Supporting Penn Through COVID-19 and Return to Campus Work Award

This year, in response to highly unusual circumstances, we are expanding the Models of Excellence Program to recognize responses by Penn staff for their contributions and extraordinary efforts under challenging circumstances of the pandemic.

Nominations in the Sustaining Penn Through COVID-19 award category showcase those individuals or teams that contributed directly to creating extraordinary outcomes for the Penn community. They may include those who serve in roles maintaining life-sustaining on-campus services and support, delivering mission critical programs and services from their homes, finding new ways to work safely onsite, and improving the morale and well-being of students, staff, and faculty at a time of need.

The Sustaining Penn through COVID-19 award follows the same standards of the Models of Excellence nomination. Honorees selected in this special category will be acknowledged during the spring celebration.

Standards of Excellence

These Standards of Excellence are used by the nominators and the Selection Committee to identify individual staff members or teams in Sustaining Penn Through COVID-19 for their notable contributions to the mission of the University under the challenging circumstances of the pandemic.

Supportive practices, procedures, and policies

• Brings about significant positive change for the University’s mission.
• Eliminates significant obstacles to achieving the University’s mission.
• Resolves, in unique and/or novel ways, problems that impede progress.

Innovative and proactive leadership

• Uses highly effective and/or novel practices to inspire and lead others to contribute constructively to the University’s mission.
• Proactively identifies and resolves challenges that interfere with team/unit/school/center activities to further the University’s mission.
• Encourages a coordinated effort by a complex group and facilitates the group’s ability to meet complicated goals.

Extraordinary service to key constituencies

• Supports internal and/or external constituencies in ways that exceed expectations and result in unexpected and very positive outcomes that support the University’s mission.

Substantial cost-effectiveness

• Identifies improvements to University practices, policies, and/or program designs that result in substantial cost savings to the University while enhancing the organization’s ability to support the University’s mission.

Exemplary relationship building within and/or outside of the immediate organization

• Develops and uses strong, constructive, and productive relationships that enable otherwise impossible goals to be met in support of the University’s mission

The Nomination Process

Nominations in this distinctive category can be submitted for individuals, teams, or supervisors, exempt or non-exempt staff. Nominations will be reviewed and selected using the same methodology as the Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence or Model Supervisor awards. Please consider nominating a deserving staff member or team. We welcome nominations from any level of the organization, including self-nominations.

The nomination process is detailed, and all its components must be completed before the nomination can be accepted. The annually published Quick Start Guide to Submitting a Models Nomination provides all of the information you need to complete this process which includes the following steps:

1. Review the eligibility criteria in the Nomination Guide.
2. Complete the Nomination Form which includes two reference letters and supervisor verification of eligibility.
3. Submit the completed nomination through the online form by the published deadline.

Questions? Call 215-898-7729 or contact us by email.

Selection and Notification

An annually rotating Models of Excellence Selection Committee reviews all nominations and selects the award winners. The committee is representative of the diversity of our institution, composed of Penn leaders from the Provost, Executive Vice President, and Vice President of Human Resources areas, previous Models of Excellence award winners, and other faculty and staff members from across campus.

Once staff members are chosen for Models of Excellence Program recognition are notified in January, the information is publicized broadly to the Penn community. Honorees are acknowledged in the spring. 

Awards and Celebration

Sustaining Penn Through COVID-19 winners receive $500.00 and a symbolic award. Extremely noteworthy staff member contributions receive Honorable Mentions and are awarded $250.00 and a symbolic award.

Sustaining Penn Through COVID-19 Award Recipients

Penn Open Pass Team

Dawn Augustino, Information Sciences and Computing
R. Joy Azikiwe, Human Resources
Greg Barendt, Perelman School of Medicine
Madeline Bell, Annenberg Center for Performing Arts
Corey Brooker, Information Sciences and Computing
Sean  Burke, President's Center
Matt Carmody, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Meghan Cartafalsa, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Stephen Cunha, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Nathaneal DiGiorgio, Perelman School of Medicine
Patrick Dolan, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Kathleen Faucett, Information Sciences and Computing
Jennifer Feldman, President's Center
Amy Graber, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Kai Gray, Health and Wellness
Kyle Gurganious, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Ashlee Halbritter, Health and Wellness
Victoria Iannotta, Facilities and Real Estate Services
William Ihlenfeld, Perelman School of Medicine
Raj Iyengar, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael Kelty, Health and Wellness
Albi Kohen, Perelman School of Medicine
Cristina Kossak, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Dorothy L. Leung, Perelman School of Medicine 
Gina A. Marinilli, Information Sciences and Computing
Patrick McTeague, Perelman School of Medicine
Joe Mihalich, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Donna Milici, Information Sciences and Computing
Amy A. Miller, Information Sciences and Computing
Elika Molayi, Perelman School of Medicine
Maureen O'Leary, Provost's Center
Warren Petrofsky, School of Arts and Sciences
Amy Phillips, Information Sciences and Computing
Paula Pritchett, Human Resources
Jackie Recktenwald, Health and wellness
Scott Schafer, Audit Compliance and Privacy
Joshua Seeherman, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
JulieShuttleworth, Health and Wellness 
Mark Siciliano, Information Sciences and Computing
Lauren Steinfeld, Audit Compliance and Privacy
Vanessa Stoloff, Health and Wellness
Daniel L. Thomas III, College Houses and Academic Services
Kristofor Varhus, School of Engineering and Applied Science

VPUL Technology Services Team

Sustaining Penn Through COVID-19 Honorable Mention

DRIA Wellness Support Team

Joseph Haughey, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Erica Hildenbrand, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Michael Martin, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics
Keith Maurer, Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics

Meghan K. Mahony, Division of Finance

PSOM Ready Mission Continuity and Pandemic Response Team

Marianne Achenbach, Perelman School of Medicine
Antonyo Adams, Perelman School of Medicine
Anne-Cara Apple, Perelman School of Medicine
Greg Barendt, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael B. Barron, Perelman School of Medicine
Charles H. Bears II, Perelman School of Medicine
Christopher Blackwell, Perelman School of Medicine
Johnnie Bullock, Perelman School of Medicine
Marty Burke, Perelman School of Medicine
Michelle Caraway, Perelman School of Medicine
Du'Wayne Coleman, Perelman School of Medicine
Joseph Davis, Perelman School of Medicine
Jsemal Davis, Perelman School of Medicine
Anna Delaney, Perelman School of Medicine
Michelle Dolce, Perelman School of Medicine
Derrick Dow Provost's Center 
Bob Dugan, Perelman School of Medicine
Myra Fishburn, Perelman School of Medicine
Kevin Flanigan, Perelman School of Medicine
Stephen Frank, Perelman School of Medicine
Lori Freda, Perelman School of Medicine
Susan Fry, Perelman School of Medicine
Charles Gant, Perelman School of Medicine
John Hallman, Perelman School of Medicine
Val Hardy, Perelman School of Medicine
Chuck Haughton, Perelman School of Medicine
Dorothy Hunter, Perelman School of Medicine
Raj Iyengar, Perelman School of Medicine
Judy Jackson, Perelman School of Medicine
Patricia Johnson, Perelman School of Medicine
Darren Johnson, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael Johnson, Perelman School of Medicine
Zephaniah Jones, Perelman School of Medicine
Odell Jones, Provost's Center 
Michelle Lai, Perelman School of Medicine
Dorothy L. Leung, Perelman School of Medicine
Tracey L. Longs, Information Systems and Computing
Michelle McCarthy, Perelman School of Medicine
Lynn Meaney, Perelman School of Medicine
Elika Molayi, Perelman School of Medicine
Sean Moore, Perelman School of Medicine
Victoria Mulhern, Perelman School of Medicine
Namrata Narain, Perelman School of Medicine
Adiodun Ogunleye, Perelman School of Medicine
Maureen O'Leary Provost's Center 
Ellis Otto, Perelman School of Medicine
Susan R. Passante, Perelman School of Medicine
Jennifer Pereira, Perelman School of Medicine
Dana Pinckney Facilities and Real Estate Services
Syd Redmond, Perelman School of Medicine
Tamaira Rhodes, Perelman School of Medicine
James Riley, Perelman School of Medicine
Christopher Romanowski, Perelman School of Medicine
Herminio Rosario, Perelman School of Medicine
Lorri A. Schieri, Perelman School of Medicine
Philip Swierc, Perelman School of Medicine
Stephanie Taitano, Perelman School of Medicine
Shirley J. Taylor, Perelman School of Medicine
Eric M. Weckel, Perelman School of Medicine
Willie Williams, Perelman School of Medicine

Residential and Hospitality Services Operations Continuity Team

Karen Barnes, Residential and Hospitality Services
Jeffrey Barta, Residential and Hospitality Services
Mary Bearden, Residential and Hospitality Services
Douglas Berger, Residential and Hospitality Services
Edwin Berrios, Residential and Hospitality Services
Lynnea Carrington, Business Services
Nathan Cockrum, Residential and Hospitality Services
Mark Cordova, Residential and Hospitality Services
Nayadis Couce, Residential and Hospitality Services
Kristin Cummings, Residential and Hospitality Services
Courtney Dombroski, Residential and Hospitality Services
Stanley Drake, Residential and Hospitality Services
Eleni Driza, Residential and Hospitality Services
Melissa Dunlap, Residential and Hospitality Services
Jeremy Estrada, Residential and Hospitality Services
Paul Forchielli, Residential and Hospitality Services
Rebecca Golpe, Residential and Hospitality Services
Renee Hadam, Information Systems and Computing
Scott Hammell, Residential and Hospitality Services
Lauren Haynes, Residential and Hospitality Services
Paul Kilbride, Residential and Hospitality Services
Patrick Killilee, Residential and Hospitality Services
Mark Knob, Residential and Hospitality Services
Linda Kromer, Residential and Hospitality Services
Pamela Lampitt, Residential and Hospitality Services
Christina Lester, Residential and Hospitality Services
Thomas MacDonald, Residential and Hospitality Services
John Macri, Residential and Hospitality Services
Michelle T. Majeski, Residential and Hospitality Services
Tessa Joy Mansell, Residential and Hospitality Services
Stephen Maurer, Residential and Hospitality Services
Jennifer Miller, Residential and Hospitality Services
Alexandra Morales, Residential and Hospitality Services
Ted Morrin, Residential and Hospitality Services
Katie Musar, Residential and Hospitality Services
Oluwaseyi Onlyide, Residential and Hospitality Services
Petra Ortiz, Residential and Hospitality Services
Jane Pablos, Residential and Hospitality Services
Cornell Pitt, Residential and Hospitality Services
Grace Reilly, Residential and Hospitality Services
Max E. Reyes-Rosario, Residential and Hospitality Services
Michelle Ruggia, Residential and Hospitality Services
Marc-Anthony Serrano, Residential and Hospitality Services
Maya H. Smith, Residential and Hospitality Services
Maureen Stanton, Residential and Hospitality Services
Miranda Stewart, Residential and Hospitality Services
Maurice Taylor, Residential and Hospitality Services
Tara Tobin, Residential and Hospitality Services
Bryan Wilkinson, Residential and Hospitality Services
Alketa Katie Xhori, Residential and Hospitality Services

Team Moving & Supporting Penn’s Educational Enterprise Online

Jamiella Brooks, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Megan Carr, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Sara De Mucci, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Emily Elliott, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Afuah Frimpong, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Bruce Lenthall, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Anna Miller, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Jessica Morris, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Ian Petrie, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Sherri Place, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Rebecca Stein, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Catherine Turner, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs 
Oscar Whiteman, Provost Interdisciplinary Programs

Wellness Team's COVID-19 Response Efforts