On May 10, the ŃÇÉ«Ó°żâ community gathered in Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium in Whitby for the annual Year-End Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony, a celebration of the hard work, dedication, and talent of the University’s faculty and staff members.
“Each and every employee at St. Kate’s has made their own tremendous contributions to this campus community over the past year,” said President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 at the ceremony. “I am thankful everyday for this, but when you take a moment to consider all that we have accomplished at St. Kate’s over the past year, I am all the more appreciative and thankful for all your efforts and continued commitment to our mission. The work each of us brings to the greater whole strengthens the St. Kate’s community that we have built — and continue to build — together.”
Please join us in recognizing our outstanding colleagues, friends, and educators below.
Staff Excellence Awards
The Staff Excellence Awards honor staff members who have been nominated by their colleagues for their exceptional work and dedication to the University. The winners are chosen from a wide pool of accomplished staff who demonstrate commitment to excellence in all arenas.
Awardees
Lys Akerman-Frank
Technical Assistant, Catherine G. Murphy Gallery
Bonnie Hageman
Custodian, Facilities
Eric Rehnberg
Lead Engineer Database Administration, IT
Honorees
Carla Arnevik
Management and Administrative Assistant, The O’Shaughnessy
Tessa Clark
Administrative Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Faculty Teaching and Advising Awards
The Faculty Teaching and Advising Awards honor faculty members who demonstrate the highest quality of teaching and dedication to effective mentoring and academic advising. Chosen from a field of impressive faculty committed to academic excellence, these honorees, nominated by the St. Kate’s community, go above and beyond in their roles as teachers and mentors.
Rebeca Barroso, PhD
Associate Professor, Nursing
Tarik Michael, PhD
Assistant Professor, Sonography
Nicole Watson, MFA
Adjunct Faculty and Director, Catherine G. Murphy Gallery
Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Award for Faculty Excellence
The Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Award for Faculty Excellence honors outstanding accomplishments in teaching and scholarship that bring external visibility to the University, regionally and nationally. The award was established by Joan Kelly, a 1946 graduate and lifelong supporter of St. Kate’s, to honor the memory of her sister, Bonnie Jean.
Marcie Myers, PhD
Professor, Biology
The Patricia O’Connor Myser Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring
The Patricia O’Connor Myser Award for Faculty Excellence was established in 2015 to honor ŃÇÉ«Ó°żâ faculty who are exceptional mentors to undergraduate students engaged in research and scholarly work.
Ambria Crusan, PhD
Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Exercise Science
The Denny Prize for Distinction in Writing
The Denny Prize for Distinction in Writing was established by the Denny family in 1994 in honor of their mother, Eleanor McCahill Denny, to fund an annual series of prizes for distinguished faculty and staff writing. Denny Prize winners are chosen by an external panel of judges, made up of prominent writers, scholars, and thinkers from the Twin Cities region.
Julie Bass, PhD
Professor, Occupational Therapy
Bethany Catlin-Johnson
Development Writer, Communications
Kendall Graham
Communications Coordinator, Communications
Anne Maloney, PhD
Associate Professor, Philosophy
The Carol Easley Denny Award
The Carol Easley Denny Award recognizes excellence in teaching, research, and community service. It is named for the late Carol Easley Denny, wife of the late Charles M. Denny, Jr., trustee emeritus and former chair of ŃÇÉ«Ó°żâ’s Board of Trustees. The Denny Award is considered one of ŃÇÉ«Ó°żâ's most prestigious faculty development awards. The award amount is up to $20,000. One to two awards may be given annually; the minimum award is $5,000.
Angela Ekwonye, PhD
Associate Professor, Public Health
Sister Amata Miller Catholic Mission in Action Award
The Sister Amata Miller Catholic Mission in Action Award is presented each year to a member of faculty and staff who have demonstrated commitment to St. Kate’s Catholic mission. The award is named in honor of Sister Amata Miller, who carried out that mission as the Endowed Mission Chair for Catholic Identity and director of the Myser Initiative for Catholic Identity from 2006–2016.
Jewelly Lee ’10
Assistant Director, Center for Women
Deep Shikha, PhD
Professor, Economics and Political Science
Milestone Recognition Awards
A special thank you to these dedicated faculty and staff members who are celebrating anniversaries of 25 years or more with the University.
Sabrina Anderson MAOL’02
Director, Housing Operations
Cindy Dols Finn, DNP’17
Associate Professor, Nursing
Laura Gilchrist, PhD
Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Trish Montalbano, PhD
Associate Professor, English
Marcie Myers, PhD
Professor, Biology
Jenn Searles ’98
Director of Transfer Partnerships, College for Women
Vincent Skemp, PhD
Professor, Theology
Laurie Swabey, PhD
Professor, ASL/Interpreting
Troy Wilhelmson
Production Manager, Frey Theater, The O'Shaughnessy
Mary Zorn
Stage Technician, The O’Shaughnessy
Cynthia Graham, MAHS’13, MLIS
Assistant Professor, Library Science
John Pellegrini, PhD
Professor, Biology
Amy Shaw, MLIS
Associate Professor, Library Science
Kevin Jones
Production Manager, The O’Shaughnessy