Staff Excellence - Awards 2023

Jolanda Valejo received the 2023 Diana Campbell Award

The Campbell Staff Award was initiated by a distinguished alumnus and friend of the department, Jerry Murry, in honor of Diana Campbell, one of Professor Emeritus Gary Keck’s administrative assistants who had a long-lasting impact on the graduate students who bantered from her dedication to our research and education missions. The award is given to a staff member who meaningfully and consistently contributes to and supports graduate students in ways that go above and beyond their administrative duties. This award recognizes and rewards our staff members' significant impact on the department's quality of education and research.

Jolanda Valejo is one of the Department’s significant student supporters, from recruitment to graduation and beyond.

 

Renée Laws, Administrative Director in the Department of Chemistry wrote "This year’s Campbell Staff award went to our graduate program coordinator Jolanda Vallejo. Jo has been with the department since 2000 and has been instrumental over the years in supporting recruiting efforts and the grad student program. She is the go-to person for all grad students. She is unfailingly kind and helpful while being tough when needed. Jo is a key member of the administrative team and her willingness to do what needs to be done is always appreciated. Recruiting weekend is the big event for incoming students and Jo is at the center of it all! Thanks Jo!"

The 2022 Diana Campbell Award recipient was Dasha Walker.  

 

Jared Smith received the 2023 W.W. Epstein Outstanding Educator Award

The W.W. Epstein, Outstanding Educator Award, is awarded annually to a faculty member, TA, staff, or other employee who has made a difference in education in the department. 

Tom Richmond wrote: “Jared Smith manages both the General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry undergraduate labs (and even my nursing chem labs). He has affected the education of literally thousands of students in his staff role, including making the life of graduate TAs more livable. Jared also spearheaded a shared lab coat program for the thousands of students taking general Chem lab, which collectively saved the students    $30,000! I can speak highly of Jared in how he goes the extra mile in the lab operation and is even in the process of building a "physical" periodic table of the elements.”

Jared Smith has been the Undergraduate Lab/Stockroom Manager in the Department of Chemistry since the year 2020.

 

Past recipients of the W.W. Epstein Outstanding Educator Award:

2005 - Alison Livingston       2006 - Peter F. Flynn        2007 - Henry S. White         2008 - Dale Heisler             2009 - Holly L. Sebahar             

2010 - Jim Muller and Anita Orendt          2011 - Tom Richmond         2012 - Jay Kitt          2013 - Anita M. Orendt          2014 -Michael D. Morse     

2015 - John R. Heemstra          2016 - Jennifer M. Heemstra         2017 - Aaron Fleming           2018 - Sophia Robinson        2019 - Victoria Russell            

2020 - Luisa Whittaker-Brooks           2022 - Andrew G. Roberts

 

Read more about the 2023 Chemistry Awards here.