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.
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.
- Student Employee Appreciation
- Graduate/Professional Student Appreciation Week
- Postdoc Appreciation Week
COmmEndations Given
May 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
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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 |
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. | 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 |