Outstanding Staff Awards 2025 Highlight Reel
Each year, the ×îÐÂÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ proudly recognizes employees who go above and beyond in advancing the university’s mission. The hard work and dedication of these staff and administrative employees greatly contribute to USF's success and upward trajectory.
Now Open: 2026 Nomination Period
Winners will be notified by the end of September 2026.
Not ready to submit your nomination form? Be prepared with these prompts.
Eligibility and Nomination Process
Eligibility
All staff and administrative employees in regular, established positions who are continuously employed from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, are eligible for nomination. Faculty, OPS, temporary — both student and non-student — and senior administrative leadership are not eligible for consideration and will be disqualified in the nomination review process.
However, all parties are enourage to participate in nominating staff and administrative employees for recognition.
For team nominations each team must incorporate staff/administrators from across two or more units and/or across two or more campuses, in addition to the above.
Note: Employees who meet eligibility requirements must hold an established position at least 30 days prior to the awards ceremony. Time spent in temporary (OPS) assignments will not count toward eligibility.
Nomination Process for the Nominator
Complete the individual and/or team nomination online using the appropriate 2026 Outstanding Staff Awards Nomination form during the open nomination period. We will only accept nominations submitted through the online form. Please prepare your nomination in advance.
Nominators will need the following nominee details to successfully complete a nomination:
- full name
- email address
- college/department/unit
- home campus
- and whether the employee is in a regular, established position (see Eligibility above). If the nominator is unsure of the regular, established position status of the nominee, please feel free to submit the nomination. However please note there is a possibility that the nomination will be disqualified.
This year's nomination form for both individual and team will be found in one form. In addition to the nominee's information, these prompts will be required. Nominators are encouraged to write the prompt responses in advance and copy and paste the text into the fields of the online form when ready.
Once your nomination is submitted you will receive confirmation of your submission via email. Only the selected winners, their nominator, supervisor and executive leader will receive further communication in September.
You may submit additional nominations by starting a new form.
Winner Selection Process
Every year, we receive hundreds of nominations for the coveted Outstand Staff Awards. Each nomination undergoes several steps to determine eligibility and to ultimately be considered for the selection process.
This process includes:
- eligibility review by Central Human Resources (CHR)
- nomination review by supervisor and executive leader
- all eligible individual and team nominations are reviewed by the Outstanding Staff Award (OSA) Selection Committee
The number of winners are determined by VP area. Once all nominations are reviewed and winners are selected, the team notifies each winner, and their nominator, supervisor and executive leader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nomination Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many employees can be included in a team nomination? | There is a limit of 25 employees who can be nominated for a team award. All team members should have made a significant contribution to the team and meet all eligibility requirements. |
| Who can submit a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Award? | Any member of the USF community may submit a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Award. As a OneUSF program, we encourage nominations from team members across all campuses to highlight the wide range of contributions of our staff and administrative employees. |
| Can someone nominate an employee from a different department or VP area? | Absolutely. Any employee can nominate a colleague, supervisor, or someone they work with from another department. |
| Can someone nominate themselves for an award? | Yes! If an eligible employee would like to nominate themselves for an individual or team award, they are encouraged to do so. |
| Can someone be nominated for more than one award? | Absolutely. An employee can win an individual and/or a team award. |
| I would like to nominate a team, but one of its members has only been here for six months. Is the team still eligible? | Yes, though only team members who meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for an award. Team members who are not eligible can still attend the ceremony and cheer for their fellow team members from the audience, but they will not be recognized on stage or receive a monetary award. |
Eligibility Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is eligible to receive an Outstanding Staff Award? | All regular staff and administration employees continuously employed on a position from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, are eligible for nomination. Faculty, OPS, temporary employees — student and non-student — and senior administrative leadership are not eligible to be nominated but are welcome to participate in nominating staff and administrative employees. Note: Employees who meet eligibility requirements must hold an established position at least 30 days prior to the awards ceremony. |
| Are past winners able to win again? | Yes, there are no limits on the number of times an employee can receive an Outstanding Staff Award. |
Ceremony Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When is the ceremony? | The ceremony will be held on November 20, 2026. The selected winners, their direct supervisors, and executive leadership will receive notification of the ceremony date, as well as details regarding parking, guests, and other information to follow. The selected winners will be informed once the selection committee has completed its review and selection. |
| If I am not a selected winner, can I attend? | Due to space limitations, we regret that not everyone will be able to attend in person. |
| How are recipients honored and rewarded? | Each recipient of the Outstanding Staff Award is honored by their VP area leadership during the annual Outstanding Staff Awards ceremony. Each winner receives a trophy and a $500 monetary award that is issued via payroll. |
Outstanding Staff Award Recipients
2025 Winners
Employee of the Year
Sponsored by Gabor Financial Solutions
Janelle Hanson
USF Health - College of Public Health
Jorge Armando Rodriguez
Office of Compliance & Ethics
2025 Individual Winners
A.J. Topp
Information Technology
Ashley Lora
Muma College of Business
Audrianna Goss
Recreation and Wellness
Brandon Roberts
Athletics
Brent Forget
Morsani College of Medicine
Catherine Macaulay Cardinal
College of Marine Science
Charmaine Beall
Cyber Florida
Dalton Hoffer
New Student & Family Engagement
Daniel Crawford
Parking & Transportation Services
Deb Howard
College of Arts and Sciences
Eddie Richardson
Housing and Residential Services
Giovanni Luciano
College of Arts and Sciences
Grant Gundle
Emergency Management
Heather Ward
Global and National Security Institute (GNSI)
Ivan Viamontes
Internal Audit
Janelle Hanson
USF Health College of Public Health
Jena Rossman
College of Behavioral & Community Sciences
Jennifer Valko
College of Engineering
Jerome Thomas
Office of Admissions
Jessica Wilson
College of Arts and Sciences
Jill Srofe
College of Engineering
Jorge Armando Rodriguez
Office of Compliance & Ethics
Katrina Leffers
Research & Innovation
Kelly Pearson
College of Arts and Sciences
Kristi Laribee
Advancement
Lauren Baumgartner
Muma College of Business
Lauren Siegal
Morsani College of Medicine
Leigh West
USF CONNECT (USFRI)
Lesley Brooks
Libraries
Lisa Farrell
College of Engineering
Melissa Villegas
Morsani College of Medicine
Michael Mathon
Campus Computing
Michelle Campbell
Morsani College of Medicine
Michelle Jahn
Muma College of Business
Omar Shaheen
Office of Research
Renea Forde
Residential Education
Shane Combs
Undergraduate Studies
Tammy Moscato
Student Outreach and Support / SOCAT
Torie Doll
University Communications & Marketing
Trang Ly
USF World
Wanda Wood
Student Accounting Services, UCO
2025 Team Winners
Team 1
Allison Madden
Research and Innovation
Ann Comer-Woods
Research and Innovation
Anna Litinskaya
Research and Innovation
Cassidy Delamarter
University Communications and Marketing
Colleen Parker
Research and Innovation
D.J. Pollock
University Police
David Scanga
College of Education
Dawn Coultas
Advancement
Drew Farmer
Advancement
Eddie Aikins
Research and Innovation
Elizabeth Nelson
Research and Innovation
Jamie Spurrier
Research and Innovation
Jamila Cowans
Research and Innovation
Karen Garcia-McGowan
Research and Innovation
Kate Evans
Advancement
Katrina Leffers
Human Resources
Kelsey Deck
Research and Innovation
Lauren Parker
Research and Innovation
Laurie O'Brien
Advancement
Leelavathy Somasundaram
Information Technology
Madeline Stoddard
Research and Innovation
Mark McLaughlin
Research and Innovation
Megan Cott
Research and Innovation
Michele Tyrpak
Research and Innovation
Nazek Jawad
Research and Innovation
Noemi Merced
Student Accounting Services
Omar Shaheen
Research and Innovation
Paul Cardoso
Research and Innovation
Sarah Smith
Advancement
Saundra Johnson Austin
Research and Innovation
Sue Orr
Advancement
Sujie Chen
Research and Innovation
Tracey Marlowe
Advancement
Victoria Stuart
Research and Innovation
Xavier Carr
University Police
Team 2
Allen Amani
Advancement
Ally Rost
Advancement
Allyson Norton
College of Engineering
Althea Johnson
University Communications and Marketing
Andrea Ortiz
Human Resources
Andres Faza
University Communications and Marketing
Anne Scott
University Communications and Marketing
Ashley Rodrigues
University Communications and Marketing
Beth Pierce
Advancement
Britt Self
University Communications and Marketing
Bryan Dos Reis
Innovative Education
Caitlyn Roberts-Lambert
Advancement
Carly Plate
Advancement
Cassidy Delamarter
University Communications and Marketing
Cynthia Brown Hernandez
Office of Decision Support
Daisy Matos
College of Engineering
David Panton
Innovative Education
David Rosa
Libraries
Diana Trueman
Innovative Education
Dominika McLean
Advancement
Ellyn Couillard
College of Engineering
Emily Limbach
Advancement
Ethan Peebles
Advancement
Gary Granger
Innovative Education
Ghassan Abdallah
Innovative Education
Grace Beck
University Communications and Marketing
Ilana Thomsett
Office of the Provost
Jamillia Anderson
Office of the Registrar
Jared Brown
Innovative Education
Jason Su
Innovative Education
Jeremy Willis
Innovative Education
Jessica Samaniego
Office of the President
Jill Hernandez
College of Engineering
John Cundy
Innovative Education
John Dudley
University Communications and Marketing
John Morgan
College of Engineering
Laura Hemphill
Human Resources
Laura Rivera
Advancement
Leah Reiney
Advancement
Maile Sinclair-Baxter
College of Engineering
Mark Maiellaro
College of Engineering
Martin Espinoza
Innovative Education
Mary Goodwin
College of Engineering
John Tipton
Advancemen
Karen Sousa
Student Success
Katherine Bourcier
Student Success
Katie Wagner
Student Success
Kelly Busch
Advancement
Kendrick Scales
Student Success
Kiley Mallard
Advancement
Krista Lee
University Communications and Marketing
Kyrstin DiMercurio
University Communications and Marketing
Lanie Funaro
Advancement
Laura Owczarek
College of Engineering
Matthew McDonough
Libraries
Mayra Morfin
College of Engineering
Michelle King
College of Engineering
Neona Bailey
College of Engineering
Noah Noonan
University Communications and Marketing
Penny Carnathan
Advancement
Ryan Hughes
University Communications and Marketing
Sophia Ramesar
College of Engineering
Stacey Sepulveda
College of Engineering
Tara Centeno
Office of the Provost
Tim Sodhi
Advancement
Tina Meketa
University Communications and Marketing
Tom Woolf
University Communications and Marketing
Torie Doll
University Communications and Marketing
Tré Smith
University Communications and Marketing
Vanessa Milford
Innovative Education
Wendy Stoneman-Shelby
Human Resources
Will Tillis
Innovative Education
PAST WINNERS
For more information, please contact outstandingstaff@usf.edu.