Outstanding Staff Awards

The Outstanding Staff Awards are presented annually. This opportunity is open to all staff. Submissions open Wednesday, April 1, 2026, through Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Nominate A COLLEAGUE

You may nominate your fellow staff member(s) for any of the following five (5) categories:

• Staff Who Make a Difference Award
• People Helping People Award
• Tartan Soul Award
• Diversity Award
• Mary Johnson Outstanding Retiree Award

Awards Information

• Staff Who Make a Difference Award

  The Staff Who Make a Difference Award recognizes individuals who have made a positive impact on the campus community, implemented creativity and/or innovation in the workplace, displayed teamwork or leadership strengths and shown a commitment to the university's principles of community, diversity, equal opportunity, and affirmative action.

  Who it's for: Staff members who represent the four UCR employment groups: Technical, Service, Administrative, and Professional. One (1) winner is selected from each group.

  Year	Technical	Service	Administrative	Professional
  2022	Mike Bonetti, UCR Palm Desert Center	Francisco Hernandez, Facilities Services	Alice Chavez, Chicano Student Programs & Undocumented Student Programs	Cortney Crooms, Enrollment Services - Finance & Administrative Services Team (F.A.S.T.)
  2023	Priscilliano Saavedra, CNAS, Chemistry	Crystal Petrini, CHASS, English & Philosophy	Guille Vallejo, CNAS, Physics & Astronomy	Gladis Herrera-Berkowitz, Undergraduate Education
  2024	Joseph Bradfield, Bourns College of Engineering	Valerie Batlle, Student Recreation Center	Javier Ramirez, CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center	Monica Martinez-Daniels, Financial Aid
  2025	Ben Tusher, Dept. of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production	Rigo Salazar, Hospitality	Jeanette Westbrook, BMPN Admin Dept.	Jonathan Stiles, Student Recreation Center
  2026	Kara Oswood, Graduate Division Dept.	Leticia Mojica, Building Maintenance for PDGC	Charles Scruggs, Undergraduate Education Dept.	Daniel López Salas, The Well

• People Helping People Award

  The People Helping People Award is given to a staff member who has demonstrated outstanding or exemplary volunteer service in the community outside of the regular duties of their job at UCR, performed anytime between June of last year through May of this year.

  Who it's for: One (1) staff member is selected based on community service.

  Year	Winner
  2022	Alex Cortez, CNAS: Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology/Botany & Plant Sciences
  2023	Jasmine Veliz, UCR Extension
  2024	Stephanie Sandoval, School of Medicine
  2025	Vanessa Blaylock, Residential Life
  2026	Jeff Girod, CHASS Dean's Office

• Tartan Soul Award

  The Tartan Soul Award is presented based on the Statement of Ethical Values that was adopted by the Regents of the University of California in May 2005. The four values expressed by a person embodying Tartan Soul are:

  • Integrity - Conducts themselves with integrity in their dealings with and on behalf of the university
  • Excellence - Conscientiously strives for excellence in their work
  • Accountability - Is accountable as an individual and as a member of the UCR community for their ethical conduct and for their compliance with applicable UCR policies and directives
  • Respect - Respects the rights and dignity of others

  Who it's for: One (1) staff member who best represents any or all of the four Tartan Soul values.

  Year	Winner
  2022	Susan Komura, CHASS Art/History of Art
  2023	Marie Martin, UCR Extension
  2024	Ricky Horo, Student Recreation Center
  2025	Alisha French, CHASS Deans Office
  2026	Laurie Graham, CNAS Earth & Planetary Sciences Dept

• Diversity Award

  Co-sponsored by Staff Assembly and the Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action, the nomination criteria for the Diversity Award are:

  1. Individual's accomplishments have had local impact and/or national influence/global reach.
  2. The individual has demonstrated support of the university's Principles of Community, diversity, equal opportunity, and affirmative action objectives by making significant contributions to UC Riverside in one or more of the following areas during the past 12 months: 
     • Valuing diversity and promoting cultural competency in individual/unit/division/department activities
     • Managing the dynamics of difference by using effective strategies to resolve conflict among people whose cultural backgrounds and values are different
     • Assessing one’s culture by recognizing how culture, including the organizational culture, affects others
     • Adapting to diversity by making paradigm shifts and behavioral changes to demonstrate cross-cultural recognition. Institutionalizing diversity by incorporating cultural competency into the organization and by integrating knowledge and skills that enable effective cross-cultural interactions

  Who it's for: One (1) career staff member who values diversity and promotes cultural competency, uses effective strategies to resolve conflict, and has shown the ability to adapt to, demonstrate, and institutionalize cultural competency that enables effective cross-cultural interactions.

  Year	Winner
  2022	Melbert Sebayan, University Communications
  2023	Michelle Burroughs, School of Medicine, Center for Healthy Communities
  2024	Maite Zabala-Alday, University Advancement - Development
  2025	Brock Cavett, Office of Alumni Engagement
  2026	Deejay Brown, LGBT Resource Center Dept

• Mary Johnson Outstanding Retiree Award

  Created in 2021, the Outstanding Retiree Award is awarded in conjunction with the UCR Retirees' Association. The award recognizes a UCR retiree who has had an outstanding record of volunteer service to the campus and surrounding communities, and participation in campus activities/programs while in retirement.

  Who it's for: One (1) retired UCR staff who is a member of the UCR Retirees’ Association.

  Year	Winner
  2022	Sheryl Hayes, formerly of Financial Aid
  2023	Bob Daly, Strategic Academic Research & Analysis
  2024	Kathy Barton, School of Medicine
  2025	Jorge Sanchez, Human Resources
  2026	Bart Kats, Information Technology Solutions

• Volunteer of the Year Award

  The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to an exceptional Staff Assembly volunteer. Individuals are nominated by other volunteers and the Staff Assembly Executive Board members. The Executive Board reviews and discusses the relative contributions of each candidate before selecting a winner.

  Who it's for: One (1) UCR Staff Assembly volunteer.

  Year	Winner
  2022	Dante Kruise, UCR Basic Needs
  2023	Valerie Batlle, Student Recreation Center
  2024	Demetrius Patrick, Workplace Health and Wellness
  2025	Robert Stephens, Office of Title IX & EEO: AA
  2026	Noah Jones, Information Technology Solutions & Laura Cantrell, School of Medicine

Special Recognition

2026 honoree: Krista Norwood, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

2025 honoree: Remi Rodriguez, Basic Needs Dept. and Alex Najera, Human Resources Dept.

2024 honoree: Gerry Bomotti, VC Planning, Budget & Admin and Hung Wu, Workplace Health and Wellness

2023 honoree: Imran Ghori, University Relations

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Read the 2026 article and view the gallery from the 2026 celebration.

Read the 2025 article and view the gallery from the 2025 celebration.

Read the 2024 article and view the gallery from the 2024 celebration.

Read the 2023 article and view the gallery from the 2023 celebration. 

Read the 2022 article and view the gallery from the 2022 celebration.

All gallery photos by Carlos Puma of Puma Images.

Who is Eligible?

Eligibility extends to any career staff member in good standing and not on probation. Anyone may nominate a candidate.

For the Outstanding Retiree Award, eligibility extends to retired UCR staff who are members of the UCR Retirees’ Association. Anyone may nominate, including self-nominations.

For the Volunteer of the Year Award, eligibility extends to any Staff Assembly volunteer. Candidates are nominated by other volunteers or board members.

What Is The Selection Process?

Individuals must be nominated for the awards. The Staff Assembly Recognition Committee and the Staff Assembly Executive Board will review applications and determine the winners. 

For the Volunteer of the Year Award, an individual must be nominated by other Staff Assembly volunteers or the Staff Assembly Executive Board members. 

How Can I Nominate?

Nominate a candidate via our online form.