Staff Award Nominations are no longer being accepted.

    Congratulations 2024 Nominees

    We're excited to congratulate the following nominees for the 2024 KSU Staff Awards! Their dedication and remarkable contributions have made a lasting impact on our university community, embodying the excellence and commitment to service that defines Kennesaw State University. Let's applaud these remarkable individuals and wish them luck in the selection process!

    • Angela Lewis

      Christine Bryant

      Greg Humble 

      Helen Maddox

      Jennifer Hoyt

      Lindsey Fisher

      Meghan Cooper

      Melissa Conners

      Rebecca Mattox

      Sanjoosh Akkineni

      Savana Alexander

    • Ellen Lehtinen

      Hayley Anderson

      Jayne Kier

      Jeremy Walts

      Kellie Johnson

      Lauren Cerny

      Lawrence Gettemy

      Mary Hiatt

      Melinda Ross

      Melissa Lappe 

      William Hargrove

      Yvonne Perrino

    • Alejandro Cambron

      Brichaya Shah

      Greg Stacy

      Krysta Fry

      Leigh Ann Oder

      Lexie Baker

      Meghan Stoltzfus 

      Natasha Talreja

      Steven Fuller

      Susanne Rothery

      Trudi Vaughan

      Xiaoxiao Ji

    • Audra Boyd

      Blake Williams

      Brandon Bedford

      Brian Garsh

      Hannah Stocks

      Janessa Perez

      Michael Tsukamoto

      Sobia Mufti

    • Anne Marie Thomas

      Barbara Hair

      Brant "Wes" Daggerhart

      Caitlin Summer

      Cammie Conn

      Cindy Schmelzer

      Danielle Avery

      Danyelle Denham

      David Bennet

      Erin Steinmetz

      Kaitlyn Nestor

      Lindsey Jefferson

      Lynn Kunkel

      Marie Manuel

      Milya Maxfield

      Nate Mann

      Opal Ojeda

      Raquel Britt

      Rhonda Nemeth

      Ron Sullivan

      Shawanda Daniel

      Stephanie Carlson

      Tina Russell

      Todd Carper

    Nomination Process & Directions for the Nominator

    Complete and submit the below nomination form by Friday, March 15, 2024. Please note: At the time of submission you must upload a minimum of two letters of support from others who can also speak to the merit of the nomination. The financial incentives for the Staff Awards range from $4000 to $7000. 

    Please be sure to include the nominee’s name as well as the name of the particular award it is supporting.  Additional supporters may be supervisors, colleagues, internal or external customers, outside vendors, or any other KSU community member who can speak to the merit of your nomination.  Please share the award criteria with your fellow supporters as they should use these elements to:

    • Reinforce the nominator’s case for the nomination
    • Offer other perspectives on the nominee’s work from multiple areas of the institution
    • Provide specific, detailed examples of the nominee’s actions whenever possible

    Awards and Criteria

    • KSU Value: Delivering a difference – impacting individuals and communities for positive change.

      Staff member that engages in activities that help and positively impact others internal and external to the KSU Community. 

      Describe how the individual has exhibited the specific behavior and how the efforts and approaches impacted others and brought positive impact or recognition to KSU.

      • Engages in activities that help others internal and/or external to the KSU community
      • Has had a positive impact on others or the community.
      • Offers service above and beyond formally defined job in order to meet the needs of others or the community.
      • Demonstrates a true concern for humankind by offering time and/or talents to better the community
      • Exudes KSU Value: Delivering a difference – impacting individuals and communities for positive change.

      This award will be presented to a staff member or an academic professional (acting in an academic support role) who:

      • Fuels aspiration and delivers pathways to enable community members to stretch and strive, embrace a dream, and create actionable plans.
      • Being committed and ready – fueling opportunities that provide positive influence that affect internal and external resources (human or capital)
      • Consistently pursuing, creating, or building opportunities to expand KSU’s impact on the community.
      • Values and leverages diverse perspectives to find better solutions.
      • Able to make a difference that impacts individuals and communities for positive change.

      Nomination Requirements:

      • Completed nomination form (providing details that highlight the behaviors and/or project details)
      • A minimum of 2 letters of support (providing specific activities and/or behaviors that support the nomination)

      Awardee: Individual nomination

      Service Requirements: A minimum of one (1) year KSU service

      Nominate a staff member now!

    • This award recognizes individuals who, in their time at Kennesaw State University have contributed to the mission and goals of the university, as well as exemplified its values. Their hard work and dedication have positively impacted the university and they are put forth as positive role models to the campus community.

      This award will be presented to a staff member or academic professional (acting in an academic support role) who:

      • Demonstrates integrity and respect in all aspects of their position
      • Creates and/or fosters a positive and productive workplace
      • Excels in customer service and teamwork
      • Continuously goes above and beyond their standard job duties, in order to improve the KSU experience for internal and external customers
      • Contributes to the development of department and/or university initiatives

      Nomination Requirements:

      • Completed nomination form (providing details that highlight the behaviors and/or project details)
      • A minimum of 2 letters of support (providing specific activities and/or behaviors that support the nomination)

      Awardee: Individual nomination

      Service Requirements:

      • Have been employed at the university more than two years
      • Have had no disciplinary actions in the last twelve months
      • Have an evaluation rating of Superior or Exemplary

      OR

      • Have been employed six months – two years, but has made outstanding, transformative changes which have had a positive effect on the university, during this short time
      • Have had no disciplinary actions

      Nominate a staff member now!

    • KSU Value: Innovation - We translate meaningful insights or vision into creative outcomes to enhance and advance the KSU Brand.

      The Excellence in Innovation Award recognizes a KSU staff member who is committed to the belief that there is always room to rise higher and successfully navigate an initiative to take on the next challenge by addressing “what’s next.”  This Award focuses on a staff member who has either shown innovation by creating a new process, procedure, or system, or taken initiative to implement lasting improvements to an existing process, procedure, or system when faced with a challenge in their area of service.   

      The KSU staff member selected will regularly exhibit the following characteristics:

      • Is seldom satisfied with current state. Constantly asks “how can we do this better?” and “why do we do it that way?”
      • Frequently considers non-traditional approaches.
      • Regularly evaluates situations, gathers data, and uses the data to identify opportunities for change.
      • Regularly identifies challenges but focuses on potential solutions.
      • Proactively seeks feedback on involvement from constituents.
      • Seeks relationships and connections among constituents, input, and outputs.
      • Strives to impact student’s learning and success.


      Nomination Requirements:

      • Completed nomination form (providing details that highlight the behaviors and/or project details)
      • A minimum of 2 letters of support (providing specific activities and/or behaviors that support the nomination)

      Awardee: Individual nomination

      Service Requirement: A minimum of two (2) years of KSU service for an individual award 

      Nominate a staff member now!

    • KSU’s Outstanding Leadership Award will be given to a staff member who exemplifies the qualities most effective in moving their unit forward.  This involves demonstration of collaboration, competition, creativity and control, while fostering appropriate balance of these opposing values. 

      This leader will champion the importance of developing others, cultivating innovation, examining outcomes, and producing results.  Nominations for this award should reflect the candidate’s understanding of the difference between leading and managing as well as their desire to guide a high-performing team.

      Measurable Qualities of an Outstanding Leader will include, but are not limited to:

      • Communicating clearly and with empathy
      • Asking great questions of themselves and others
      • Exhibiting good listening skills
      • Presenting inspiring ideas and motivating growth
      • Coaching to resolve conflict
      • Encouraging others and posturing them for success and acknowledgement
      • Being a positive change agent who casts a clear vision
      • Making the proper strategic decisions
      • Moving their team towards realistic and effective goals
      • Driving quality performance and producing desired results
      • Delegating and/or sharing tasks with others effectively
      • Creating an appropriate sense of urgency without generating undue stress
      • Outlining applicable performance indicators
      • Engaging the talent of others properly
      • Implementing and documenting a system that works in support of the end goal

      Nomination Requirements:

      Completed nomination form (providing details that highlight the behaviors and/or project details)
      A minimum of 2 letters of support (providing specific activities and/or behaviors that support the nomination)

      Awardee: Individual nomination

      Service Requirements: A minimum of two (2) years of KSU service

      Nominate a staff member now!

    • The Student Success Impact award recognizes KSU staff members who have made significant contributions to the development of KSU’s student population. Ideal candidates are those who contribute to the personal, professional, or academic development of a student or group of students above and beyond the expectation of their position. Nominators should provide specific examples and evidence of meeting the award criteria.

      Criteria

      • Contributes to student success in a notable and measurable way including, but not limited to, personal, professional, or academic development of a student or group of students above and beyond the expectation of their position.
      • Fosters collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and members of the campus community with student success in mind.
      • Demonstrates decisions guided by a commitment to the student success goals of the university which consistently match the USG and KSU values, mission, vision and code of ethics.
      • Aids in the development of student skills in the areas of knowledge, communication, or critical thinking beyond what is expected of their position.
      • Contributes to the retention of a student or students above and beyond the expectations of their position.
      • Displays exceptional ability and willingness to manage changes in work priorities, procedures, and organization to promote student success.
      • Demonstrates personal initiative and commitment to developing their knowledge and skills and apply these in a student- centric way to their work; i.e. there is evidence nominee is seeking to continually learn, improve and, ultimately, apply what they have learned.
      • Consistently displays a caring and helpful attitude towards students, as reflected in student feedback, supervisor evaluations, peer feedback, etc.
      • Champions work and initiatives based on best practices, science and/or confirmed research findings.

      Nomination Requirements:

      Completed nomination form (providing details that highlight the behaviors and/or project details)
      A minimum of 2 letters of support (providing specific activities and/or behaviors that support the nomination)

      Awardee: individual nomination

      Service Requirement: A minimum of two (2) years of KSU service

      Nominate a staff member now!

    Nomination Form

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