Meet the 2016 MLK Staff Excellence and CLAS Leadership Award Recipients

Happy people huggingThe 2016 recipients of the most prestigious awards given by the College to College of Liberal Arts & Sciences staff were celebrated at a reception in the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories building on Thursday, March 10. (See photos below.)

The Mary Louise Kelly Staff Excellence Award recognizes staff whose accomplishments and contributions to the College and the University have benefited their departments and brought honor or recognition to the College and the University. 

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Leadership Award recognizes staff members who exhibited exceptional leadership qualities and positively impacted individuals, departments, or the College.

Dean CurtoAt the reception, CLAS Executive Associate Dean Raúl Curto expressed the College's respect and gratitude for the winners' service.

"The dedication and talent of all of our staff, throughout the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, is impressive. We are a busy and complex organization, and without the highest-caliber staff, we would never be able to perform our mission as expertly and innovatively as we do," Curto said. "I’m delighted to have this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the winners of our most prestigious staff awards, who have distinguished themselves with their work. The contributions of these individuals and groups have benefited our College, its departments, and our University in especially meaningful ways."

awardThe Mary Louise Kelly Staff Excellence Award is named for an alumna who earned a B.A. degree in speech from CLAS in 1930, and went on to work for the University, retiring in the 1940s. When she died in 1997, she left an estate gift that funds the Mary Louise Kelly Staff Excellence Awards and the Mary Louise Kelly Professional Development Awards, which help staff members pursue professional-development opportunities.

The winners of the 2016 Mary Louise Kelly Staff Excellence Award are:

  • Bob Burns, CLAS Production Unit
  • Suzanne Doershuk, Psychological & Brain Sciences
  • Pat Goodwin, History
  • Daniel Khalastchi, Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing
  • Allison Rockwell, Division of International Programs
  • Mary Jo Yotty, Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Performing Arts Production Unit:
    • Jenny Hall
    • Ken Keith
    • Cindy Kubu
    • Don Ladd
    • Rick Loula
    • Brianna Maxwell
    • Joyce McKinley
    • Mike Nolte
    • Margaret Wenk-Kuchlbauer

The winners of the CLAS Leadership Award are:

  • Diane Hauser, Academic Programs & Student Development
  • Ruthina Malone, Psychological & Brain Sciences and Sociology

Congratulations to all!

Photos from the 2016 reception for the recipients of the Mary Louise Kelly Staff Excellence Award and CLAS Leadership Award (click to enlarge):