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what's on my mind

A rewarding glimpse into the lives of faculty, staff

by GLORIA JURISIC

Each spring there’s a flurry of activity among staff and faculty as the deadline approaches for submitting applications and nominations for scholarships and awards to be given out by UCLA Staff Assembly. These programs help recognize staff for outstanding contributions, provide them with financial assistance to pursue continuing education for career development and acknowledge faculty who demonstrate collaboration and collegiality with staff. As chair of this year’s Awards Selection Committee, these programs gave me a valuable glimpse into the professional lives of some truly exceptional members of the UCLA community.

Staff Assembly administers three awards programs: the Excellence in Service Award, the Faculty/Staff Partnership Award and Scholarship Awards. Staff and faculty submit nominations to the committee for review and evaluation. That’s when my incredible journey began.

This year the committee received nominations for 45 staff members for the Excellence in Service Award. They represented a broad range of departments and administrative levels. As I read the nominations, it became clear that we are surrounded by some of the most talented and interesting people, most of whom I’ve never had the opportunity to meet. I was amazed at their abilities to foster great change and progress at this university.

The task of selecting an individual to receive the award, which includes a $5,000 check from the Chancellor’s Office, was daunting. This year’s Excellence in Service Award went to Al Aubin, associate director of counseling and campus relations. Beyond his primary role of delivering superior career development services to students, Al consistently contributes to numerous campuswide initiatives behind the scenes, including those that address the challenges, concerns and opportunities of underrepresented students and staff. Elizabeth Krown Spellman, assistant director of the Center for 17th- & 18th-Century Studies, and Suzanne Seplow, director of the Office of Residential Life, earned an “honorable mention” in this category.

Scholarship awards are open to any employee who has worked at UCLA for at least a year. Winners can receive up to $350 to pursue continuing education. Of the 30 applicants this year, 15 won scholarships to attend conferences and enroll in courses that relate to their career plans and are of benefit to the university. The Faculty/Staff Partnership Award was presented June 8 by Vice Chancellor Daniel Neuman and the Staff Assembly board to three faculty members: Alison Bailey in the Education Department, Frederick Burwick in the English Department and Ann Karagozian in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.

As I look back on my 15 years at UCLA, serving on the Awards Selection Committee has been one of the highlights. It is an amazing honor to be able to learn about the wonderful accomplishments of colleagues who work in diverse university departments at various levels of the administrative hierarchy. It’s also gratifying to contribute even in a small way to helping staff meet their career goals.

Jurisic is the marketing and contracting director at the Jules Stein Eye Institute.