Staff Assembly

Outstanding Staff Awards

The Outstanding Staff Awards are presented annually, and we are pleased to announce the nominations are now open! This opportunity is open to all staff. Submissions will be open from Wednesday, April 2 through Friday, May 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Nominate someone today!

Please feel free to nominate your fellow staff member(s) for 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: An award is presented to four (4) staff members representing (one staff member for each) the following UCR employment groups: Administrative, Professional, Service& Technical

  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	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA

• 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 the ordinary duties of their job at UCR performed between June of last year thorough May of this year

  Who it's for: One (1) staff member 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

• 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 and individual and as a member of the UCR community for his/her 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 criteria areas

  Year	Winner
  2022	Susan Komura, CHASS Art/History of Art
  2023	Marie Martin, UCR Extension
  2024	Ricky Horo, Student Recreation Center

• 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
     • 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, 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

• Mary Johnson Outstanding Retiree Award

  Created in 2021, the Outstanding Retiree Award is awarded in conjunction with the UCR Retiree 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) UCR retired 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

• 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 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	TBA

Special Recognition

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

2023 honoree: Imran Ghori, University Relations

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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 UCR retired 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 and board members.

Selection Process?

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

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 to Nominate?

Nominate a candidate via our online form.