Pillars of Excellence Award

Introduced in 2014, the Pillars of Excellence Award recognizes the strong foundation and important contributions of our staff in support roles who act on the University’s principles and are pillars of the institution.

Our pillars work together with their teams to improve Penn for the future. They are responsible for keeping our environment safe and operational for Penn’s faculty, staff, and students. They provide day-to-day administrative and technical support to organizations and individuals. They also perform important infrastructure services, such as maintaining facilities and outdoor spaces, supporting and delivering technology, protecting the public, and providing housekeeping and dining services. These staff members support key internal and external constituencies every day.

Pillars of Excellence Practices

The Selection Committee identifies Pillars of Excellence honors based on their outstanding successful effort to:

• Demonstrate continuous excellence in their role or make a valuable one-time contribution to Penn’s guiding principles in their school or center
• Provide exemplary customer service
• Exhibit exceptional resourcefulness, innovation, or creativity to overcome challenges
• Improve processes to save time or money
• Contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment

2026 Pillars of Excellence

Timothy Grogan, Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES)

For more than three decades, Timothy Grogan has demonstrated uncommon leadership, innovation, and service as an Electrician Chargeperson in Facilities and Real Estate Services. His expertise ensures the flawless execution of major University events — from Commencement and Convocation to athletic competitions and Irvine Auditorium performances. His forward-thinking approach to technology and safety has enhanced system reliability, improved operational efficiency, and strengthened collaboration across departments, making him an indispensable contributor to Penn’s mission and community.

Molecular Pathology & Imaging Core (MPIC) Team

The MPIC Team consistently demonstrates exceptional initiative and technical expertise, achieving outstanding results with remarkable efficiency and precision in histology, the microscopic study of living tissue. Their dedication ensures the success of many of Penn’s most complex and demanding research projects. Many researchers, vendors, and collaborators seek out MPIC specifically because of their exemplary support. These colleagues highly respect the MPIC Team’s professionalism, reliability, and collaborative spirit. By embracing new technologies and expertly navigating challenging week-long protocols, the MPIC Team embodies service excellence and is invaluable in advancing Penn’s research mission.

Rebecca Ly, Perelman School of Medicine
Jem Palma, Perelman School of Medicine

Caitlyn Molony, School of Veterinary Medicine

As the Head Veterinary Nurse for Penn Vet’s colonies of dogs and cats with ultra-rare human genetic diseases, Caitlyn Molony plays a vital role in developing treatments that may help fight these illnesses in children. Caitlyn supervises a team of part-time veterinary and undergraduate assistants to provide daily medical management of these uncommon and fragile animals. She has an extraordinary ability to take independent initiative while always coordinating her actions with the faculty. Caitlyn’s insightful clinical observations and commitment to quality ensure that the animals receive the best care.

PARCC: Doubling Penn’s Computing Power to Drive Innovation

In under two years, the team created the Penn Advanced Research Computing Center (PARCC), one of the most ambitious academic computing resources in the country. The system can perform over eight quadrillion calculations per second and is expected to be listed among the world’s TOP 500-class supercomputers. Optimizing an investment of $25 million, PARCC harnesses advanced processors, ultra-fast networks, and five petabytes of storage to support multi-disciplinary research, including AI. It replaced fragmented systems with a resource open to all Penn schools and launched a cohort-based training model that helps new users learn together. PARCC positions Penn to accelerate innovation across disciplines.

Dawn Augustino, Executive Vice President
Jeffrey Ballentine, Information Systems and Computing
Marta Bartholomew, Provost’s Center
Michael Borda, Provost’s Center
Christine Brisson, School of Arts and Sciences
Kenneth Chaney, Provost’s Center
Dave Cohen, Information Systems and Computing
Amy Collins, Provost’s Center
Jaime Combariza, Provost’s Center
Keith Duvall, Information Systems and Computing
Jeffrey Edwards, Information Systems and Computing
Steven Fredricks, Information Systems and Computing
Garick Hamlin, Information Systems and Computing
Tiffany Hanulec, Information Systems and Computing
Corinn Harrell, School of Arts and Sciences
Gregory Hartley, Information Systems and Computing
Monica Heater, Provost’s Center
Lokke Highstein, School of Arts and Sciences
Chris Hyzer, Information Systems and Computing
Donna Jacobs, Information Systems and Computing
Rick Kahley, Division of Finance
John Lee, Information Systems and Computing
Steven Mak, Information Systems and Computing
Chris Masotti, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael Matthews, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Andrea Mazzucchi, School of Arts and Sciences
David Moneluzi, Information Systems and Computing
John W. O’Brien, Information Systems and Computing
Daniel Prante, Information Systems and Computing
Reni Roberts, Information Systems and Computing
Jamie Schnaitter, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Dave Tarampi, Information Systems and Computing
Kristofor Varhus, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Tony White, Information Systems and Computing
Daniel Widyono, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Monesa Williams, Provost’s Center

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