Celebrating Excellence: UH Libraries 2015 Staff Awards

University of Houston Libraries honored outstanding librarians and staff at an awards ceremony this month, held at the Rockwell Pavilion. Dean Dana Rooks commended the entire staff of the Libraries at the annual event, stating that it is her favorite day of the year. With her retirement swiftly approaching, this is also Dean Rooks’ last Staff Awards.

Dean Dana Rooks speaks at the UH Libraries 2015 Staff Awards.

Dean Dana Rooks speaks at the UH Libraries 2015 Staff Awards.

The recipient of the Dean’s Library Advocate Award is Cathy Horn, associate professor in the College of Education. This award recognizes a University of Houston employee who has worked closely with the Libraries during the past year, and who has made a significant contribution to the success of the Libraries.

The Outstanding Group Award went to Acquisitions, a team that has demonstrated exceptional creativity, collegiality and hospitality in collaborating with other units. Team members are Mary Rico, Yesenia Umana, Kelli Getz, Gloria Robinson-Citizen, Lisa Lomas, Jeannie Pham, Dahn Bang, Mike Thompson, Judith Parsons and Erin Lew.

Christie Peters received the Trailblazer Award for Leading Organization Change, for her critical work in developing new services for data management, helping to expand the Libraries’ digital repositories, and integrating the Libraries more fully into research activities on campus.

The John P. McGovern Rookie of the Year Award winner is Mauricio Lazo. Although new to the organization, Lazo has helped strengthen the Libraries brand by providing creative and technical expertise in numerous multimedia projects.

The Student Achievement Award recipients are Kaylie Kahlich (Music Library) and Alex Segura (Metadata and Digitization Services), both demonstrating superior performance and accomplishments in the course of their duties. The McGovern Outstanding Student Award went to Sara Craig, an employee in Special Collections.

Cindy Romero was honored with the Staff Achievement Award for her consistently exemplary work and friendly demeanor while onboarding new employees. Esmeralda Fisher received the Staff Achievement Award for establishing new communications strategies and revitalizing existing channels. The McGovern Outstanding Staff Award recipient is Marcus Elizondo, whose expertise in systems and excellent customer service have strengthened the performance of his department and the Libraries.

The Librarian Achievement Award recipients are Alex Simons and Lee Hilyer. Simons is known for building strong relationships with her colleagues throughout the Libraries, and has made significant contributions to a number of public services projects. Hilyer’s service-oriented professionalism and practical insights make him a valued asset to the Libraries. Jackie Bronicki received the McGovern Outstanding Librarian Award for providing expertise in statistics and analysis, and for managing ambitious, large-scale projects in collections assessment.

The 2015 Staff Awards event was brought to fruition through the efforts of Marissa Aiello, Gillian Bautista, Kelsey Brett, Esmeralda Fisher, Kristine Greive, Stacey Lavender, Stephanie Lewin-Lane, Hayley Moreno, Andy Nguyen, Santi Thompson and Carolyn Meanley.

View photos from the 2015 Libraries Staff Awards.

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Posted on April 9th, 2015 by Esmeralda Fisher and filed under Announcements | Comments Off on Celebrating Excellence: UH Libraries 2015 Staff Awards