News

On June 26th, staff members from across the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences flocked to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for this year’s Staff Excellence Awards ceremony. Created by the CLAS Staff Council, these awards recognize those who demonstrate merit and dedication in supporting the mission and goals of the college. 

“There are three pillars holding up the college,” said Interim Dean Mary Watt in her recognition speech. “The first two are faculty and students and the third is you, the staff.” 

Staff Excellence Awards have four categories with one winner in each. Three categories highlight the roles CLAS staff play: Facilities Excellence, Technical Excellence and Administrative Excellence. The final category is Rookie of the Year, an award for those who began their positions at UF in the last three years. This award recognizes staff who, despite their short time here, have already accomplished great feats and demonstrated their merits.

Earning one of these prestigious awards is no easy feat. In order to be considered, staff members are nominated by one of their peers, who submits a letter of recommendation to the CLAS Council and gathers one to two additional support letters from their other peers. The council then reviews these letters of support and chooses a winner from each category.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

Administrative Excellence: Leanna McClellan (History)

Facilities Excellence: Greg Labbe (Physics)

Technical Excellence: Katie Heiden (Chemistry)

Rookie of the Year: Amanda Bouquet (Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies)

It’s a true pleasure to recognize this year’s Staff Excellence Award recipients. Each of you brings heart, commitment and a spirit of generosity to our college that doesn’t go unnoticed. Your work touches the lives of students, faculty and colleagues in ways that matter deeply. Thank you for all that you do – you make this a better place for all of us. 

-Mary Watt