CLAS staff celebrate during annual appreciation event

Staff from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences gathered last month to celebrate their work during the annual celebration event.
Monday, June 17, 2024

Staff in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn on May 17, 2024, to celebrate the work and accomplishments of their colleagues. 

There was food, music, and door prizes during the celebration. Enjoy photos from the event and learn about the employees who received collegiate awards for outstanding work and longevity.  

If you have feedback on this year’s celebration, please submit your responses to CLAS Staff Council using the online survey by June 28. 

Did you miss the event? You can still pick up your staff gift, which is a self-watering plant, from Sylvia Gomez in CLAS HR.  

CLAS staff celebrate


Mary Louise Kelley Professional Development Award 

The Mary Louise Kelley Professional Development Award supports job-related continuing education, training, and professional activity–reducing the costs of coursework, workshops, training opportunities, or attendance at meetings through a stipend of up to $500.   

  • Tiffany Adrian 
  • Matthieu Biger
  • Robert Durham
  • Daniel Khalastchi
  • Emma Kirk-Alvarez
  • Becca Klaver
  • Tracy Meginnis
  • Katherine Michalski
  • Vance Morris
  • Emily Platt
  • Ali Romano-McClain
  • Kayla Schindler
  • Greta Sokoloff
  • Lindsay Vella
  • Danielle Wheeler
  • Lynette Williams
  • Dale Stille

Mary Louise Kelley Staff Excellence Award 

The Mary Louise Kelley Staff Excellence Award is granted to staff who perform exceptional service or contribute ideas that improve the department or college’s work. 

  • Kristine Bevelacqua
  • Matthieu Biger
  • James Edel
  • Justin Kahler
  • Bobby Rodriguez
  • Sheryl Semler
  • Kristina Swanson
  • Lindsay Vella
  • Danielle Wheeler
  • Pauline Wieland

CLAS Leadership Award 

The CLAS Leadership Award is presented to staff who exhibited exceptional leadership qualities and positively impact their colleagues, their department, or the overall college. It carries a $500 stipend.   

  • Claire Frances
  • Ruthina Malone

CLAS DEI Award 

This is an award that recognizes staff whose work in the college or community has advanced the mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It carries a $500 stipend 

  • Ali Romano-McClain
  • Bethany Wood-Hebert

Longevity Recognition 

Congratulations to our colleagues on the following work-anniversary milestones: 

5 years 

  • Kate Allen 
  • Molly Buhrow 
  • Man Ho Cho 
  • Molly Dahlberg 
  • Alison Filley 
  • Stratis Giannakouros 
  • Sarah Horgen 
  • Anna Kelly 
  • Sasha Khmelnik 
  • Joan Newhouse 
  • Kathleen O'Neill 
  • Brittany Ogden 
  • Caroline Roberts 
  • Amy Simonson 
  • Neevetha Sivagurunathan 
  • Benjamin Upchurch 
  • Bethany Wood-Hebert 

10 years 

  • Matthieu Biger 
  • Marlys Boote 
  • Aran Cox 
  • Deidre Egan 
  • Jennifer Graham 
  • Dan Holstad 
  • Jamie Klein-Packard 
  • Minji Kwon 
  • Melia Pieper 
  • Brinda Shetty 
  • Adam Skibbe 
  • Lindsay Vella 

15 years 

  • Richard Dvorsky 
  • Monica Griffin Madura 
  • Mitchell Larsen 
  • Angela Looney 
  • Briana Maxwell 
  • Olga Miakotina 
  • Matthew Miller 

20 years 

  • Leyre Castro Ruiz 
  • Paul Clark 
  • Patricia Goodwin 
  • Catherine Kane 
  • Heather Mineart 
  • Santhana Velupillai 
  • Charles Wieland 

25 years 

  • Nicki Kohler 
  • Andrea Shaevitz 
  • Jan Zenisek 

30 years 

  • Kellie Kucera 

35 years 

  • Robert Ritchie 
  • Tamara Siegel 

40 years 

  • Larry Granroth 
  • Ann Marie Persoon 

45 years 

  • William Kurth 
  • Michael Miller 

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.