myHR Archives
myHR: February 4, 2015
Models of Excellence 2015
Penn is proud to announce the 2015 recipients of Models of Excellence and Pillars of Excellence Awards. Nominated by coworkers and chosen by a rotating selection committee of campus leaders, the winning individuals and teams have made major contributions to Penn’s standing as a world-class institution.
Congratulations to this year’s winners and nominees!
2015 Pillars of Excellence Award Winner
The Pillars of Excellence Award, introduced in 2014, recognizes the important support our, weekly-paid staff members provide to promote Penn’s success.
Michelle Majeski, Business Services: for her leadership and exemplary customer service; her optimism, kindness and respect of others as the Rodin College House resident manager.
2015 Pillars of Excellence Honorable Mentions
Penn Children's Center Teachers Team: for their professional skills, integrity, compassion and nurturing as our Penn Children's Center's Lead Teachers.
Business Services
Mary Dowds
Najah Munson
Michael Rosato, Facilities & Real Estate Services: for playing a significant part in the day-to-day operations in the Franklin Building, where safety and service is the top priority in his role as custodian.
2015 Models of Excellence Award Winners
The Models of Excellence Award recognizes staff member accomplishments that reflect initiative, leadership, increased efficiency, and a deep commitment to service.
Penn Green Campus Partnership Team: for above-and-beyond contributions of each team member in assisting in the achievement of integrating sustainability into coursework, community, and campus planning, design, and operations.
Business Services
Ray Aull
Matthew Brown
Brent Friedman
Tracy Hawkins
Vira Homick
Barbara Lea-Kruger
Joel Mintzer
Colleen Reardon
Division of Recreation & Intercollegiate Athletics
Dan Schupsky
Facilities & Real Estate Services
Chloe Cerwinka
Sarah Fisher
Joseph Gaither
Daniel Garofalo
Julian Goresko
Heidi Wunder
Andrew Zarynow
Penn Law
Joseph F. Campbell
Perelman School of Medicine
Jennifer Mishkin
School of Arts & Sciences
Sara E. King
School of Engineering & Applied Sciences
Leandra Davis
School of Social Policy & Practice
Aldis Kurmis
School of Veterinary Medicine
Kimberly Kopple
The Wharton School
Rafael de Luna
Quaker Days Team: for the tireless work and unprecedented level of cooperation between University schools and centers to provide extraordinary service to our admitted students to encourage enrollment and to showcase student life at Penn.
Business Services
Jeffrey J. Barta
Nathan A. Cockrum
Erin Doby
Hilary Easley
John Eckman
Paul Forchielli
Liam Gingrow
Rebecca Golpe
Derek Hunsberger
Pamela Lampitt
Barbara Lea-Kruger
Thomas MacDonald
Michelle Majeski
Nancy McCue
Sarah McFarlane
Michelle Ruggia
Christian Sapp
Beth Tucker
Division of Public Safety
Kathleen Shields Anderson
Cherie Heller
Gary Williams
College Houses & Academic Services
Martin Redman
Provost’s Center
Sue Kauffman DePuyt
Lou Metzger
Yvonne Romero da Silva
School of Arts & Sciences
Justin C. Mazur
School of Engineering & Applied Sciences
Ellen Eckert
School of Nursing
Marianne Smith
The Wharton School
Jonathan Katzenbach
2015 Models of Excellence Honorable Mentions
ARCH Team: for collaborating to transform the Arts Research and Cultural House (ARCH) into a destination that brings people together by fostering cultural diversity, awareness, education and community.
Business Services
Pamela Lampitt
Barbara Lea-Kruger
Thomas MacDonald
Facilities & Real Estate Services
Steve Becker
Mark Breitenbach
Ke Feng
David Hollenberg
Provost’s Center
Rob Nelson
University Life
William Gipson
Thomas Hauber
Hoag Levins, The Wharton School: for his initiative and creativity in executing a comprehensive multi-media communication and promotional program for the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics' Summer Undergraduate Minority Research (SUMR) program.
Singh Center for Nanotechnology Team: for planning, designing and constructing a state-of-the-art nanotechnology facility that engages the local, national and global research community.
Facilities & Real Estate Services
Ed Benfold
Michael Dausch
David Hollenberg
Christopher Kern
Jennifer Wetzel
President’s Center
Roman Petyk
Provost’s Center
Joseph Passante
School of Arts & Sciences/School of Engineering & Applied Sciences/School of Design
Ira Winston
School of Engineering & Applied SciencesLeandra Davis
Chris Montowski
Doug Yates
The 2015 Model Supervisor Award finalists will be announced in March. This award honors supervisors who are successful and productive contributors to Penn's success. The winner will be announced at the upcoming award ceremony.
Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor Award winners will receive $500.00 and a symbolic award. Noteworthy staff who have earned Honorable Mentions will receive $250.00 and a symbolic award.
Join the 2015 honorees and President Amy Gutmann at the award ceremony and reception on March 24 at 4:00pm in Irvine Auditorium. All members of the Penn community are invited to the celebration. If you’d like to attend the festivities, contact Human Resources at models@hr.upenn.edu or 215-898-1012.
Visit Models of Excellence Program website for more details, including information about the nomination process and past honorees.
Are You Eligible for a $1,000 Tax Credit?
Here's some good news for income tax filing season: if you put money toward a retirement plan last year, you may be able to get credit for it! (If you didn’t, now’s a good time to get started for 2015. Simply sign up at Penn’s secure online retirement plan site.)
Thanks to the Saver's Credit, you may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers). It gives a special tax break to low- and moderate-income taxpayers who are saving for retirement. The amount of the credit depends on your adjusted gross income (AGI), tax filing status, and how much you contributed to your retirement plan in 2014. It can be 50%, 20%, or 10% of your retirement plan or IRA contributions up to $2,000 ($4,000 if married filing jointly).
Take a look at the table below to see if you’re eligible and to find your credit.
| 2014 Saver's Credit | |||
| Credit Rate | Married Filing Jointly | Head of Household | All Other Filers* |
| 50% of your contribution | AGI not more than $36,000 | AGI not more than $27,00 | AGI not more than $18,000 |
| 20% of your contribution | $36,001 - $39,000 | $27,001 - $29,250 | $18,001 - $19,500 |
| 10% of your contribution | $39,001-$60,000 | $29,251 - $45,000 | $19,501 - $30,000 |
| 0% of your contribution | more than $60,000 | more than $45,000 | more than $30,000 |
*Single, married filing separately, or qualifying widow(er)
Keep in mind that you can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return if you want to take advantage of the Saver’s Credit. For more information, visit the Internal Revenue Service website.
To learn how Penn’s retirement savings benefits help you prepare for a secure future, register for the free February 27 brown bag lunch workshop, or visit the Saving for Retirement website for detailed plan information and professional retirement counseling links.
Increasing Your Productivity
When you’re “productive” you accomplish more tasks in a given amount of time. You feel satisfied about yourself. What a great feeling. In turn, your efficiency helps Penn achieve its objectives in a timely manner. Many times, productivity is linked to your morale. When you’re happy at work you have more motivation – which also increases your productivity. Being and staying productive can be greatly improved by following these recommendations.
If you have control over a small about of space, improve it; add pictures or bring things from home that make you happy. Any time you start feeling low or frustrated, take a deep breath and look at this things to remind yourself of the positive things your work brings into your life.
Try instituting a no-gossip rule for yourself when talking with your colleagues about your manager or others. Don’t say anything negative about anyone. If your colleagues continue to do so, walk away. Negativity reduces productivity.
Work smarter, not harder! Time management isn’t about stuffing as many tasks as your can in any given day. It is about creating a workflow that is simple, fast and most important, stress-free. You can improve your time management skills by clearing your workspace – clutter on your desk leads to clutter in the mind. Organize your computer desktop as well by placing files in dedicated folders. Create subfolders where you can quickly find whatever you need. Don’t forget about organizing your email inbox as well by setting up folders.
Learning and Education is offering two courses to help you be more productive. Click on the links to find out more about them and register on Knowledge Link.
- February 17: Managing Multiple Projects, Objectives and Deadlines
- March 4 and June 2: Managing and Organizing Your Email Inbox Using Microsoft Outlook (webinar)
Did You Know?
You have access to free information and tools that can help you make informed financial decisions through many phases of your life at Vanguard's Your Investing Life website. The site is available to all benefits-eligible faculty and staff, even if you haven’t yet enrolled in a Penn Retirement Plan.