You are not currently logged in. To view all pages, click here to login.

COmEt COmmEndations

COmEt COmmEndations are an opportunity to recognize fellow College of Engineering employees who take actions that strengthen our community. Staff, faculty and other academic employees are encouraged to participate and recognize their colleagues.

Submit a COmEt COmmEndation

Each month, three recipients and one submitter from the previous month will be randomly selected to receive a $25 gift card.

Randomly selected recipients will be highlighted in Engineering Weekly on the first Tuesday of the month. All other recipients of commendations will be recognized on the college's intranet on an ongoing basis.

Want to go the extra mile in appreciating your colleagues? Send them a Random Acts of Gratitude (RAG) card, and then... TAG, they're it! Your colleague has to spread the ripples of gratitude further. Campus RAGTAG cards can be printed or picked up at the Kemper 1042 suite while supplies last.

Not sure what to say? Check out these 101 Thank You Messages for inspiration.

Note: This program is for staff, faculty and other academic employees. See below for resources and ideas to recognize student staff, graduate and professional students and postdocs.

COmmEndations Given

July 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Marina Boge, Elizabeth Lincoln	CS	I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and commend Marina and Elizabeth for their exceptional patience, responsiveness, and support. Their assistance in navigating the complexities of gift accounts and the often-frustrating challenges of Aggie Enterprise has been invaluable. Throughout this process, both Elizabeth and Marina demonstrated remarkable professionalism and a calm, problem-solving approach. They consistently responded promptly and thoroughly, even when faced with repeated questions or unclear system guidance. Their dedication and positive attitude have not gone unnoticed. Thank you both for your unwavering support.	Rachel Thornton	Dean's Office
Eric Blosch	COE IT	Eric did a wonderful job in quickly publishing the new AMCaT website and redirecting all of the old pages on the MSE website to the new page. This particular project has been on the docket for a while, and it was nice to finish it so quickly with Eric's assistance. I appreciate his attention to detail and his help, overall. Thanks, Eric!	Adrianna Owens	Dean's Office
Liz Colenzo	BAE	Liz has been invaluable in helping EUO with Qualtrics. We use a Qualtrics survey for our academic intervention process and this summer it broke in the middle of the entire process. Liz worked with us to find a work around and troubleshoot the problem. Her Qualtrics expertise in remarkable and we're so thankful for her time and efforts to keep our time-sensitive process moving along.	Letia Graening	EUO

June 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Luz Sandoval Manjarrez	ECE	Luz worked hard on a very short timeline grant for quantum technologies to create a new type of a budget and have all numbers match up. She communicated with everyone involved professionally and had it done on time.	Marina Radulaski	ECE
Christa Oldfield	BME	Christa is an amazing Account Manager. She is incredibly responsive, very meticulous, and always goes above and beyond. For instance, I was panicking about spending down a grant before the close date, and Christa very quickly figured out the best way forward. Our department is very fortunate to have Christa on our team.	Sanjeevi Sivasankar	BME
Chloe Dodds	BME	Chloe stepped in at the last moment to cover staff support at a large annual event. Her help was greatly appreciated and highlighted by the participants.	Christal Wintersmith	BME
Lili Mirshahzadeh & Helen Mondia	EUO	Per Jonathan Martinez: Both Lili and Helen were instrumental in leading out a very successful Senior Design Showcase. Their planning and execution of the event brought together hundreds of industry partners, students, and community members to showcase the student's hard work across two quarters. Per Sara Sweeney in Support of Lili: Thank you to everyone helping out at Senior Design Showcase Wednesday and Thursday! Shout out to Lili and Helen for incredible efforts with the organization and running of the showcase! Thank you to Shadaya for holding down Express Wednesday and Shadaya and Pascal for holding down Express Thursday! Per Lili M in support of Helen M: I'd also like to recognize Helen for coordinating our volunteer efforts and bringing such a positive attitude during high-pressure periods. Her ability to get things done, especially in the final two weeks, was truly impressive! This is also backed my other advisors within the EUO: Javier G, Meghan K, Pascal G, and Vanessa Alvarez!	Jonathan Martinez & Shadaya Litt	EUO
Olivia Dally	Dean's Office	I would like to recognize Olivia Dally for her outstanding support of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department, and specifically for the guidance and partnership she has provided during the onboarding of our Academic Personnel Analyst, Pam Singh. Olivia has been a reliable and knowledgeable resource as Pam navigates the complexities of academic personnel policies and processes. From interpreting systemwide and campus guidelines to offering real-time advice on appointments, reviews, and dossiers, Olivia's expertise has strengthened our department's ability to manage these critical functions accurately and efficiently. Her approachable style, patience, and clarity have made her an essential partner in ensuring our academic personnel actions are consistent, timely, and aligned with policy. Olivia's support has not only empowered Pam in her role but has also contributed to the overall success and confidence of the ECE department in executing its academic personnel responsibilities. It's commendable that Olivia continues to offer steady and thoughtful support while juggling the full demands of her own position. Olivia exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and excellence that COmEt COmmEndation seeks to recognize.	Mohabbat Ahmadi	ECE

May 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Dean Bunn	Information Technology, Dean's Office	Dean recently took time to meet with me and explore data reporting options that would be useful for my role as a Grad Program Coordinator. He listened to my needs and talked through some ideas about what data we can access, how reports might could potentially be generated, and how we might be able to get to a useful solution. Even if this report ends up not being possible (Graduate Studies hasn't been able to figure out how to get this data accurately), Dean was willing to help talk through ideas, explain system limitations, and offered to continue to work with me over the summer. I really appreciate Dean's can-do approach, collaborative attitude, and willingness to help others!	Lauren Worrell	Civil and Environmental Engineering
Elsa Rojas Perez	Research and Graduate Studies, Dean's Office	I would like to recognize Elsa for her help with the center's annual research symposium. She is simply amazing: no task is too small or too big for her. Elsa took initiative to solve any issues that came up, with tact and consideration, to ensure the event went smoothly. I appreciate having Elsa as a colleague in the College of Engineering.	Gabriela Lee	Research and Graduate Studies, Dean's Office

April 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Eric Blosch	Information Technology	Eric is a rockstar! With our web specialist out on leave, I have reached out to Eric to ask for help with issues that I could not figure out. Not only was he very helpful, his timely responses and gracious support helped move projects along. Eric has also helped our team with a large web project that has a number of moving parts. Eric was communicative and supportive throughout the entire process. Thank you, Eric!	Catherine Cook	Marketing and Communications, Dean's Office
Ruben Arevalo	Biomedical Engineering	When I returned from extended medical leave, I found Ruben had run all the necessary updates on my office PC so I could jump right in. That was such a help! It had taken me an hour to update my home-based work computer and I was concerned about the loss of time on my first day back in the office. Thank you Ruben!	Craig Patterson	Biomedical Engineering
Pam Singh	Electrical and Computer Engineering	I would like to recognize Pam for her outstanding contributions to the success of the 2025 ECE Expo. While the event was a team effort, Pam played an especially pivotal role, taking on a significant share of the planning and coordination to ensure everything ran smoothly. From managing logistics and setup to troubleshooting last-minute needs, Pam approached every task with professionalism, initiative, and a strong sense of ownership. Her ability to anticipate challenges and respond quickly helped create a seamless experience for students, faculty, alumni, and industry partners. Her efforts reflect the highest level of commitment to excellence—a virtue we continually strive for as a department. We’re grateful for her hard work and proud to have her as part of the ECE team. Thank you, Pam!	Mohabbat Ahmadi	Electrical and Computer Engineering
Saeid Delshad	Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering	We would like to recognize Saeid for their exceptional handling of a recent vendor issue that could have delayed our research project. Their proactive communication, problem-solving skills, and dedication ensured that timelines were maintained and the project stayed on track. Thank you for your commitment and outstanding work!	Jessica Rodriguez	Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

March 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Meghan Kuroda	Engineering Undergraduate Office	Meghan exemplified the essence of our Principles of Community by highlighting a different African American Engineer, which included our very own Executive Associate Dean, Dr. Ralph Aldredge, in her email signature and in the EUO slack channel everyday to celebrate Black History month. By doing so, she not only educated her colleagues and co-workers around the university, but students that she emailed as well. Hats off to Meghan!	Shadaya Litt	Engineering Undergraduate Office
Letia Graening and Sara Sweeney	Engineering Undergraduate Office	Letia and Sara have put in astronomical efforts into the continuous improvement of our academic intervention process and procedures quarter after quarter. Every quarter they analyze the initial transcript review process, update the Qualtric survey and messaging templates, collaborate with the Registrar Office for reporting procedures, and review retention data. Letia and Sara have streamlined many elements to have a more efficient well-oiled process. Due to their efforts, the team members involved in the academic intervention process have mentioned a reduction in their stress levels and time for what is known as a time-consuming process. On behalf of the entire EUO team, thank you Letia and Sara for your hard work!	EUO Team	Engineering Undergraduate Office
William Doering	Materials Science and Engineering	Bill has gone above and beyond to support our undergraduate students in their senior design projects. Despite the diverse range of externally sponsored projects, he ensures that students work in a safe environment and have reliable access to the resources they need. He played a key role in the successful transition of the course from two to three quarters and developed a dedicated safety lecture for students. His hands-on training in safety and instrumentation is invaluable, making him an essential contributor to the success of our student teams.	Amir Saeidi	Materials Science and Engineering
Yesenia Cervantes-Tucker	Undergraduate Studies	In the past 8 months, Yesenia has demonstrated her strength as a leader/supervisor! During a time of staffing transitions, she has led our team with strength, clarity, and unwavering support. From hiring new staff and securing funding to ensuring we are equipped to serve our students effectively, she has been a steady and inspiring leader. Yesenia sets clear guidance and expectations, advocates for her team, and continuously checks in on our workload and well-being. Her leadership creates an environment where we feel supported and empowered to do our best work. Grateful for her dedication and impact!	Vanessa Alvarez	Undergraduate Studies
Catherine Cook	Dean's Office, Communications	Catherine has a lot on her plate right now but always finds time to be responsive, helpful, and friendly. We work closely on many projects between our offices so I want to shout out her effort, support, and positive attitude. She's a pleasure to work with and COE MarComm is lucky to have her!	Letia Graening	Engineering Undergraduate Office

February 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Shadaya Litt	Engineering Undergraduate Office	Shadaya has always made efforts to strengthen our office community and student retention efforts. She is always at the forefront of training staff, creating updated processes, and leading our team through complicated stages such as readmission and graduation reviews. She makes an effort of arranging for Zoom meet ups to connect with everyone and really makes everyone, colleagues and students, feel seen and heard. Sincerely appreciate all she does, she's a real light in our office.	Meghan Kuroda	Engineering Undergraduate Office
Mohabbat Ahmadi	Electrical and Computer Engineering	In his first year at UC Davis as ECE CAO, Mohabbat successfully led work on enhancing and streamlining ECE operations, which has resulted in improved workflow, and better experience for all faculty, staff and students.	Soheil Ghiasi	Electrical and Computer Engineering
Andrea Abrahamson	CHMS	Andrea goes above and beyond to not only help her own departments but also to help with the success of other Engineering departments. She developed a first year schedule tool and shared it with COE Major advisors. This will improve our first year aggie advising this summer. Thank you, Andrea!	Brenda Luis	Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

January 2025

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Sylvia Liu	Civil and Environmental Engineering	Our department is in the middle of a faculty search, and two candidates had to be rescheduled last minute. Sylvia worked hard to make sure all the reservations and meetings were cancelled and rescheduled, that she coordinated with the search committee, and had good communication with the participating faculty and all stakeholders who were invited to participate in the process. I greatly appreciate her positive attitude and attention to detail throughout the process.	Lauren Worrell	Civil and Environmental Engineering
Sara Sweeney	Dean's Office, Engineering Undergraduate Office	Sara started in EUO back in November but has already made a huge impact on the team. She's been a wonderful addition, adding a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and expertise to our office.	Letia Graening	Dean's Office, Engineering Undergraduate Office

December 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Catherine Cook	Dean's Office, Communications	Thank you for whatever magic was needed to get the Happy New Year cards and envelopes from Repro so quickly! A holiday miracle, indeed!	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office, Development
Jessica Heath	Dean's Office, Communications	Jessica has been helping me to advertise my science with press releases. A recent press release on my neutron scattering work was particularly helpful. My DOE program officer loved it. A different release on my patterning project (also by Jessica) made my NSF program officer happy. Jessica deserves recongnition because she did such a wonderful job. She wrote about difficult science with some eloquence, meaning she really did her homework with being asked. I very much enjoyed working with her. It has been among my best interactions with staff in years.	Adam Moule	CHE
Marqueta Jones	CHE/MSE	I want to take a moment to recognize my amazing colleague! She is truly the backbone of our office and is always prepared to tackle any question or challenge that comes her way. Her ability to pivot from task to task seamlessly is remarkable, and her attention to detail ensures that all our events are arranged beautifully and run smoothly. Beyond her stellar organizational skills, she brings an incredible sense of positivity and sunshine to the team. She's turned our Business Office into a welcoming, vibrant environment and she's always lifting our spirits.	Amy Schwanhausser	CHE/MSE
Umang Kulshrestha	ECE	I would like to recognize Umang Kulshrestha for her exceptional performance and dedication as a Research Admin 1 since joining our team in September. In a remarkably short time, Umang has mastered the complexities of Aggie Enterprise and significantly helped in stabilizing our department's financial reporting processes. Her meticulous attention to detail ensures that GSR and TA appointment tickets submitted through Aggie Services are accurate and timely. Umang's proactive approach, reliability, and commitment to excellence have made her an invaluable member of our team. Thank you, Umang, for your outstanding work and continued contributions!	Mohabbat Ahmadi	ECE

November 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Femi-Jide A Akinmoladun	ECE	I would like to recognize Jide Akinmoladun for his exceptional work in creating the ECE Graduate Admissions Apply webpage in an impressively short period of time. His efficiency and technical expertise ensured a smooth and timely launch, which we hope will improve our admissions process. Additionally, Jide has been instrumental in leading the effort to convert all ECE forms into DocuSign forms, streamlining workflows and enhancing accessibility. His dedication and problem-solving skills greatly strengthened our department. Thank you, Jide, for your outstanding contributions!	Mohabbat Ahmadi	ECE
Chloe Dodds	BME	Chloe has rapidly and fully emersed herself in her diverse role in our department. On Nov. 21 she, as part of a team, pulled together a fabulous Extenal Advisory Board Meeting and Maroney-Byran Seminar/Reception. We all appreciate her commitment to BME.	Christal Wintersmith	BME
Cheryl Herr	BME	Cheryl went above and beyond to pivot during a labor strike and put together a fantastic Maroney-Bryan Reception for BME. Faculty feedback already indicates this is the best reception in years. Way to go!	Christal Wintersmith	BME
Eileen Panguito	BME	Eileen organized all of the details for our BME Extenal Advisory Board meeting and supported the team pivot necessary during the labor strike to put together a successful reception. Thank you for all of your efforts for BME!	Christal Wintersmith	BME
Christa Oldfield	BME	Christa went WAY above and beyond to help out during the Maroney-Bryan Seminar Reception. She provided a pivotal service to help us remain in compliance with policy during an unanticipated strike.	Cheryl Herr	BME
Jaime Allen	BME	Jaime rapidly jumped into the deep end in her new role as MDD Grad Coordinator for BME. On day 2, Jaime traveled to Baltimore to represent the BME Department, affiliated graduate programs, and even field a few questions from high school students about our UG program. Within her first month, Jaime has also fully joined the team of BME by engaging in support of our recent External Advisory Board meeting and annual Maroney-Bryan reception. We are thrilled to have a Jaime as part of the BME team.	Christal Wintersmith	BME

October 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Dean Bunn	Dean's Office, COE IT	I would like to commend Dean Bunn for being an outstanding colleague who consistently goes above and beyond. Dean is incredibly reliable, always available, and brings valuable insights to every project. He is not only a great problem-solver but also a good sport who approaches challenges with a positive attitude. It's always a pleasure to work with Dean, and his contributions make a significant difference in our team's success. Thank you, Dean, for your dedication and the great energy you bring to work!	Mohabbat Ahmadi	ECE
Fausto Portillo	Dean's Office, Facilities	I made a very last minute request for help and Fausto replied immediately. He went above and beyond to try and complete my request, getting in touch with other colleagues and learning more about the situation. When it was not possible to fulfill my original request, he offered alternative solutions and made sure my event could still move forward as planned. I am grateful for Fausto's willingness to work so hard at such short notice to assist me. Thank you, Fausto!	Erin Friscia	Dean's Office, Development
Prosper Godonoo	Dean's Office	Prosper brings immense joy to our community. Even though we don't work directly together, he always greets me by name with a warm smile. His infectious energy lights up our college events, especially when he's the first to dance along to Technically Hip. I truly appreciate how his positivity knows no bounds!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Chris Cappa	CEE	Chris is the associate dean charged with shepherding the development of online graduate programs for COE for all majors. For our BME proposal, Chris went above and beyond in his support of the development of our proposal. At any time day or night (he does not appear to sleep!) he provided rapid response to questions, or took time to do research to find the answer and get back to you. He actively reviewed, edited and commented on the proposal itself through many, many revisions. He also championed for us in meetings with other campus units as we negotiated the proposal submission, and infrastructure aspects of the program. He also made himself available to brainstorm ideas for how to structure our governance, compensation, budget (he made an incredibly helpful spreadsheet for this), and a million other details. I don't know how he juggled this while also being a department chair! It boggles the mind.	Angie Louie	BME
Nora Abdo	Dean's Office, HR	Nora has helped me a few times recently in my search for a new student web assistant and for other HR-related matters. She's been quick in her responses and submitting my requests, which I appreciate so much! This last student employee application cycle I received almost double my past applications, likely due to her suggestion to put an "open to all majors" header at the top. Thank you, Nora!	Adrianna Owens	Dean's Office, Communications
Dean Bunn	Dean's Office, COE IT	I would like to commend Dean for his immediate help when we needed it the most! Long story short, one of our collaborators deleted a large number of files and subfolders from a shared Box folder, just as we were heading for the weekend and we needed to finalize sponsor reports. Dean provided guidance on how to proceed, just a few short minutes after we submitted a request. We really appreciated the help.	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine
Vanessa Alvarez	Dean's Office, EUO	Vanessa has provided tremendous support to the LEADR community over the last several months while the program has been experiencing a staffing vacancy. She has supported students, is proactive in executing critical program services, and is a great team member.	Yesenia Cervantes-Tucker	Dean's Office, EUO

Oct. 2023 - Sept. 2024 Commendations

September 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Rebecca Bailey	ECE	I'm delighted to recognize Rebecca for her stellar performance and dedication. Her exceptional organizational skills and proactive approach have significantly strengthened our team. Rebecca's efforts in streamlining the merit and promotion processes, managing events, and enhancing communication with department stakeholders have been exemplary. Her contributions have not only improved our operations but have also fostered a more inclusive and collaborative atmosphere. Thank you, Rebecca, for your outstanding work and dedication!	Mohabbat Ahmadi	ECE
Letia Graening	Dean's Office, EUO	Letia has been instrumental in the continuous movement of ABET projects. She single handedly orchestrated the transcript analysis process without any prior training or knowledge. She also supported an individual department in their efforts to complete the tasks of this project. Letia is assuming various roles and taking on several other projects due to fluctuations in her staffing. Yet, she remains positive and motivated. She has demonstrated a poised posture which enables her team to trust her leadership and operate in confidence. The ABET accreditation process is undoubtedly daunting and many dare to engage. I'm truly grateful to have Letia as a collaborator on this massive project. Thank you and great work, Letia!!!!	Shadaya Litt	Dean's Office, EUO
Brenda Luis	MAE	Brenda consistently delivers on ensuring our undergraduate students are informed, welcomed and challenged as they navigate their graduation timeline. She has created, improved upon and communicated experiential learning opportunities to all of our students (MAE Padlet and our Instagram presence) and acts as an awesome liaison to our campus and community partners. She has taken charge on balancing advising resources, student needs and is a visionary on future projects that will help our staff/students/faculty succeed. Thank YOU, Brenda, for keeping the end goal in mind and not shying away from the tough decisions and extraness that happens within our roles on campus. You are appreciated!	Geoffrey Murry	MAE
Henry Grace	MAE	Big thank you to Henry, our MAE Facilities Manager! He has been an integral part of our student's experience. Recently, although not a part of his position, he served as a panelist for our Industry v Education programming for our undergraduate students. He was able to share real world experiences while navigating the workforce as a Mechanical Engineer. The students appreciated his authentic view on post grad life in the industry, and they have come to understand that the twists and turns of the professional world are both necessary and unavoidable. Henry normalizes the human experience, and the students are grateful! You are dope!	Geoffrey Murry	MAE
Jonathan Martinez	Dean's Office, EUO	This has been a long and understaffed summer! Jonathan has been an integral part our success as a unit maintaining student service in both the BME Department and the EUO. He has been the ultimate team player. He's been flexible, helpful, accommodating, and proactive in his support for undergraduate advising this summer. It's been beneficial to our team, to leadership, and to the students to have such a dedicated and reliable advisor willing to go the extra mile.	Letia Graening	Dean's Office, EUO
Javier Gutierrez	Dean's Office, EUO	Javier has done a tremendous job this summer. This was his first summer as our first-year coordinator and he has knocked it out of the park! He's been proactive, responsive, helpful, and flexible with the multiple competing priorities that come with Aggie Advising, registration support, and preparation for Aggie Orientation. He's been a great asset to the team and incredibly supportive of student success.	Letia Graening	Dean's Office, EUO
Ryan Gorsiski	CHE/MSE	Since Andrea's departure, Ryan has taken huge steps to make sure the department stays afloat and has been instrumental in the department as its interim CAO. He constantly checks in with all of us staff members and makes sure that we have what we need to do our job. In his short time as interim CAO (and before under Andrea as well), Ryan constantly identifies problems and gaps in the department and works with the relevant staff member to fix them. His positive attitude, helpful attitude and constant availability creates an affirming department culture that encourages a good working environment and supports the College's Principles of Community. I really appreciate and want to specifically call out Ryan's availability throughout the work day and willingness to talk through any issue. He is on campus and in person most days of the week with his door open and always willing to take any walk-ins. He also repeatedly will visit my office to talk through any issues and it's nice to have that face to face interaction in a post-quarantine world of Zoom meetings and emails. Ryan is an amazing supervisor, well-deserving of any and all commendations and I hope that the College recognizes his efforts and accomplishments as a staff-member and interim CAO.	Reuben Castelino	Dean's Office
Ryan Gorsiski	CHE/MSE	I want to give a tremendous shout-out to Ryan for holding ChE/MSE together during the past few months and supporting my position during this transition. With the departure of our previous CAO, I was left as the only staff member trained in academic personnel, visas, and postdoctoral scholars but Ryan stepped up. In our 1:1s, Ryan helped me prioritize, jumped in to make sure I was getting requested materials for my deadlines, and maybe most importantly, he kept asking questions. He wanted to learn more about my role and the resources I needed, so that he could offer constructive feedback and be another person to bounce ideas off of. I even learned that he is almost finished with a multi-part postdoctoral scholar training series. I feel very lucky to have a supervisor who goes out of their way to help me succeed. Ryan is not the type of supervisor who only looks at results or the number of tasks completed in a week. In my experience, that type of direction only leads to staff burnout. Ryan cares about building a supportive environment, so that he can have a team that can confidently come together to adapt, solve problems, and produce results today as well as next year. Thank you for your help and steady leadership, Ryan! Our team depends on you, and you always come through.	Amy Schwanhausser	CHE/MSE
Sabrina Oliver	Dean's Office	When I first started, Sabrina was one of the first to welcome me with open arms. At the time, she was chair of our staff network group, and she invited me to the spring celebration to get to know everyone. I left that meeting knowing that I had a group of caring and supportive colleagues looking out for me. Even then, I knew that Sabrina was the glue holding our group together. She absolutely radiates positive energy, encourages questions, and teaches us to find answers and build confidence in our skillsets. Recently, Sabrina has gone out of her way to create training sessions and share easy-to-navigate process docs that she made. I consistently find myself referencing them to make sure I follow policy and don't skip steps. We all place trust in her leadership and she inspires us to do our best. In preparation for this fall's personnel cycle, Sabrina has gone out of her way to answer everyone's questions. Navigating the APM and Annual Call are hard enough, but Sabrina makes sure to follow up with the VPAA and other resources on obscure questions and policy concerns. She reviewed dossiers early, helped draft new voting questions, and offered advice on how to plan internal deadlines. Her attention to detail and commitment are noticed by everyone. Sabrina makes a big difference on our workload. Sabrina is an invaluable resource for the College of Engineering, and even more importantly, she is a valued and cherished community member and friend. Thank you for your support and service, Sabrina!	Amy Schwanhausser	CHE/MSE
Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office, Development	On September 16th, Alison-Metzger-Jones, Senior Director of External Relations at the College of Engineering, was honored at the annual DEVAR Excellence Awards with the Behind-the-Scenes Impact Award for her exceptional contributions to the division. Selected by peers, this award is given to those who make significant contributions to their College or unit, produce consistent high-quality work, and improve how goals are achieved. Alison excels in each of these areas, which not only has a huge impact at the COE, but campuswide. This year, Alison's leadership on the School and Unit Change Initiative for Onboarding and Offboarding resulted in the creation of a comprehensive toolkit to support managers in onboarding and offboarding staff in a consistent and employee-centered manner. Congratulations to Alison for her outstanding achievements and well-deserved recognition!	Leigh Ann Hartman	Dean's Office, Development

May 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Kari Gage	CS	Kari is not only the best supervisor i've ever known, but perhaps one of the best PEOPLE I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I started working in this department during what was probably the most difficult period of my life, and I've felt so supported every step of the way. Kari has done a phenomenal job building the CS undergraduate advising team, and an even better job managing and supporting said team. There's a long road ahead of us, but the CS/CSE program is in good hands under Kari's leadership, and I have a great deal of hope for the future; something I haven't had in a long time. Given the heavy workload of working in CS/CSE, and all that she's been through long before I was here, it's clear to me (and should be to everyone) that Kari doesn't receive nearly enough praise and recognition for the work she's done and continues to do every day for this department and for others. Kari is the ideal supervisor, and everyone else ought to learn from her example. The world would be a better place if everyone was like Kari Gage, and I aspire to be like her when I grow up.	Joseph Clifford	CS
Ryan Anderson	CNM2	It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Ryan Anderson for a Comet Commendation. Amid significant budgetary constraints following the Phase I central cuts, where CNM2 faced a substantial reduction in operating budget, Ryan exhibited outstanding creativity and leadership. He proactively adapted to these financial challenges, implementing more efficient practices that allowed CNM2 to continue thriving under restricted circumstances. Moreover, under the guidance of Associate Dean of Research Raissa D'Souza, Ryan played a pivotal role in negotiating a crucial deal with OR. This agreement provided CNM2 with a short-term, no-interest loan, enabling the purchase of a new system essential for ongoing operations. Ryan's innovative approach and resilient attitude have not only sustained CNM2 during a challenging period but also set a remarkable example of effective leadership and adaptability. Ryan's achievements and the inspiring story of CNM2's perseverance are deserving of recognition. Celebrating Ryan's contributions through the Comet Commendation would highlight the impact of a can-do attitude in overcoming adversity.	Melanie Clague	Dean's Office
Jessica Miller Hazard	CEE	Jessica witnessed one of our graduate students collapse on the third floor of Ghausi, and made certain that the student received the help that she needed. She accompanied the student to the bathroom, provided her with something to eat, and then moved her to her major professor's office. She stayed with the student until the fire department and ambulance arrived. Taking the time to support one another is at the heart of our Principles of Community, and I would like for Jessica's actions to serve as an example for all of us in the College.	Jeremy Mason	MSE
Geoff Murry	MAE	Geoff is the mastermind behind our Industry v. Education event for our students to learn and plan for their goals after graduation. We have faculty, staff engineers, ICC liaison, and other industry partners provide their expertise and advice for our students. This has been an event many of our MAE students look forward to each year. Thank you, Geoff, for making this happen!	Brenda Luis	MAE
Elsa Rojas Perez	Dean's Office	Again, Elsa went above and beyond to help ensure the success of the Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine's 3rd Annual Symposium on May 14th. Her contributions to logistics were numerous, and greatly appreciated. Elsa is very proactive, a keen observer, and she takes action to solve issues whenever necessary, from registrations to catering, to pictures, and more. It's been a joy having Elsa's help at this event, and I really appreciate having her as a colleague.	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine
Maria Arellano	CHE & MSE	Maria went above and beyond as acting Graduate Program Coordinator while I was out on leave for 2 weeks. I came back to a program running smooth and with no issues. Team members like this make working for Davis a wonderful experience!	Ryan Gorsiski	CHE & MSE

April 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Catherine Cook	Dean's Office Communications	I have always loved Comet Commendations. I took an opportunity to reach out to some Campus partners about doing something similar for all of campus, and pulled Catherine into the conversation. Catherine was super responsive, made herself available to meet with the campus partners, and shared our College process and the benefits of this program for our campus partners to consider. I really appreciate Catherine's kind response to being pulled into this conversation and all that she does to keep the Comet Commendations running! Thank you Catherine!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Rachel Thornton	Dean's Office Development	In addition to being an overall great partner, Rachel helped me with a difficult printing situation. She was extremely responsive to my question, came over to my office to help me figure out what I was doing wrong, and gave me valuable insight into how the process works in the future. Thank you, Rachel!	Catherine Cook	Dean's Office Communications
Sara Sweeney	CHE	Sara graciously offered her time to facilitate an Oasis note writing workshop for our office. She was kind enough to join us during our staff meeting and spend time leading exercises in note-taking best practices. Her kind and charismatic attitude made an otherwise plain workshop into an engaging discussion-filled time.	Leo Alamillo	EUO

March 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	Jessica exhibited incredible flexibility this week as she was able to readjust to a demanding set of requirements from one of our funding agencies. In particular, Jessica was able to improve our center's online presence through finalizing a system for sharing videos of our latest projects to the public and to our stakeholders. The stakeholders asked us to develop a system and have it live within 48 hours, Jessica was able to meet this insanely tight deadline with all of her other responsibilities. Jessica has the uncanny ability to take on urgent items and complete them with the highest of quality, THANK YOU Jessica!	Dave Torick	MAE
Nathan Benedicto	COE IT	Nathan generally goes above and beyond to be a supportive supervisor, take on responsibilities and making sure to be available to the team for anything they need. With staffing loses on our team, he's taken on more and more and it's greatly appreciated.	Reuben Castelino	COE IT
Jose Mojica	EDSC	I want to express my gratitude for the outstanding support provided by Jose and the ESDC team during a recent campus-wide cybersecurity planning meeting. Despite last-minute changes and increasing demands, the team went above and beyond to ensure that our needs were met, providing additional tables, chairs, and rooms to accommodate our growing group. Their solutions-oriented approach and willingness to work late to implement the necessary changes were instrumental in making the event a success. Thank you again for all your help and support. Your hard work is greatly appreciated.	Steve Pigg	COE IT
Cece Coyle	MAE	CeCe consistently demonstrates her commitment by efficiently and accurately supporting new grant proposals, even when they entail substantial document work within tight timelines. Notably, she responds to emails promptly and assists faculty in meeting sponsor deadlines effectively. Moreover, she goes above and beyond by providing detailed guidance and brief training sessions on the new account system to faculty upon request. Her unwavering support and assistance significantly benefit the department.	Seongkyu Lee	MAE

February 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Andrea Abrahamson	CS	Andrea has gone above and beyond since she started with our department, but I am especially gratefully for all her hard work in the fall quarter when she was the only full time advisor for our department and managed our entire advising caseload while training two new peer advisors and coordinating/leading several meetings for advisors in the college. Andrea is such a valuable member of our team, and I do not know what we would do without her. Thank you, Andrea!	Kari Gage	CS
Steve Pigg	COE IT	Steve has been supporting the Graduate Program Coordinators in trying to find/implement new ways to streamline our processes. In Fall, he helped create templates to use DocuSign with graduate student employment, which CEE now uses. The DocuSign platform has made the process of creating, sending, and tracking appointment notice letters much easier. Steve (with Nathan Benedicto) is now helping explore if SmartSheet could also be helpful in our hiring process. I'm excited to see how this new program can support our practices further, and really appreciate Steve helping connect us to, and get us started with, new tools for process improvement. Steve has been instrumental in identifying these new tools, securing any necessary licenses, supporting building out the tool for specific COE use, and helping those of us who need a little extra support in learning new technologies (like myself). Thank you for your continued partnership Steve!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Adrianna Owens	Dean's Office Communications	Adrianna recently assisted with developing HR Toolkit pages on the Intranet. From early discussions to publishing, she was very helpful with answering any questions we had, providing visual layout options and turning a brainstorming Word document into reality. Thank you, Adrianna, for all of your help!	Nora Abdo	COE HR
Nickolas Logan	COE IT	I would like to send a shout out to recognize Nick for all the help he and his team have provided over the past few months. Nick is punctual, professional, and does whatever it takes to get the job done, and one well. I'm glad he is on the COE team!	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine

January 2024

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Nickolas Logan	COE IT	Nickolas stepped in to assist with getting me up and running on a loaner laptop. I have worked with Nickolas on separate occasions regarding computer issues and would like to comment on his abilities to work at finding a solution. Nickolas persists in identifying a solution and I am grateful for the calm approach he brings to the task at hand. Thank you, Nickolas, for your assistance and "can-do" attitude.	Penny Schafer	COE HR
Ammy Martinez	Dean's Office	Ammy spent the fall through January 2024 filling in to help support the college FEC, including polling, organizing meetings, note taking and more. This was above and beyond her already very busy schedule.	Richard Corsi	Dean's Office
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	Jessica has been going above and beyond to help the research admins with the transition to Aggie Enterprise. She has been hosting weekly office hours to help us with any questions and has been walking us through various processes in the new system. Thank you so much, Jessica!	Rachael Rubinato	CEE
Elsa Rojas Perez	Dean's Office	I am writing to express my deepest appreciation for the outstanding efforts and dedication demonstrated by Elsa in helping to prepare our unit for the recent financial system change. Elsa went above and beyond the call of duty by helping to organize a retreat and preparing a quick-reference guide for financial users to reference at conversion. I'd like to thank Elsa for her exceptional service and for embodying the values of dedication, teamwork, and excellence that define our college!	Melanie Clague	Dean's Office
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	I want to give a great big thank you to all the COE analysts involved in Aggie Enterprise and especially to Jessica Rodriguez! Everyone is working hard to learn the new system and deal with the learning curve. Jessica is really stepping up by helping everyone navigate and work in the new system, as well as leading discussions about some of the challenges. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!	Craig Patterson	BME
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	I'd like to extend my gratitude to Jessica Rodriguez for her efforts during the AggieEnterprise transition. Jessica's willingness to share knowledge, provide guidance, and offer support demonstrates a true team spirit that has greatly contributed to fostering a positive and collaborative work environment, particularly during this transition period. Jessica's commitment to excellence extends beyond her regular responsibilities, as she's willingly invested extra time and effort to guarantee the success of our financial community's understanding of AggieEnterprise. Her proactive communication and consistent updates kept the team informed and reassured, which is helping to instill confidence throughout the College of Engineering's financial community. Jessica is a true asset to our team, and her dedication to ensuring the success of this critical initiative has not gone unnoticed.	Melanie Clague	Dean's Office

November 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Erin Friscia, R. Paul Villaluz, Molly Bechtel, Rachel Thornton, Catherine Cook, Jessica Heath, Matt Marcure, Adrianna Owens, all who supported Alumni Celebration	Dean's Office, Communications + Development	Thanks so much to Erin, R. Paul, Molly, Catherine, Rachel, Jessica, Matt, Adrianna and everyone on the MarComm and Development teams for your work on Alumni Celebration. The event was a big success! We engaged 130 guests, including our seven Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medalists. We have received so much positive feedback. The evening was beautiful and fun. Thanks so much to each of you for your hard work to make this a special event!	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office, Development
Felicia Smith	MAE	Felicia is our exceptional, incredibly competent and dedicated MSO. She has been working at the highest levels all the time. When I became Vice-Chair for Undergraduate Affairs, I became a lot more aware of how much, much, much work, sweat and blood she gives and gifts to the Department. If I need to pick examples, the care of always choosing the right TA for a given class (she remembers a lot of the names), and her extra work to smooth the transition to (the pending doom of) Aggie Enterprise. Thank you, Felicia!!	Valeria La Saponara	MAE
William Doering, David Griffiths, Jose Fausto Portillo, Ryan Anderson, Kashyap Ganesan	Materials Science and Engineering, COE Facilities, CNM2	I received delivery of a new x-ray diffractometer for installation in the Advanced Materials Characterization and Testing (AMCaT) Laboratory. The system was delivered as six separate crates, with the largest two weighing in at 0.5 and 1 ton each, and extending up to 7 feet tall. Getting these huge crates off the delivery truck as well as uncrating of the main unit, was quite a nerve racking experience given that Kemper Hall does not have a proper loading dock. It required a group effort to troubleshoot and I'm grateful that everyone came together to get the system into Kemper Hall safely without any damage.	Yayoi Takamura	MSE
Norma Andrade	Dean's Office	Norma recently identified and helped resolve several key complicated errors and prevented these errors from disrupting business operations. Excellent work!	Elissa Roeser	Dean's Office
Sara Sweeney	BME	Thank you Sara for your help in dusting off some UGEP policies and supporting the transition to new staff managing UGEP!	Jackie McPhillips Balcerak	EUO
Dean Bunn	COE IT	Dean has been tremendously helpful in getting the Marketing and Communications up to date on all of the amazing people who make up the College of Engineering Community. This work supports our Community Vision while also making the process of adding individuals to the Intranet and Slack channel a breeze. Thanks, Dean!	Adrianna Owens	Dean's Office
CeCe Coyle	MAE	Our growing laboratory has burdened our department with countless administrative tasks throughout this year. Yet, in every instance, CeCe is incredibly responsive, helpful, and processes our requests swiftly. Our laboratory would not operate so smoothly without her efforts. We are grateful to have CeCe in our department!	Mitchell McCartney	MAE
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	Jessica is going above and beyond in helping the COE analysts prepare for the Aggie Enterprise go-live. She prepares and presents at our weekly meetings on top of doing her regular job duties. Thank you for all your help Jessica, it is appreciated!	Craig Patterson	BME
Alin Wakefield	Dean's Office	The COE graduate programs asked the Dean’s Office to support an event to advertise our programs to current UC Davis undergraduate students for our admission. Although the request was made late, and there was a very short timeline between the ask and our admission deadlines, Alin (and Elsa) were able to put together a really great in-person event for the COE Grad Programs. I think I can speak for all the Grad Program Coordinators when I say we really appreciate all the outreach and recruitment efforts Alin and Elsa have done in support of our programs and thank you for helping with our last-minute requests!	Lauren Worrell	CEE

October 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Pia Flory	Dean's Office	Pia has been part of the testing group for the new Aggie Enterprise system, in which she is taking the lead within our group to train our staff, she is very dedicated and creating how to guides for our processes and how they will map over to the new environment. Pia is training all of our team members individually on a weekly basis, she is sharing everything that she has learned with our group and keeps us all up to date. I truly appreciate Pia, her dedication to our teams and units is remarkable, Pia, I appreciate your hard work and dedication, everyday!	Norma Andrade	Dean's Office
Kin Yen	MAE	We recently had a tour of our research center by the deputy director of research for our funding agency. This demo was critical in clarifying the work we do, as well as our business practices. Kin, one of our research and development engineers, worked on the organization and presentation of our 7,500 square foot vehicle integration space, getting the system into excellent shape for the tour on very short notice. In addition to this support effort, Kin also prepared and executed demonstrations of three highly technical research products. Kin's efforts were essential in the successful site visit for our center.	Ty Lasky	MAE
Henry Grace	MAE	Henry has been a huge help in assisting with numerous faculty office moves this Fall. He has communicated and collaborated with me, making what could have been a tremendous undertaking something that has been streamlined and done in a timely manner. Thank you, Henry!	Jennifer Young	MAE
Rebecca Bailey	ECE	Rebecca has helped organize the UC Davis Quantum Computing Workshop for High School Seniors, the first event of its kind on campus. She reached out to a broad number of NorCal high schools and helped bring in students from many different towns within 3h radius of Davis. She also helped implement reimbursements in a timely fashion. Thank you Rebecca!	Marina Radulaski	ECE
Maureen Ramirez	CHE & MSE	We greatly appreciate Maureen's ability to provide support our CHE & MSE department faculty and colleagues. She is always helpful, willing to provide insight and advice, and is an excellent resource for grant account management, policies and procedures. Maureen is a great team player and most recently has single handedly taken on Chemical Engineering and the Materials Science Departments annual physical inventories for this year. There have been significant changes in the departments over the last few years and this annual inventory required significant updates. We are all grateful to have her in our departments and appreciate her very much! Thank you, Maureen, for all that you do!	Maria Horan	CHE & MSE
Femi-Jide Akinmoladun	ECE	Jide helped organize logistics for the UC Davis Quantum Computing Workshop for High School Seniors. He suggested suitable promo materials for welcome packages, printed out handouts and was overall enthusiastic about the event organization.	Marina Radulaski	ECE
Brenda Luis	MAE	Brenda's incredible work ethic, along with her creativity with student programming and social media management, has fostered the growth and sense of community among all of our MAE faculty, staff and students. She is a force of balance and support in the advising space. I couldn't have tackled the beginning of Fall quarter without her (or any other quarter for that matter).	Geoff Murry	MAE
Michelle Walker	ECE	Michelle recently stepped up to serve as one of the co-chairs of the Advising Staff Networking Group. Right as she was taking over this role, another Grad Program Coordinator was retiring. Michelle was able to pivot one of our SNG meetings to include treats and a little celebration for our retiring colleague. It was so thoughtful!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Ruben Arevalo	BME	I want to thank Ruben for successfully completing another year of equipment inventory on-time! We had several custodial codes due this year and Ruben did a great job of completing inventory along with all the last-minute requests for IT support due to the new quarter.	Lisa Hayes	BME

Oct. 2022 - Sept. 2023 Commendations

September 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Penny Schafer	Dean's Office	Penny has gone beyond the call of duty in assisting ECE in our recruitment and retention efforts by providing timely assistance, advice and interaction with the candidates.	André Knoesen	ECE
Kari Gage and Sara Sweeney	CS & MSE	Kari and Sara were instrumental in the OASIS Degree Certification training conducted for all the major advisors in the college. I was extremely grateful for their willingness and eagerness to assist in the instructional guide and demonstration especially knowing their time is scarce. It was truly a collaborative effort that resulted in a successful training. Thank you, Kari and Sara, for your endless support with College of Engineering projects and our students!	Shadaya Litt	EUO
Norma Andrade	Dean's Office	I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the outstanding support and excellent customer service Norma Andrade consistently provides to our new faculty members. Norma's dedication and commitment to going the extra mile has not gone unnoticed. Norma's willingness to assist and guide new faculty through the procurement process has made a significant difference in their onboarding experience. Her patience, knowledge, and attention to detail have helped them navigate the sometimes-complex world of procurement with ease. Norma's proactive approach and timely responses to their inquiries have not only saved them valuable time but have also given them a sense of reassurance and confidence in our organization's support system. Her willingness to accommodate their unique needs and find creative solutions to challenges has been truly remarkable. In addition to Norma's exemplary customer service skills, her ability to maintain a positive and approachable attitude, even during busy times, has contributed to a welcoming and supportive environment for our new faculty members. Norma's dedication to our college success and her commitment to ensuring that every faculty member feels valued and supported is truly commendable. Norma exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism and service excellence. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for her exceptional contributions. Norma's efforts reflect the values and culture we strive to uphold, and they play a pivotal role in our continued success. Once again, thank you to Norma, for her unwavering commitment to our faculty and our college. Norma's dedication does not go unnoticed!	Melanie Clague	Dean's Office
Daret Kehlet and Dave Griffiths	CEE & Dean's Office	Daret and Dave led the transformation of the CEE boathouse into a more useable space to help deal with a pressing space issue. They went above and beyond to find and implement effective and timely solutions.	Chris Cappa	CEE
R. Paul Villaluz	Dean's Office	I would like to recognize R. Paul for his assistance in showing me how to use Qualtrics. His willingness to share his expertise is greatly appreciated. I am now better equipped to utilize Qualtrics effectively for our projects. Thank you!	Ammy Martinez	Dean's Office

July 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Andrew Cobb	CEE	Recently a project in our center had a show-stopping failure that required expertise beyond our staff's abilities. With only three days before a scheduled demonstration with our sponsor from Japan, Andrew was able to repair the broken part and allow us to demonstrate our project to the sponsor without a hitch. Andrew utilized his expertise and high-quality standards to ensure we had a safe and functional demonstration. He had to put other work on hold and supported our urgent need to perfection. We honestly could not have done it without him.	David Torick	MAE
Patrick Gibson	MAE	Our research team welcomed seven new graduate students at once. Patrick has gone above and beyond, hosting and organizing training sessions and group meetings to help the students acclimate to our group and to campus, all while managing his own workload. He also has met with them individually to help the students embark on their research projects. The students have nothing but kind remarks. We are grateful for Pat's efforts!	Mitchell McCartney	MAE
Cheryl Herr and Eileen Panguito	BME	After an unforeseen resignation, Cheryl and Eileen stepped up and took on planning for Professor Marcu's NCIBT summer school and symposium week at the last minute. This has been weeks of planning and a full week of execution. They did this on top of their own full-time job! We couldn't have done this without them!	Lisa Hayes	BME

June 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Pia Flory	Dean's Office	Pia is awesome. She is responsive and detail-oriented. Whenever I send an email to the purchasing team box, Pia answers the questions soon. At the completion of each task, Pia follows up with an email that the request is done. I have had a couple of messy transactions that involved time-sensitive processing, messy transactions and multiple email messages that changed instructions as things were updated. Pia is able to keep track of all the updated accounts, prices and past communications. And she is patient and kind throughout the process. I feel privileged to have someone like Pia to help me, as she is consistently helpful, responsive and thorough. Thank you, Pia!	Maureen Ramirez	CHE & MSE
Victor Duraj	BAE	Victor went above and beyond to help the college in accepting an equipment gift. An alumnus was interested in donating three ovens. Two were going to his department and one was going to another department. Victor was responsive to my emails of how to coordinate acceptance, and then he came to campus on a Saturday to physically accept the equipment donation, not only for his department but also for the other. He was totally willing to coordinate how to get the ovens to the other department while a faculty member is out of the country for the summer. Thank you for being a team player, Victor! Your willingness to go the extra mile will benefit our students and our research!	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office
Melanie Clague, Norma Andrade, Jill Kessler	Dean's Office	They kindly assisted with a last-minute request right before fiscal close to ensure the person received their reimbursement in a timely manner.	Ammy Martinez	Dean's Office
Paula Lee	CNM2	Paula Lee provided a remarkable level of support in preparing an invoice for a recent out-of-the-ordinary situation. Paula was willing to help resolve a complex situation and did so in an accurate and efficient manner. Her assistance made a huge difference in ensuring a successful resolution! Thank you, Paula, for your exceptional support and professionalism.	Melanie Clague	Dean's Office
Nathan Benedicto	COE IT	Our office (the EUO) was in desperate need of a solution for routing documents to review and signature. Nathan was able to find us the perfect solution! He gathered our needs, put together a workflow, and found us a solution in a matter of days. I'm thrilled with the results and wanted to shout out the work because I'm grateful for his quick thinking and problem solving. So appreciated!	Letia Graening	EUO

May 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Vicki Gracia	BME	Grants management is a challenging job requiring facilitating the submission of a deluge of proposals from multiple PIs at the same time, while also tending to the rigorous reporting and monitoring requirements of ongoing funded projects. Our grants analyst, Vicki Gracia, juggles all of this with grace and incredible attention to detail to every project. Moreover, she makes you feel like you are the only request she needs to deal with - she is so responsive and quick! She is a rock star on a daily basis and highly deserving of a Comet Commendation award!	Angie Louie	BME
Jill Kessler	Dean's Office	Jill recently helped me with an AggieExpense report for travel reimbursement that I messed up on (more than once). She helped identify the errors and the cause of the errors and graciously fixed it for me. She was not only fast and efficient, but her kind and helpful attitude is where she went above and beyond. I really appreciate her help and patience as I'm sure I added to her workload. Thank you, Jill, for being so wonderful to work with!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Gregory F Zebouni	CEE	Gregory was thrust into a position this spring where he had to quickly sort out the contract and financial details of a very large ($5M) DWR research project that entails numerous subcontracts, vendors and communities. Not only did he handle the chaos, confusion, rapid turnaround, reimbursements, check disbursals and change orders effectively and competently, but he was so diplomatic and calm that everyone involved told me how much they appreciated his work. I certainly did as well!	Jeannie Darby	CEE
Lisa Laughter	EUO	Lisa has had to wear many hats over the last year or so in the EUO. She's done so much to help EUO in her First Year Coordinator role while also serving as interim director and interim assistant director at various times. Lisa works incredibly hard and is always willing to jump in to help. She is supportive of other staff with training, and deeply committed to student success in the college. Lisa is such a valuable member of the EUO team!	Letia Graening	EUO
Melanie Clague	Dean's Office	Recently Melanie assisted the college’s DEI committee with a last-minute accounting request to help submit a grant proposal. She assisted so quickly to help meet the deadline, it was very appreciated!	Sabrina Oliver	Dean's Office
Dave Torick	MAE	Dave's positive attitude and friendliness recently was recognized by an individual outside the organization. They commended him for being "kind and professional." We appreciate the great customer service Dave provides to those inside and outside our college.	Jessica Rodriguez	MAE
Elsa Rojas Perez	Dean's Office	Elsa helped ensure the success of the Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine's 2nd Annual Symposium on May 9, by contributing to a multitude of logistical tasks. She was a keen observer and took action whenever necessary, from registrations to catering, to pictures, and more, until the very end of the event. She is so reliable. Like on previous occasions, it's been a joy having Elsa's help at this event, and I really appreciate having her as a colleague.	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine

April 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Lisa Feldmann and Rachael Rubinato	CEE	For being very responsive and putting together a proposal budget super quickly together and at the very last minute.	Katerina Ziotopoulou & Amit Kanvinde	CEE
Beth Floyd	ECE	Beth has been helping out both the EUO and ECE Dept. for months now. She came out of retirement to offer support to both offices in dire need of advising assistance. She has been invaluable in terms of work production, problem solving, team spirit, and overall work quality. We're so grateful to have her helping us for now and she will be missed so, so much when she goes back into retirement but she deserves all the flowers and all of the rest for her years of service and dedication to UC Davis and the College of Engineering.	Letia Graening	EUO
Corwin Green	BAE	I am not exaggerating by saying that Corwin does 2 people's jobs as the EBS undergraduate advisor and the GBSE graduate coordinator. He is constantly needed by students, staff and faculty for issues that range from UG and grad related policies, student welfare, student finances, event planning, UG and grad recruitment, faculty support, and more. People constantly need him, and there is not enough Corwin to go around. Corwin also often bears the brunt where things fall through the cracks. Fingers often and easily point at him where blame is sought. Despite it all, Corwin is always professional and gracious. He has not once complained even though I'm sure that he often has cause to. He provides so much support for the EBS major and GBSE program. Just in the past (less than 2) years, he has developed systems and processes in our UG and grad programs to improve efficiency and communication. And he continues to propose ideas to improve our programs. Corwin is overworked and I wish there was a way to split his job into two (UG and grad). Given that this does not seem to be a feasible option (so we have been told over the years), I think the least we can do is to show Corwin our appreciation in as many ways as possible.	Tina Jeoh	BAE
Miriam McDonald	Institute of Transportation Studies	My computer was running so slowly that it regularly caused me great anxiety. Miriam sat down and worked on it for over an hour. It runs beautifully now. THANK YOU MIRIAM!	Kelly Kissock	Energy and Efficiency Institute
R. Paul Villaluz	Dean's Office	R. Paul did an amazing job setting up the Picnic Day Alumni Lounge. He delivered on all our needs and the end result was fantastic. We're so grateful for his hard work and partnership on this event. Thank you, R. Paul!	Erin Friscia	Dean's Office
Sabrina Oliver	Dean's Office	Sabrina has been extremely helpful during the new contract transitions with postdocs and assisting me in academic personnel position planning. Her dedication to provide accurate and relevant information is appreciated and it is a pleasure to see someone go above and beyond to assist others.	Jessica Rodriguez	MAE
Vicki Gracia	BME	Vicki went above and beyond to personally cater our Women in BME luncheon on 4/19. The food was excellent and the personal contribution was inspiring. Thank you, Vicki! You have set the bar high for creating a welcoming environment for our group of students, faculty, staff, and researchers.	Christal Wintersmith	BME
Rebecca Bailey and Jide Akinmoladun	ECE	Excellent teamwork in organizing and coordinating ECE Expo and ECE Faculty Searchers, raising well beyond expectations.	Andre Knoesen	ECE
Sylvia Liu	CEE	Sylvia did an outstanding job coordinating a campus visit and stewardship for Granite Construction for their recent gift to Construction Management. There were a lot of moving pieces. She was organized and thoughtful and her communications were fantastic. Way to go!	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office
Geoff Murry	MAE	MAE is proud to recognize Geoff Murry who recently received the Globe Award for his outstanding efforts to promote global learning opportunities to our engineering students. The nomination reads: "Since orientation, Geoff plants the seed for our students to look at global learning opportunities. He ensures students are aware of the positive impact and growth these great experiences provide. Students start the year off excited and encouraged to pursue these opportunities. As they continue to navigate their academic journey, Geoff continues to promote and support our students throughout the process of global learning opportunities."	Felicia Smith	MAE

March 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Sandra Hall	Air Quality Research Center	For going above and beyond her duty, literally working days and nights, to ensure the success of the Inaugural Wildfire Resilient Structures (WiReS) Conference and Tradeshow, thus promoting the visibility of the UC Davis College of Engineering's excellence in wildfire risk mitigation to the UC system, state/federal agencies, the wider community of researchers, and the general public.	Michele Barbato	CEE
Shadaya Litt	EUO	I would like to acknowledge and thank Shadaya for her consistent and hard work behind the scenes to organize ABET for the college. She approaches her work with a positive attitude and is thoughtful and thorough in organizing the ABET process for the college. Thank you Shadaya for your amazing work!	Lisa Laughter	EUO
Sara Sweeney	CHE	We want to thank Sara for going above and beyond recently to support the Engineering Undergraduate Office as we are currently understaffed. She supported Lisa and Shadaya with the Success in Engineering Course as well as serving as co-secretary with Lisa on the UGEP Committee. Sara is always on top of what is next and wonderful about follow-up, we couldn't have gotten through the last two quarters without you!!	Lisa Laughter	EUO
Norma Andrade	Shared Services	Norma went above and beyond by helping students affiliated with the Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine acquire materials for outreach exhibits. We had 6 teams of students needing a variety of items purchased and shipped in a timely fashion. Norma was fast, professional, and great at troubleshooting when difficulties arose with one of the orders. I really appreciated her help!	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine
Dave Griffiths	Dean's Office, Facilities	In a single day, Dave was able to get definitive information from campus contacts that was exactly what we needed to attract a faculty candidate to campus! Dave's knowledge, skills, and network always serves the college. In this instance, it made all the difference!	Steve Pigg	COE IT
Shannon Long	Dean's Office	Shannon recently collaborated with the COE DEI committee to host a few members of the committee to speak to the AvenueE students about graduate school. She worked with us to schedule (and re-schedule), and was a great partner in hosting the presentations. Without being a formal member of the committee, I really appreciate her willingness to partner on this COE DEI committee effort, and make it a success!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Shannon Long & Shadaya Litt	EUO	Shadaya and Shannon codeveloped a Canvas course to help students in academic difficulty after the Fall quarter succeed in engineering. Through modules and short activities, the Thriving in Engineering course helps students identify factors contributing to their academic struggles, learn about campus resources, and connect with people and opportunities to support their academic endeavors. The course received positive reviews from students who took it and will continue to help future struggling first-year students.	Yesenia Cervantes-Tucker	EUO

February 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Corwin Green	BAE	Corwin has been working diligently to create reference materials that document policies and procedures that immediately benefit students, faculty, and staff in the department. Additionally, he is thoughtful and intentional to train others on the various systems in which he has experience. His problem-solving skills and valuable insights are very much appreciated!	Jordan Dade	BFTV Cluster
Erik Peters	COE IT	Thank you for going above and beyond in your customer service today. I really appreciate your attention to detail and providing what's needed for us to perform at the highest level.	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office/Development
Norma Andrade	Shared Services	Norma always provides amazing customer service and support to College of Engineering stakeholders. Norma has an incredible service spirit and is incredibly dedicated. The Neuroengineering and Medicine Center is hosting a symposium that will feature student presentations and demonstrations. The student teams had a variety of supplies that were needed for their projects, and Norma was instrumental in finalizing the orders so that they would be processed quickly. This kind of extra effort is typical for Norma, but certainly not typical in the world! I am so appreciative of her as a colleague and leader of the procurement team in the college!	Melanie Clague	Dean's Office
Tara Jones & Janiya Berry	AUSS-C	Tara and Janiya are great team members of the ECE department. Whenever situations arise within payroll, they are always willing to listen and help to come up with solutions so that it turns into a win-win resolution. Thank you both for your constant teamwork!	Carole Bustamante	ECE
Yesenia Cervantes-Tucker	LEADR/AvenueE	Yesenia knocked out three thank you's to donors very promptly for us this week. Also, she's gone above and beyond to share the impact of the Takahashi's gift so that Gina McAdam can steward the family. Thank you for prioritizing stewardship. Your effort makes a difference with our donors!	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office/Development

January 2023

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Molly Bechtel	Dean's Office	Molly Bechtel has been doing an amazing job as the Interim Director of Communications and Culture. In addition to taking on additional responsibilities for her interim role, and filling in gaps during staff turnover, Molly has stayed invested and active in various college committees. Two of these committees I have the pleasure of working with Molly on (the college's Committee for Staff Development and Retention and the DEI Committee) and been able to see her significant contributions firsthand. Molly is amazing at leveraging these spaces to constantly work towards creating a positive and inclusive environment for COE staff. I'm continually impressed with Molly's can-do attitude, incredible follow-through, and invaluable knowledge. Thank you, Molly!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Cheryl Herr	BME	Cheryl has modeled the way for excellent use of college templates with campus branding to promote BME's seminar series. She asks great questions and I'm grateful for her partnership!	Molly Bechtel	Dean's Office
David Lee	CS	I want to acknowledge the hard work and countless hours of OT David Lee has put in since his arrival in CS in mid-October. David was hired as one of our research admin staff and has been our only research admin staff for the past two months. David has jumped in to the role headfirst, is learning tons, cleaning up messes, and has been the only one assisting CS faculty with their proposals, reports and account management since the end of October. He's exceeding expectations for sure. Thank you, David, for all your hard work.	Meshell Louderman	CS
Erik Peters	IT	Erik noticed my makeshift computer setup and took the initiative and time to make it better with an overdue equipment upgrade. Thank you, Erik!	Molly Bechtel	Dean's Office
Elsa Rojas Perez	Dean's Office	We received a last-minute request to organize a visit and Elsa perfectly executed the logistics. Elsa made this easy for everyone involved and quickly created a schedule. Thanks, Elsa!	Ammy Martinez	Dean's Office
Brigitta Schumacher-Bradley	Dean's Office	Brigitta helped us make new reservations for seminar rooms when Kemper 1003 became unavailable due to construction work. She is always helpful and contributes ideas for solving challenges and/or finding resources. I wanted to send a shoutout as it's great to have someone like Brigitta as a colleague.	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine

December 2022

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Sabrina Oliver	Dean's Office	Sabrina's knowledge, competency, patience, diplomacy and experience were invaluable for helping the new Associate Dean for Academic Personnel & Planning onboard quickly this Fall and not make too many errors! In fact, all errors made occurred because the new Associate Dean neglected to get Sabrina's excellent advice.	Jeannie Darby	Dean's Office
Reuben Castelino	CEE/IT	While working remotely, my laptop decided to not allow me to log in, with an unusual error. First, I want to give a shout out to Dean Bunn and Nathan Benedicto for also helping me, but in the end Reuben was able to walk me through the problem solving process and get me logged in and back to work. Reuben is always so patient and helps guide me through a technical solution in a way that I can follow along (being a very non-technical person). Thank you Reuben for your excellent customer service and timely support - you are such a pleasure to work with!	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Siwei Li	Center for Nano Micro Manufacturing	Siwei has really stepped up to continue making progress on the repair of our Nanoquest IBE/RIBE/CAIBE system while Vishal is out on family leave. He has shown great dedication to serving the CNM2 users and he has done an amazing job at keeping CNM2 instrumentation in optimal condition. Thank you Siwei!	Ryan Anderson	Center for Nano Micro Manufacturing

November 2022

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Craig Patterson	BME	Craig Patterson is recognized for his outstanding work in dealing with highly complex grants and contracts, including a DARPA contract and an NST training grant. Craig is extremely knowledgeable, very helpful in working with others to solve issues, and all-around wonderful to work with.	Gabriela Lee	Dean's Office, Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine
Christal Wintersmith	BME	Christal has consistently provided excellent connections to the BME Graduate Group students and the BME department more generally to convey announcements about seminars and other events of interest to this community. Christal has also recently stepped up and joined the committee interviewing candidates for the Program Coordinator position on the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) NeuralStorm training grant.	Gabriela Lee	Dean's Office, Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	Jessica has been doing a great job as co-chair of the COE financial staff networking group. She is easy to work with and guides the group conversation well.	Stephanie Farver	CEE
Ryan Gorsiski	CHE & MSE	Ryan has recently been going above and beyond as not only the chair of the COE advising staff networking group, but taking on the professional development committee of the campus-wide GSAC group and being an amazing advocate for graduate program coordinators in our college and across campus. He is incredibly supportive of all the GPCs in our college, offering advice on processes and sharing best practices. Ryan has a willingness to help out and a positive attitude.	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Nathan Benedicto	IT	This Comet Commendation is for one of our newest team members in IT, Nathan Benedicto. The Development and External Relations Team had been having challenges with the 2nd floor ASB printer. My first introduction to Nathan was when he offered to print a couple of documents for me, so I could go to a donor meeting. Additionally, he quickly got to work researching options to fix our printer connection and/or get a new printer. Just days later, we had a new printer and step-by-step instructions on how to connect to it. Nathan provided timely updates, quick action and a great solution. He set the bar for customer service super high. Thank you, Nathan! Super glad you're on Team COE.	Leigh Ann Hartman	Dean's Office, Development & External Relations

October 2022

Recipient	Recipient's Department	Reason for Commendation	Submitter	Submitter's Department
Alin Wakefield	Dean's Office	Alin went above and beyond in coordinating an event to foster collaboration between UC Davis and Sandia National Lab. He single-handedly covered everything to ensure it was a productive and useful meeting for the entire team and he handled last minute requests with grace and competence.	Raissa D'Souza	Dean's Office, MAE and CS
Ammy Martinez	Dean's Office	Ammy consistently goes above and beyond in her duties. As a member of multiple recent Recruitment Advisory Committees, I personally observed Ammy going the extra mile when managing the logistics of many busy calendars, food delivery, and all the small things to support the committee and present the best impression possible to our candidates. Our successful recruitments were due in large part to Ammy's attention to detail and positive attitude when faced with difficult challenges.	Steve Pigg	Dean's Office
Brian Donnelly	IT	Brian started the Fall Quarter short two members of his DevOps team. He quickly reassigned some of their job duties to himself to ensure a successful start of the term. From spending countless hours contacting software vendors about licenses to assisting with server patching sessions, Brian displayed outstanding leadership and a thorough understanding of the mission at hand.	Dean Bunn	IT
CeCe Coyle	MAE	CeCe is extremely resourceful, hard-working, and so adaptable to change. She is currently serving on the Aggie Enterprise Oracle Testing Committee and will be a tremendous resource for the even bigger changes ahead.	Lili Scheiber	MAE
Eileen Panguito	BME	Eileen has enthusiastically stepped in to assist Professor Marcu with her P41 center award administrative duties. Eileen has inherited a tremendous amount of work and does it all with a smile. Thank you, Eileen, for all you do and for working late to get it all done!	Lisa Hayes	BME
Elsa Rojas Perez	Dean's Office	In multiple professional interactions, Elsa went above and beyond in contributing to events of the Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine, such as the research symposium at the beginning of this summer. She had great suggestions and contributed to problem-solving when issues arose. It is a pleasure working with Elsa, and I want to send a shout-out in recognition of her contributions.	Gabriela Lee	Center for Neuroengineering & Medicine, Dean's Office
Fatima Garcia	CEE	Fatima recently put a lot of effort into helping with orientation for our new graduate students. She prepared slides and presented information for the financial team at orientation and is hosting an additional training for our graduate students on purchasing and reimbursements. I really appreciate the development of these additional resources to proactively guide and train our graduate students on the complex policies, processes and systems.	Lauren Worrell	CEE
Inna Revzin	BME	Inna has been very supportive of our department while we struggled to hire an academic personal analyst. She was very thorough in answering our many questions, provided guidance with the various programs, and was very pleasant to work with.	Carole Bustamante	ECE
Jessica Rodriguez	MAE	Jessica presented to the Finance Staff Networking Group and showed us how to automate the projections spreadsheets we provide to our PIs. I really appreciate the help. It will reduce the time it takes to generate the reports. Thank you, Jessica!	Craig Patterson	BME
Jessica Stoller	CS	When ECE lost their graduate program coordinator, Jessica agreed to work with both the CAO and financial analyst who had taken of the tasks of the graduate program coordinator. Jessica gave us advice on forms and procedures and agreed to meet with our students while still performing her own duties within her department. We cannot thank Jessica enough for everything she has done for our department.	Carole Bustamante	ECE
Joseph Menke	IT	Joseph has gladly stepped up and taken on additional IT admin services provided to the college.	Dean Bunn	IT
Lauren Worrell	CEE	Our team was contacted by the wife of an alumnus. The alum had recently passed away and was working on his obituary. She asked us about his degrees and some awards he had received. She mentioned his name on display in an engineering building. Lauren tracked down the awards, took photos, and sent them to the widow. What an awesome example of going above and beyond. The widow was incredibly grateful. Lauren, thank you!	Alison Metzger-Jones	Dean's Office
Lili Scheiber	MAE	Lili provided excellent support in setting up accounting systems for the UC Davis EcoCAR EV Challenge team. This new team has a complex mix of funding elements, and Lili has done a great job in getting these set up. Her efforts have benefitted our 6 fellowship students as well as the faculty and staff involved in the team. Thank you, Lili!	Mike Hill	MAE
Maureen Ramirez	CHE/MSE	Maureen started as our new financial manager for Chem Eng and Mat Sci at a time when all three financial manager positions were open. Almost every lab, including mine, had months of backlogged issues to deal with. Morale was low. Maureen came in and started working 60+ hours per week. She is very knowledgeable, took careful notes, asked the right questions and she systematically corrected 6 months of financial mistakes over a period of less than a month for more than 40 professors. She did the work of three people and never complained or made excuses. I was a truly awesome display of hard work and competence. She deserves a commendation, a raise and a parade.	Adam Moule	CHE
Ruben Arevalo	BME	Ruben has once again gone above and beyond with our IT support! We had two conferences in one day and they both needed IT support, so he went back and forth across campus to assist both events, and it was last-minute notice. Ruben also came in clutch with getting the faculty started for fall quarter IT needs. Thank you for all you do, Ruben!	Lisa Hayes	BME
Shadaya Litt	EUO	I would like to recognize and thank Shadaya for all of her hard work and continued dedication to the students and the work done by the EUO. We have been severely understaffed for the past few months. She continues to show up with a positive attitude despite the volume of work. I appreciate her contributions to the team and want to make sure she is acknowledged and recognized for it!	Lisa Laughter	EUO

COmEt COmmEndations

COmmEndations Given

July 2025

June 2025

May 2025

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Dean Bunn

Elsa Rojas Perez

April 2025

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Eric Blosch

Ruben Arevalo

Pam Singh

Saeid Delshad

March 2025

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Meghan Kuroda

Letia Graening and Sara Sweeney

William Doering

Yesenia Cervantes-Tucker

Catherine Cook

February 2025

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Shadaya Litt

Mohabbat Ahmadi

Andrea Abrahamson

January 2025

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Sylvia Liu

Sara Sweeney

December 2024

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Catherine Cook

Jessica Heath

Marqueta Jones

Umang Kulshrestha

November 2024

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Femi-Jide A Akinmoladun

Chloe Dodds

Cheryl Herr

Eileen Panguito

Christa Oldfield

Jaime Allen

October 2024

Recipient

Recipient's Department

Reason for Commendation

Submitter

Submitter's Department

Dean Bunn

Fausto Portillo