Eight College of Public Health and Health Professions employees have been named UF Superior Accomplishment award winners in the Health Science Center division. They will be honored at a luncheon on April 4.
The award program recognizes employees who contribute outstanding service, efficiency and/or economy to the university, or play a role in the quality of life provided to students and employees. Health Science Center division winners are submitted as nominees to compete for the university-level Superior Accomplishment Awards.
Nominations for the selected employees reflect faculty and staff responding to continued challenges the COVID-19 pandemic posed to education, research and service. The 2022 PHHP Superior Accomplishment Award winners, along with comments from nominators, include:
Aubrey Bonsal, admissions coordinator, MPH program, and administrative specialist II, dean’s office
“As a result of evolving changes, Aubrey’s position responsibilities changed multiple times, and with each change she cheerfully learned new systems, university and college policies, and academic processes. She developed her skills in these areas so quickly that she was able to make improvements almost immediately. She effectively transitioned between providing administrative support to the MPH director and assistant dean, to serving as the internship coordinator, to managing admissions activities, and all while providing direct support to the college’s accreditation activities with the Council on Education for Public Health.”
Amy Gandy, research administration manager, Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium (SHARC), department of epidemiology
“Amy’s positive attitude, willingness to help and attention to detail has contributed greatly to the success of the SHARC Center. She plays a major part in the positive work environment and high performance of the staff and students by being proactive in her professional duties and offering support and assistance in any way she can. Amy’s leadership and professionalism has led to improved relationships and communication between the various SHARC research study sites and partner universities in the state of Florida. She actively strives to be a problem solver, addressing the unique needs of each situation and how to best improve or resolve it.”
Victoria Houghton, academic program specialist, department of environmental and global health
“Because of all the time and effort she puts into nurturing student relationships, they now have a home within their program that goes beyond the ‘once a semester’ meeting with their advisor. Victoria has been essential in navigating areas of uncertainty with our current students. Since many of our students work in global settings, the past 18 months have left many uncertain of their graduation, anxious about global opportunities for data collection, and in some cases despondent about their future. Victoria was there for these students to assist with financial aid concerns and living situations, among other unfortunate scenarios catalyzed by COVID-19.”
Barbara Janowitz, research administrator II, dean’s office
“She has been a safe harbor for our faculty, students, and staff throughout the COVID pandemic over the past year and a half. How would our budgets and overall research be affected by the shutdown and then the more general slowdown related to the pandemic? Barbara was on top of these issues at all times. She managed the many pandemic-related no-cost extensions, funded extensions, and administrative supplements on top of an increased submission load, with aplomb and confidence, bringing her wisdom and experience to bear in this unprecedented moment.”
Zoe Martusewicz, administrative support assistant III, department of epidemiology
“She is committed to the team, and she does not ever do her job halfway. She learns whatever she needs in order to perform her work, and she is always willing to listen to feedback. I know that I can always count on Zoe to accomplish her work within deadlines, and she is continually willing to go the extra mile to help in a crunch. In fact, she even puts smiles on her co-workers’ faces through her weekly ‘pun sign’! During a year of extraordinary challenges, Zoe has certainly accomplished superior things.”
Meredith Nappy, academic assistant II, undergraduate programs, dean’s office
“Meredith has been dedicated to providing high quality undergraduate education that results in excellent student experiences. However, there is one area that Meredith has distinguished herself in terms of a superior accomplishment award: the classroom management project. She put her great problem solving abilities to work to develop a process that is fair, has reduced errors, and thus far has met the needs of all colleges utilizing the HPNP classrooms. Her work on this project has earned her praises from administrators across the colleges as well as from HSC directors.”
Garret Pogue, fiscal assistant II, department of physical therapy
“This year has been a bit of stand out, as we have had multiple people find positions in other colleges and departments. Those positions do not fill immediately. Garret stepped in to take on duties AND help train the new people in how to do those duties! Consequently, some of the different roles Garret assumed were: coordinating the schedule of our chair for a few months while training the new assistant to the chair; processing all our payroll to keep everyone’s pay checks rolling in; hiring all our OPS personnel that start at the beginning of each semester; and managing all of the purchasing.”
Jerne Shapiro, lead epidemiologist, UF Health Screen, Test & Protect, and lecturer, department of epidemiology
“One example of Jerne’s initiative and creativity in performing the duties of the lead epidemiologist for STP is the creation of the Red Cap database to manage campus. Through a very innovative and time intensive partnership with four different information technology teams on campus, Jerne spearheaded the effort to create a state-of-the-art data management system that automated the entire process to clear, withhold, and otherwise communicate with the 120,000 plus Gator Nation of faculty, students, and staff spread throughout the state of Florida. Her initiative and creativity helped make STP, in my opinion, the most effective integrated COVID management system in higher education, if not all of public health in the U.S.”