Honorees in the fourth annual employee recognition program, the UConn Spirit Awards, received their awards at a ceremony March 20.
The annual tradition recognizes the efforts of employees, especially staff; building community; and promoting civility. The Spirit Awards program is the result of a survey conducted by the Something’s Happening Committee, which found a significant correlation between supportive interactions among colleagues and productivity on the job.
“It is a cliché, but it is also true that a happy workplace is a more productive workplace. When we feel our contributions are appreciated by our peers, we work harder and put more of ourselves into the job,” said Tysen Kendig, vice president of communications, and chairman of the Spirit Awards Committee. “The year since our last ceremony has been an eventful one, and one that crystallized to many of us here the importance of telling the story of our university to the wider world.”
This year’s winners were:
Unsung Hero Award
Winner: Stacey Stearns, Extension
Finalist: Micki Bellamy, Physics
Finalist: Brandon Murray, Office of the Provost
Rising Star Award
Winner: Bianka Horvath, Off Campus Student Services
Finalist: Bridget Inzirillo, Office of the Provost
Finalist: Christie Soltys, Honors Program
Outstanding Peer Award
Winner: Kelly Wihbey, Office of Budget and Planning
Finalist: Bryanna Anderson, Center for Students with Disabilities
Finalist: Ashlee Stone, Student Health Services
Team Award
Winner: Hartford Campus Staff & Administration
Finalist: Greenhouse Studios Working Group Tom Scheinfeldt, Clarissa Ceglio, Greg Colati, Brendan Kane, and Sara Sikes.
Finalist: University Events and Conference Services’ Wendy Baker, Kate Copeland, Amy Erhart, Harley Erickson, Robbin Haboian-Demircan, Anne Hill, Juliet Kapsis, Carolyn Postemski, Lauren Schaller, Cara Workman, and Karen Zajac.
