College of Arts and Science names 2020 Staff Excellence Award recipients
At a virtual staff meeting on October 16, the College of Arts and Science named the winners of the school’s annual 2020 Staff Excellence Awards. These awards recognize staff who have provided outstanding service to faculty and students or who have significantly advanced the mission of the college in other ways. The college names three divisional recipients—one each in the humanities, social science, and natural science—and one college-wide recipient. Divisional awards carry a $500 bonus, while the college-wide award carries a $1,000 bonus. In addition, awardees receive an engraved plaque and are nominated by the college for Vanderbilt’s Commodore Award, a university-wide competition that takes place each January.
Divisional Awards
Emily Stewart, Administrative Specialist in Theatre and Art (Humanities)
Emily Stewart was recognized for her assistance in executing the Department of Theatre’s fall-semester plans and for providing key support for several strategic projects. In addition to assisting with a curriculum review and a report on the department’s equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts, she has been instrumental in updating the department’s website and transferring the department’s substantial photo archive from Flickr to Heard Libraries.
Brittany Zenge, Administrative Assistant II in Medicine, Health, and Society (Social Science)
Brittany Zenge was recognized for both her day-to-day efforts and her assistance with departmental special projects. She excels at ensuring the department runs smoothly on a daily basis, communicating with MHS faculty, and creating a welcoming environment for department visitors. She was also instrumental in organizing a large conference hosted by MHS.
Jeannie Wagner, Administrative Assistant in Mathematics (Natural Science)
Jeannie Wagner was recognized for her outstanding professionalism and for spearheading two projects that improved the Mathematics department’s efficiency and transparency. She created a new, more secure system for storing, circulating, and tracking desk copies for lower-division math courses, and she developed a more accurate and efficient way to determine textbook needs for each semester.
College-Wide Award
Amanda Celaya, Grants Manager in Psychology
Amanda Celaya, an experienced grants manager who transferred from the medical center to the A&S Department of Psychology, was recognized for her leadership and initiative. In addition to being highly skilled at her job, she is known for her positive and calm attitude and her generosity in assisting other departments and mentoring fellow employees. In a nomination letter, colleagues from the college’s Office of Research said, “Our team is much stronger because of her.”