On April 7, 52 staff honorees were recognized for extraordinary contributions to the Penn community during the 26th annual Models of Excellence award ceremony.
Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson, Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, and Vice President of Human Resources Felicia Washington presented the awards at Penn Museum’s Harrison Auditorium. The program allows the Penn community to recognize remarkable achievements by nominating staff members for one of three categories: Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor.
Honorees are those who fulfill the University’s principles and practices through their leadership and support. Established in 2007, Model Supervisors are identified by the Selection Committee based on their exemplary service-oriented leadership.
The ceremony also included a video montage of the awardees and a performance by the Penn Glee Club to welcome the speakers.
Washington presented the Model Supervisor Awards to Associate Director for Building Operations Edwin Berrios, Wharton San Francisco Executive Director Adrian Madison Cario, Deputy Managing Editor of the Penn Center for Innovation Melissa Kelly, and Goldstein Director of the Information Processing Center and Library Research Annex at Penn Libraries Katia Strieck.
Jackson announced the recipients of the Pillars of Excellence awards, which included Chargeperson in Facilities and Real Estate Services Anthony DeValerio, Senior Application Developer in Student Services Weining Guo, and Program and Operations Coordinator Hitomi Yoshida of the Penn Women’s Center. First introduced in 2014, this award recognizes efforts such as increasing efficiency and cultivating collaborative work environments, honoring vital contributions of staff in support roles.
Finally, Carnaroli presented the Models of Excellence Award, which celebrates staff who demonstrate extraordinary initiative, leadership, and innovation in the face of pressing challenges.
The awardees include Executive Assistant for the Dean’s Office at the Graduate School of Education Diana Johnson, Vice Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs at GSE Leslie Levin, Information Technology Support Specialist in the School of Arts and Sciences Cindy Nguyen, and Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the Wharton School Bob Paul.
“These staff members have earned their place in the spotlight alongside the University’s world-renowned faculty, students, and alumni,” Washington said in her address. “The honorees not only make research, education, and service possible every day — they show us the power of our principles and the results of our best practices.”
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