marine Science
Samuel Harris III, Biological Sciences
Chris Weatherly, Neurobiology
Karin Keller, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Chad Barnes, Computer Science
Dean's Office Staff Excellence Award: Mary Miller, UTeach Outreach
2010-2011
Marvin James Halligan, Institite of Fusion Studies
Carol Hyink, Computer Science
Julia Apodaca, Human Ecology
Kathy Thatcher, Biological Sciences
Edwin Scott Keifer, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Dean's Office Staff Excellence Award: Michael Mahometa
2009-2010
Erika L. Frahm, Biological Sciences
Jon Kevin Mace, McDonald Observatory
Sharon D. Bugnand, Nano and Molecular Science and Technology
Kimberly M. Sybert, Neurobiology
George L. Sandefur, Physics
Dean's Office Staff Excellence Award: Becky Kester
2008-2009
Theresa Barnes, Integrative Biology
Cathy Potter, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Alfonso Huerta Garcia, Human Ecology
Maorong Zou, Mathematics
Catherine Rapinett, Institute for Fusion Studies
Dean's Office Staff Excellence Award: Ricardo Gonzalez
2007-2008
Charles Arnone, Neurobiology
Yadirah Colon, Computer Sciences
Nancy Davis, McDonald Observatory
Jim Umbarger, Astronomy
Brian Zavala, Environmental Science Institute
Dean's Office Staff Excellence Award: Kate Waldeman
2006-2007
Barbara Heine, Computer Sciences
Michael Ronalter, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Tina Radke, Human Ecology
Povilas Palunas, McDonald Observatory
Sheri Biggs, Neurobiology
2005-2006
Monica Kidd, Astronomy
Laurie Alvarez, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Jeff Evelyn, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Nelson Guda, Environmental Science Institute
Marco Gonzalez, School of Biological Sciences
2004-2005
Michael Montague, Human Ecology
Dan Machold, Computer Sciences
Fu-Ren (Frank) Fan, Laboratory for Electrochemistry
Dora Hilgart, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
John Maisano, Texas Memorial Museum
2003-2004
Cynthia Thompson, Astronomy
Monika Hill, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Frances Lemear, Integrative Biology
Nancy Lamm, Mathematics
John Good, McDonald Observatory
2002-2003
Timothy Stahlke, Dana Center
Carolyn Miller, Human Ecology
Katherine Reynolds, ICMB
John Ulrich, Integrative Biology
Michael Gibson, Marine Science Institute
Patrick Goetz, Mathematics
2001-2002
Lara Eakins, Astronomy
Patricia Ganey-Curry, Institute for Geophysics
Andrea Wickham, Marine Science Institute
Robert Rainey, Vertebrate Paleontology Lab
Suzanne Goodman, School of Biological Sciences
2000-2001
Enrique Cantu, Jr., Astronomy
Elsa Villanueva, Human Ecology
David Doss, McDonald Observatory
Lee Sutton, Neurobiology
Annie Harding, Prigogine Center
1999-2000
Lee Benson, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Larry Mack, Geological Sciences
Robert Claggett, Human Ecology
Richard Kalke, Marine Science Institute
Emma Harley, Microbiology
1998-1999
Susan Cook, Biological Sciences
Theresa Barnes, Botany
Linde Soderquist, Human Ecology
George Barczak, McDonald Observatory
Richard Garcia, Microbiology
Allan Bonin, Zoology
1997-1998
Mae Collins, Astronomy
Daniel Thomas, Biological Sciences
Patrick Horne, Computer Sciences
Earl Green, McDonald Observatory
Allan Bonin, Zoology
1996-1997
Cathy Prescott, Botany
Sandra Monahan, Biological Sciences
Donald Niebauer, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Cleota Gambino, McDonald Observatory
John Loera, Zoology
1995-1996
Paul Ward, Biological Sciences
Carolyn Valentine, Fusion Studies
Betty Kurtz, Geological Sciences
Margaret Combs, Mathematics
Norma Kotz, Physics
1994-1995
Michael Raney, Biological Sciences
Barbara McKnight, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Fletcher Mattox, Computer Sciences
Janis Baker, Mathematics
Pam Cook, Science and Technology Center
1993-1994
Vincent Lynch, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Char Dison, Computer Sciences
William Woods, Geological Sciences
Adele Traverso, Theory Group, Physics
Marsha Berkman, Zoology
1992-1993
Susan Dirks, Clayton Foundation Biochem. Inst.
Shirley Hurt, Fusion Research Center
Donna Lee Precht, Geological Sciences
Karen Crumley, Institute for Fusion Studies
Ricardo Ruiz, Jr., Physics
1991-1992
Arthur S. Bratteng, Biological Sciences
Robert J. Nagy, Botany
Joanne Click, Computer Sciences
Carolyn Miller, Human Ecology
Juanita Goldrick, Mathematics
1990-1991
Joanne Rhodes, Biological Sciences
Karen Holcomb, Botany
Dianne Driskell, Computer Sciences
Alvin Mitchell, McDonald Observatory
Richard DeMarchi, Microbiology
1989-1990
Guenther Hoops, Geological Sciences
Frieda Neff, Home Economics
Sue Kinney, Mathematics
Sandy Preston, McDonald Observatory
Les Deavers, Physics