Bloomington Council Staff Spotlight

Jenna Graham

Department: IMU Meeting & Event Services 

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Jenna is an Event Coordinator at the Indiana Memorial Union.  Many in the IMU would say that she has one of the brightest shining personalities in the whole building!  She primarily works with student organizations, Union Board and the Student Involvement & Leadership Center, but also works with IU Departments, Weddings & Alumni Reunions, and a variety of others that host their events at the IMU.  She always goes above and beyond to help students & clients plan, organize and execute successful and unforgettable events. Everyone I have spoken with has had absolutely amazing things to say about her and they can't wait to work with her again!  She is such a treasure at the IMU!

Elizabeth McAdam

Department: Counseling and Psychological Services  

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Elizabeth is one of the most pleasant, thoughtful, fun, and caring folks on our staff. She is supportive, willing to be a listening ear for anything, and is the best at showing her appreciation for her colleagues. Despite challenges, she perseveres. She works hard, harder than many, and with more intentionality than most. Elizabeth is a role model and willing to do a lot for her team and for the students that we serve. Your work does not go without notice and without appreciation!

Andrew Cook

Department: College of Arts and Science Recruiting

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Andrew is one of those rare individuals who quietly keeps an entire operation running smoothly. He is unfailingly dependable: always the first to step up when something needs to be done and the last to seek recognition for it. Whether he’s awarding scholarships to students, supporting recruitment efforts, or helping colleagues behind the scenes, Andrew approaches every task with thoughtfulness and integrity.  

A hallmark of Andrew’s work is the care he gives to students. He is the one who makes time for phone calls, especially when conversations are hard or complicated. He listens, explains, and helps students feel seen and supported. Those small but significant acts of generosity (giving his time and presence) demonstrate how deeply he values the human side of our work.  

Andrew brings that same generosity to his colleagues. He is constantly asking, “What can I take off your plate?” or reminding someone, “You’re already doing a great job!”, often just when they need to hear it most. Those moments of encouragement create a sense of trust and camaraderie on our team that is rare and deeply appreciated. He makes everyone around him feel capable and valued, simply by being the kind of teammate who genuinely wants others to succeed.  

One of Andrew’s greatest strengths is his ability to communicate with honesty and calm. He has a natural presence in front of groups. His relaxed, authentic style immediately puts people at ease. Students and colleagues alike trust him because he is straightforward and sincere. He doesn’t overcomplicate things or rely on charm. He tells the truth, and he tells it well. That quality makes him not only an excellent presenter but also an effective representative of the College’s mission and values.  

As a teammate, Andrew is a steady, grounding presence. He builds strong relationships across departments and works collaboratively without ego or pretense. He is respected by everyone who knows him because he embodies the kind of quiet leadership that keeps a team strong and focused on the work of serving students and advancing the College.  

In short, Andrew is the colleague everyone hopes to have: reliable, kind, and guided by genuine purpose. It’s a privilege to call him both a colleague and a friend, and I’m grateful for the chance to recognize his work. 

Luke Chanley

Department: Academic Engagement and Student Experience 

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text:  Luke is an exceptional career coach whose dedication to student success and staff development consistently goes above and beyond. He has a remarkable ability to connect with students, offering guidance that is compassionate, impactful, and well-informed. In one example, Luke noticed a student at one of our events who needed extra guidance and immediately stepped in to provide on-the-spot coaching.

Beyond his work with students, Luke is a cornerstone of our internal community. He leads our professional development committee with energy and vision, ensuring staff have meaningful opportunities to grow. He’s always willing to take on a presentation or lend a hand at an event, making him an invaluable team player.

Luke’s contributions make a lasting difference and we’re lucky to have him on our career education team.

Sarah Chavez

Department:  Financial Training and Communications  

Nominated by:  Laura Oxford

First nomination text:  Sarah Chavez is an indispensable member of the Financial Training and Communications team. Her relentless dedication and deep expertise in procurement make her an invaluable resource—one whose contributions are both essential and deeply appreciated. 
In addition to her outstanding work designing and recording comprehensive training sessions, Sarah consistently goes above and beyond to assist colleagues with complex and unique procurement challenges. Her depth of knowledge, resourcefulness, and professionalism make her a trusted advisor and a go-to problem solver. What truly sets Sarah apart is her unwavering kindness and generosity. She approaches every interaction with grace and a genuine desire to help, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that uplifts everyone around her. Sarah exemplifies excellence and embodies the spirit of teamwork. Her contributions have a lasting impact and deserve recognition across the IU community. 

Amanda Wilson

Department:  IU Fleet Services 

Nominated by:  Anonymous

Nomination text:  Amanda works tirelessly in support of her customers and most importantly her staff. Continuously going above and beyond, researching for just the right vehicle for the wide variety of departments on multiple campuses. For her staff Amanda provides them countless training and learning opportunities and the support they need to achieve their goals for now and in the future. Amanda is a valuable cornerstone to IU Fleet Services. 

Mary Clare Bauman

Department: Career Exploration & Student Employment 

Nominated by:Anonymous

First nomination text: As Associate Director of Student Employment in the Office of Career Exploration & Student Employment, Mary Clare Bauman exemplifies visionary leadership and a collaborative spirit. She has tirelessly worked to transform student employment at IU Bloomington from a job support service into a high-impact practice that fosters academic and professional growth. Mary Clare is a dynamic problem-solver who tackles challenges head-on and brings the right people together to address complex issues. Her insightful questions help teams uncover root causes and model a culture of deep thinking and hard work. Through her leadership of the Student Employment Committee, she works to unite campus employers and develop resources to elevate student employment as experiential learning. She works tirelessly to empower students to pursue meaningful work experiences and to build a campus-wide culture of mentorship and professional development aligned with NACE career competencies. Mary Clare’s work is a cornerstone of IU’s commitment to “learning by doing” and reflects the values of excellence, innovation, and student-centered service. 

Sarah Schmitt

Department:  College of Arts & Sciences, Walter Center for Career Achievement 

Nominated by:  Sarah was anonymously nominated twice! 

First nomination text: Sarah is an exceptionally thoughtful and dedicated colleague whose work strengthens ties within our College of Arts and Sciences community and highlights that community's role in helping our students pursue meaningful lives and careers. In just a few short months on the job, her talent for taking ideas that prompt our team to say, "Gee, that would be nice!" and turning them into well-formed and functioning realities became apparent. Now, after a year and a half as Associate Director of Career and Academic Integration, she is an indispensable fixture of the Walter Center for Career Achievement. Sarah constantly goes above and beyond to accomplish whatever needs doing with exceptional organizational skills and dedication to excellence. But somehow, she also finds time to ensure the work of her colleagues is recognized and celebrated, notably through the creation of the College's Career Advocate award and by helping our team earn recognition from multiple state-wide and regional professional associations. Sarah's work behind the scenes deserves a moment in the spotlight, too! 

Second nomination text: Sarah is the very definition of going above and beyond. When something great happens in the Walter Center and it comes out of nowhere, you can bet Sarah is the one behind it. She works so hard to make sure everyone is seen and recognized for the great work they do, and she deserves it more than anyone. 

ASL Program (pictured left to right: Emma Loveland, Pam Patton-Richards)

Department:American Sign Language (ASL)/English Interpreting Office

Nominated by:Anonymous

Nomination text:The ASL/English Interpreting Office provides outstanding communication access for the American Sign Language Program and the wider campus community. Serving eight Deaf faculty members and numerous students, staff, and visitors, the office manages a wide range of interpreting and translation services with professionalism, adaptability, and expertise. From classroom interpreting and event support to translation, captioning, and specialized projects, the team’s work ensures clear, effective communication across languages. Their dedication, thorough preparation, and seamless coordination make them an essential part of the university’s academic and operational success. 

Brandi Liford

Department: Applied Health Sciences, School of Public Health

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Brandi is amazing both as a fiscal officer and the head of all of the fiscal managers in our school. Her capacity to keep everything running efficiently, accurately, and in an organized fashion is a cut above every other fiscal officer I have ever worked with.

Kim Seeber

Department: UITS Learning Technologies, eLearning Design & Services

Nominated by: Anna Greene, UITS Learning Technologies, eLearning Design & Services

Nomination text: Kim is an under-the-radar super star. She doesn't make a big deal of the major things she's accomplished, from fostering strong team cohesion and high morale during times of stress and unexpected changes to exceptional project management in a portfolio full of constantly shifting data and priorities with a huge helping of politics. Kim's warm demeanor and steady hand are well-known. What doesn't get highlighted as often are the challenges she faces and resolves before they become detrimental to the team and our mission. For that reason, I'd like to publicly highlight her.

Liz Smith

Department: Academic Advising, College of Arts & Sciences

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Liz Smith is a dedicate advising leader. She is caring and empathetic and has a problem solving mindset. She is highly supportive of advisors in and outside of the College. Liz has an impressive eye for details and thinks carefully through curricular and other issues. We, in advising, are lucky to have her on our collective team. The College and the campus are better off for her presence.

Cindy Vance

Department: Optometry

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Cindy Vance, the Director of Student Administration for the School of Optometry, continually shows unwavering dedication to enhancing the student experience. It is truly inspiring. Cindy's commitment shines through in every initiative she undertakes, always putting students first while bringing a deep pool of knowledge and expertise to the table. She is an excellent teammate and carries herself with a caring and kind nature that makes everyone feel valued and supported. Plus, her sense of humor never fails to bring a smile to our faces, making even the busiest days enjoyable. Thank you for being such a wonderful leader and colleague!

Dede Borik

Department: Faculty & Academic Affairs

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Dede Borik is the Director of Academic Personnel Policies and Services for Academic Affairs. By nature, this area involves complex policies and procedures, which often can be confusing and intimidating. However, Dede's expertise and experience are truly invaluable for the departments that she supports. We don't know what we'd do without her guidance, especially when navigating complex situations. Dede is always an absolute joy to work with. She has a unique talent for transforming what could easily be very formal, complex matters into personable interactions. We are immensely grateful for all that she does, and we deeply appreciate her dedication and partnership. Thank you for being such a remarkable and indispensable part of IU, Dede!

Garry Bryant

Department: Bloomington Auxiliary Payroll 

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Garry is an outstanding employee who is well respected by all peers and continually goes above and beyond to assure students and staff are paid accurately and in a timely way. Garry's patience in explaining processes and training new staff is recognized by all with whom he interacts. Garry's continuous willingness to help others, both at work and outside work, is to be commended. Garry maintains a free 'C-Store' in his office where many students and staff enjoy a daily pick-me-up. Both Auxiliary Payroll and the Residence Life department are fortunate to have Garry on their team.

Evan Duffey

Department: University Information Technology Services (UITS)

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Having Evan as an IT support person has been a true pleasure. His technical expertise, combined with his friendly and helpful demeanor, has been invaluable. Although Evan supports many other RCs on the Bloomington campus, he has established himself as a point person and a problem solver for IT support and has made a significant impact for our department. We really appreciate the work he is doing!

Delaney Littlejohn

Department: Financial Shared Services

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Delaney leads our auxiliary services group for UITS, overseeing two full-time staff members. Following a recent leadership transition, the expectations for her role and team have significantly increased. She has risen to the challenge by developing multiple business plans and successfully stabilizing financially struggling auxiliary groups—all while maintaining clear communication and fostering collaboration. Additionally, she has initiated efforts to streamline consolidated billing for our partners. Delaney's leadership, expertise, and communication skills have been instrumental in driving progress, and our team would not be where it is today without her contributions.

Bryan Olson

Department: Psychological and Brain Sciences

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: As the Educational Resources Specialist and director of the department’s Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) program, Bryan consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, exceptional organizational skills, and a positive, customer-service-oriented attitude. Bryan's attention to detail and dependability have been invaluable to our department. Another great thing about Bryan is his commitment to the students he serves. Bryan is passionate about helping others learn. Many of the students in the UTA program have complimented Bryan in this regard. Having been with the department for many years, Bryan’s long-standing commitment to excellence is evident in all aspects of his work. I truly enjoy working with him because of his kindness, helpfulness, and consistent reliability.

Eric Beckstrom

Department: Advising & Major Exploration Services

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Eric’s genuine care for students and other academic advisors alike is hard to miss, even to those of us working in completely separate units. It’s very visible that Eric is attentive in his interactions with students, sensitive to a wide diversity of their backgrounds and needs, and always ready to share the perfect resource (or a whole list of them!) with anyone who could benefit. His ongoing support and ability to champion students, especially those in transitional or unique situations, is exemplary. Eric also consistently works to better his practice and freely shares his tips and tricks with advisors across campus. Thank you, Eric!

Breon Tyler

Department: Financial Support Services, Hamilton Lugar School

Nominated by: Tavy Aherne, African Studies Program

Nomination text: Breon Tyler exemplifies a supportive, dedicated, highly knowledgeable colleague. She goes above and beyond to assist with issues, respond quickly to queries, and in every way make others' daily tasks easier. She has responded to questions after hours, offered suggestions for better approaches, and when a need is critical there is no one more willing to offer assistance. We are very lucky to have her in HLS Support Services.

Ernie Thompson

Department: Environmental Operations/Housing Operations

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Ernie is the EO/HO Supervisor over Read Residential center. Talking to Ernie for the first time, it is apparent of his love and loyalty for Indiana University. His office is a shrine to IU (and Taylor Swift). He treats everyone he comes in contact with the respect and care that they would want to be. His leadership (coaching) no doubt comes from his days playing football for IU and the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as his spiritual beliefs. His staff respects him, and it is obvious when you visit Read.

Read provides linen for all the residence centers during summer conferences. He has taken on this immense task as well as his building responsibilities with pride. Ernie has streamlined and organized the linen process to where it is a well-oiled machine.

Joy Kremer

Department: Luddy Graduate Studies Office

Nominated by: Patty Reyes-Cooksey, Luddy Graduate Studies Office

Nomination text: It’s a pleasure to nominate Joy Kremer for the IU Bloomington Staff Spotlight in recognition of her commitment to student success and her dedication to supporting our team in the Luddy Graduate Studies Office. Joy works closely with our MS Computer Science and MS Data Science students, many of whom are navigating complex academic expectations. She goes above and beyond to ensure they feel supported, especially when facing academic challenges. Joy takes the time to walk students through their options, offering clear and practical guidance that helps them stay focused and feel more confident in their path forward.

Cory Rutz

Department: Office for Research Development, IU Research

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: In my experience, every team at IU needs somebody who can connect the daily details and processes of our jobs to the big picture of what the university can and should accomplish. Cory is that somebody in our orbit. He has accumulated a great deal of practical wisdom from his long experience, which means he's seldom deterred by initial challenges and can remain solution-focused. He's an unselfish collaborator and a great brainstormer.

In addition to his deep knowledge of the institution and his expertise in grants and foundation work, Cory has a massive network of friendly connections. If you need to find somebody or something, Cory will not only have a suggestion, he will probably also have a relationship with the person in question. (This is supported by a great memory for what people are working on, when they worked together, and the choice humorous story about what was going on.)

Above all, Cory works to lift up his teammates both by celebrating successes and by relentlessly encouraging us to keep going, to keep being creative, and to bear in mind the value of our work. Cory is an outstanding leader on the Bloomington campus, and we benefit greatly from his presence.

Nicole Nickless

Department: Student Central

Nominated by: Megan Walton, Student Central

Nomination text: As our new Onboarding and Training Coordinator, Nicole has quickly become an indispensable part of our team. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, she ensures that we are all equipped with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to serve our diverse audiences—prospective, current, former, and alumni students, as well as third parties. Nicole brings energy, clarity, and compassion to every training she leads. Whether navigating policy updates, onboarding new team members, or coordinating professional development opportunities, she does it all with a calm presence and a collaborative spirit. Her work helps us stay sharp, aligned, and student-focused. Nicole’s impact is already being felt across Student Central and beyond, and we are so grateful for her leadership and commitment to excellence. She truly embodies the values of IU Bloomington.

Lea Jones

Department: Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Advocacy

Nominated by: Molly Weiler, Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Advocacy

Nomination text: Lea (pictured on the far left with her peer educators and SVPVA staff) is a shining star in the Student Life team. She champions the ‘It's On Us’ workshop, a required workshop for all first-year students, and has put her heart and soul into it for the past 3 years as it transitioned from being optional to required. She has a strong relationship with her team of peer educators and prioritizes their feedback to help improve the program and make changes to it to better fit the needs of incoming students. She understands the necessity of forming robust partnerships with campus partners and goes above and beyond on a regular basis. We are lucky to have her on our team at the Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Advocacy, and I am lucky to be able to work with her daily! Thank you for all you do, Lea.

Gretchen Handlos

Department: Graduate Accounting Programs/Finance Graduate Programs

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Gretchen is one of the most kind-hearted and hard-working people I have met, not just during my time at IU, but ever. As the Executive Director of two departments, Gretchen is a wealth of knowledge. Her understanding of the Kelley programs both undergraduate and graduate is superb, and it serves her colleagues well. If you have a question or need to talk through something, she is happy to make time. If you are in need of support, she is the one you want behind you. Her innate ability to make anyone feel at ease no matter the situation and her recall of students she’s worked with for the last two decades is nothing short of amazing. She is the kind of leader everyone wants, bolstering those around her to better themselves, making the work environment a place we want to be part of, and leading by example through her passion for people. Her dedication to IU and its people is something to truly be admired.

Will Thompson

Department: Academic Engagement and Student Experience, College of Arts & Sciences

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Will Thompson is the cornerstone of Ernie Pyle Hall. Whether it's a problem with a classroom, a question about enrollment, or anything else, Will has the answer. Big requests and small all land on his desk, and he helps everyone with kindness, patience, and superhuman efficiency. Amidst the chaos, Will quietly saves the day, every day. I hope he knows how grateful we are!

Gina Vertrees

Department: Center for Rural Engagement

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Gina embodies what it means to do amazing work—not only through her efficiency and dedication, but in the way she uplifts everyone around her. Gina operates quietly behind the scenes, ensuring that every process is streamlined and every detail accounted for. Her work allows others to focus on their goals, knowing that the structure and support they need are already in place. That kind of behind-the-scenes excellence often goes unrecognized, but it is the very foundation of successful teams and projects.

What sets Gina apart even further is the energy and humor she brings to her role. She has a unique talent for transforming routine project management meetings into something people actually look forward to—often kicking things off with a clever, well-timed project manager joke. Her sense of humor brings lightness and connection to even the most complex discussions, helping colleagues feel comfortable, seen, and engaged.

Gina doesn’t seek the spotlight, but her work speaks volumes. She is the kind of person who makes everyone’s job easier and every project more successful. Her combination of technical expertise, dedication, and authentic personality makes her not only an invaluable team member but a joy to work with. In short, Gina Vertrees is a quiet powerhouse—organized, thoughtful, and refreshingly funny. She truly does amazing work, and I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition.

Lilly Reed

Department: College of Arts + Sciences Recruitment Team

Nominated by: Maggie Sperry, Kelley School of Business Undergraduate Admissions

Nomination text: Lilly is the ideal coworker, friend, and student advocate. She is thoughtful, compassionate, hardworking, and warm. She truly cares about helping College students find their path and she has changed lives because of it. As the supervisor of the College Ambassador Program, she is a steady and reliable leader that the students can lean on. They go to her for advice and support because they know she will always show up for them. She does the same for everyone in her life! I was lucky enough to work with her for a few years and I learned so much from her. She leads by example - lifting others up, offering help without hesitation, and keeping calm in chaos. Now as a dear friend and campus colleague, she continues to be someone I look up to and admire. I hope everyone gets the chance to have a "Lilly" in their life.

Tanner Terrell

Department: Academic Engagement and Student Experience, College of Arts & Sciences

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Tanner Terrell is the Senior Director of Operations and Strategy for the Academic Engagement and Student Experience (AESE) team. He manages all aspects of Operations with kindness, grace, and good humor -- everything from building management to data assessment comes under his purview, and he is somehow really good at all of it. His too-often-unseen work impacts so many students' experiences in such a positive way. We are very grateful to have Tanner with the AESE.

Catie Sneath

Department: Musical Arts Center, Jacobs School of Music

Nominated by: Tom Kernan, Jacobs School of Music

Nomination text: Since arriving back at Indiana University in August 2024, Catie Sneath has brought a level of organization and clarity to the role of Director of Production in IU's lauded Musical Arts Center. Her work has allowed the Jacobs School of Music to complete even more ambitious projects. Her leadership of a team that includes technical direction, scene shop, carpentry, properties, paint, costumes, stage crew, electrics, wardrobe, etc. has all members doing their very best work as we produce world-class performances by JSoM students, partner on co-productions with the Metropolitan Opera, bring in film crews from WTIU to capture our spellbinding Nutcracker, and deliver services for long-standing partners of the university, from students at MCCSC schools to one of the world's largest harp competitions. A massive and complex operation is better and better, day by day, because of Catie's extraordinary leadership and character.

Karla Lewis

Department: Academic Engagement and Student Experience (AESE), College of Arts & Sciences

Nominated by: Karla was nominated anonymously twice!

First nomination text: I'm nominating Karla Lewis, Event Services Specialist. Karla plays a pivotal role in the success of the College of Arts and Sciences' student programming through planning and executing large-scale annual events like Care Week, Senior Send Off, and the College Expo during Welcome Week, to the countless smaller programs that occur at the Walter Center throughout the academic year, Karla is the steady force behind the scenes who ensures every detail is thoughtfully managed. Her meticulous attention to space requisitions, logistics, and coordination transforms ideas into seamless, engaging events. Karla’s ability to juggle multiple priorities while remaining approachable, collaborative, and incredibly organized makes her an invaluable asset to our team. Her commitment to student engagement and her tireless work ethic do not go unnoticed!

Second nomination text: If calm, cool, and collected had a mascot, it would be Karla Lewis. As our Event Services Specialist, Karla is the behind-the-scenes powerhouse who makes the AESE shine. Whether she’s orchestrating a major conference with career professionals from across the country or ensuring students get their bagels and puppy cuddles during College Care Week, Karla does it all. Her colleagues describe her as the steady hand in the storm, the go-to problem solver, and the kind presence who makes everything (and everyone) better. Karla may not seek the spotlight, but her impact is impossible to miss.

Jill Romack

Department: Media School

Nominated by: Rebekah Leake, Media School

Nomination text: As our Career Services Specialist, Jill is an incredible resource to our Media School students, and she provides them with invaluable support in their job and internship search journeys through individual coaching appointments, group information sessions, and more. While Jill's student-facing work well deserves a spotlight, I'm nominating her today because Jill is an amazing colleague! Jill is always the first to volunteer to help with any additional projects to better support our students. She is always generous with her time, even with her impressive achievements in career services. Our team benefits so much from her knowledge, professionalism, and the kindness with which she shares both!

Michelle Willhoite

Department: Center on Representative Government (CORG)

Nominated by: Ann Byars, CORG

Nomination text: Michelle's title at CORG is Project Manager, but that is really just the beginning. When you walk into our office, her warm smile and exceptionally helpful attitude gives a peek at the can-and-will-do mantra Michelle possesses. A sign on her desk says "everything is figureoutable" and there isn't a question you can ask her that she can't find the answer to. When travelling to conferences, Michelle is a display booth pro, chatting/informing/connecting for hours on end. And, mind you, everything she does, she does while calm and organized. Pretty amazing, we are so lucky.

Lucia Calderon

Department: IU Education Abroad 

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Lucia is an incredible presence in our office! As a key member of the "Good Vibes" team, she takes the lead on inter-office engagement activities, fostering a positive and inclusive environment. Her role as IU Global's Wellness Ambassador further highlights her dedication to the well-being of her colleagues. Lucia is always approachable and ready to lend a hand. Whether you're looking for a lunch buddy, someone to brainstorm ideas with, or a volunteer for a special project, Lucia is the go-to person. Her enthusiasm and team spirit are truly inspiring, making her an invaluable asset to our office. Her ability to connect with everyone and her unwavering support make her a standout team player. Lucia's contributions have significantly enhanced our workplace culture, and we are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team.

Joe Lueken

Department: Athletics - Sports Medicine

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Joe's dedication to IU Athletics for the last 32 years has made IU Sports Medicine a high-quality healthcare department that is well respected nationally. Not only does he put IU athletes health and safety first and foremost, his leadership over his athletic training staff and mentorship to them creates an environment where staff can achieve their own goals. He is a great leader; passionate about making his staff better practioners, helping navigate the highs and lows of the job and creating an incredible working atmosphere. He is always working to better the landscape in athletic training - here at IU and at the Big Ten level. Thank you for ALL that you do for the athletes and your staff!!

Jennifer Burns

Department: Financial Shared Services

Nominated by: Cody Hines, Financial Shared Services

Nomination text: Jennifer has been with IU since 2019 and consistently proven herself time and time again by not only being willing to assist others but pushing herself above and beyond the call of duty. She has been of huge impact to training and the success of our small, but mighty, team of fiscal staff as we continue to blossom and strive for excellence. I don't have the ability to thank her enough for the work she has done but I am hoping to give her a moment in the spotlight and say a formal 'thank you' on behalf of myself and the rest of our team.

Ben Agan

Department: Office of Scholarships

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: I am pleased to nominate Ben Agan for his outstanding qualities and contributions he has made to Indiana University. Ben is an exceptionally hard-working individual who consistently goes above and beyond in his duties. His genuine care for his work is evident in the meticulous attention to detail he applies to every task.

Ben's dedication to incoming students is unparalleled; he is always striving for excellence and continuously seeks ways to improve and innovate. Moreover, Ben possesses a profound understanding of the deeper meaning of what a high education means and is always happy to share that with incoming students and current students. He recognizes that education is not merely about acquiring knowledge but also about fostering personal growth and contributing positively to society.

Ben's commitment to these values makes him a role model to all scholars on IU campus. his resilience, perseverance, and leadership potential further highlight his suitability for a Bloomington Staff Spotlight nomination. Ben's positive impact on IU campus is undeniable, and his qualities make him an invaluable asset deserving of recognition.

Stephanie Odaffer

Department: Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI)

Nominated by: Abby Henkel Roman, ERI

Nomination text: Stephanie is the finance manager for the Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI). She's one of those people who works quietly behind the scenes but has an enormous impact on our team and the success of our work! She's been at IU for over a decade but joined ERI about three years ago. Instantly I could tell she would be a joy to work with while possessing a thorough knowledge of everything to do with finance and administration at IU.

Stephanie manages to be responsive, efficient, thorough, and friendly at all times, even amid the frenetic pace of work at a busy research institute and in a stressful field like climate change! She's not my supervisor, but I can see how excellent she is at it, and her supervisees have nothing but praise for her. She always speaks up for what's right, even when it's hard. Stephanie deserves a shoutout for keeping steady as she keeps our team on track.

Marlys Barr

Department: Proposal Development Services (PDS)

Nominated by: Melanie Keller, PDS

Nomination text: Marlys has truly enviable organizational skills. Her spreadsheets are things of beauty and should be displayed in museums. She has worked tirelessly for more than three months to help submit a proposal that will benefit IU and humankind for years to come. She keeps a very large team of people on task, organized document submission across multiple institutions, attended multiple meetings each week and did it with ease. Not every team has a Marlys, but every team should! Her colleagues at PDS are grateful to have her on OUR team!

Christin Correll

Department: Finance Graduate Programs

Nominated by: Kylie Smith, Graduate Finance and Accounting Programs

Nomination text: Christin is exemplary at student experience. She works hard to ensure that our business and non-business students integrate well and become one cohesive cohort. She encourages the students to give back to the community through volunteer work, such as our recent holiday food drive.

She endeavors to make our women feel empowered through outings and a new graduate women in business club, because she recognizes that it's hard to be a woman in finance. She cares about our students' mental health as they go through our program, and is working to create a mental wellness series this spring.

All in all, she strives to give our students all the support they could ever want to get through a tough program successfully.

John Summerlot

Department: IU Emergency Management and Continuity

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: When John isn't responding to emergencies at IU as part of the IU Incident Management Team, he is often holding training and preparation workshops for students, staff, and faculty on a wide range of topics include active shooter preparedness, emergency preparedness, de-escalation, and more. John also sends out timely weather briefings and is a "go to" source for staff having to make decisions about campus events and offices. In addition, he teaches search and rescue courses at IU for students, community volunteers, and first responders. John is also active in veteran/military issues on campus and knows a lot of IU history.

Recently during the Read Hall fire, he was at Read Hall for many hours afterwards into the very early hours of the morning. He coordinated the students getting what they needed from their room after the fire, made sure they had a place to stay for the night, drove a few of them around campus, and even gave out his phone number to them if they ran into any issues or had questions.

Joanna Snyder

Department: Office of International Services

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Joanna Snyder at OIS is invaluable to departments and scholars with her expertise in employment visas. Somehow she is always able to respond to complicated questions very quickly, with a plethora of information and considerations. Numerous times in my career while working with her I have paused to think "How would we possibly get through this without Joanna!?" She is kind, helpful, unbelievably knowledgeable and truly compassionate to departments' and scholars' needs.

Andy Bruce

Department: Customer Service, Office of the University Controller

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Andy is a member of the UCO Customer Service team. This team supports pretty much every audience you can think of that might interact with IU. From payroll questions, to helping international students submit required tax paperwork, to directing anyone who calls or emails and just doesn't know where to start, this team does it all. Andy has always been an exceptional team member. He goes above and beyond to make sure he helps everyone he can, and researches answers when he doesn't already know them to make sure the student, faculty, or staff member gets what they need. He's friendly, professional, and a great person to work with. We're lucky to have him and thankful for all he does to support IU!

Sara Tharp

Department: Jellison Living Learning Center (JLLC), Kelley School of Business

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Since starting at the JLLC, Sara Tharp has been exceptional. Not only performing her job to the best of her ability, but what makes Sara special is her ability guide students, provide counsel, and be a constant backbone to our community. The opportunities our students get, and the daily functioning of this unit could not happen without her diligence. We are grateful for her and all she does to make the JLLC a true community. Thank you, Sara!

Zac Auterson

Department: University Information Technology Services (UITS)

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Zac is excellent at his job: He is efficient and knowledgeable. He works to understand problems and then solve them. If the solution does not arrive immediately, Zac follows up in a timely fashion to resolve any outstanding issues. Given how much we rely on basic office technology to do literally anything, there is no way we could get by without Zac supporting us.

More importantly, however, Zac is kind and patient. The challenges of working in IT are canonical, and I'm sure Zac sees his share of problems that could be easily resolved if we all knew just a little bit more. (I'm equally sure Zac has forgotten more about IT in the last week than I have ever known....) No matter the issue I have had, however, Zac has taken it on with a laugh. It's always a pleasure to have him visit your office -- which is saying something, given that he often is coming to fix some frustrating problem. So beyond the fact that we need him, he makes both his job look easy and the office space feel a bit lighter, easier, and more productive.

Thank you for your hard work, Zac.

Krystie Herndon

Department: Academic Advising, College of Arts & Sciences

Nominated by: Angus Burke, Financial Training & Communications

Nomination text: Krystie is a tireless advocate for the students she works with as an academic advisor, and does amazing work as a colleague to her assigned departments. Her commitment to her students led her to pursue a Ed.D. part-time while working full-time as an advisor, excelling at both her studies and in her role as an advisor. Whether it's students, faculty, fellow advisors, or staff, Krystie builds a special connection with people, makes them feel valued, and has a genuine interest in them as human beings.

Wendi Tai (pictured right) and Heather Rathbun (pictured left)

Department: Kelley Undergraduate Advising

Nominated by: Kelley Academic Senior Advisors on behalf of the whole advising team

Nomination text: Wendi and Heather oversee the Kelley Undergraduate Academic Advising Department. Their leadership is unmatched. It is thoughtful, calm, caring, organized, inclusive, and results in a harmonious and productive team. We could not be more grateful for their overwhelmingly positive influence and direction in our office.

Katherine Devich

Department:O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Nominated by: Juliet Roberts, Financial Training & Communication

Nomination text: Katherine is the glue that holds SPEA together. She provides exceptional care to all students, including international students who rely on her for patient, friendly, and dependable support. Katherine’s role involves frequent communication with students to guide them through IU processes. I’ve seen her messages while troubleshooting with her, and it’s clear she maintains a professional yet warm tone, taking student concerns seriously. For instance, she once picked up a student from the airport to ensure they reached their next destinations safely, whether it was an on-campus event or lodging.

She often works directly with visiting international students, and she always handles them with the utmost empathy and care. She is keenly aware of the potential stressors an international visitor might experience and she does everything in her power to mitigate that stress. I’m confident that her direct involvement with these visiting scholars greatly improved each student’s impression of IU and experience here on campus.

My team, the Financial Training team within IU Finance, has had the pleasure of working with Katherine as a student in our training programs. She consistently offers valuable feedback that helps improve our offerings. Katherine even volunteered for a pilot program for a new IU payment method we ran this fall, providing insightful, actionable advice we could trust. When she identifies potential issues with our systems or resources, she reports them thoughtfully, always with the IU community’s best interests in mind.

Additionally, she volunteers for various local non-profit events, often encouraging colleagues to join, which highlights her team spirit and kindness. Her attention to detail and drive for knowledge are evident in her work. She processes student business expenses meticulously, creating clear audit trails and asking questions when necessary. She always attends our Office Hours and brings great questions and advice to share with other attendees. These reflections of Katherine summarize why she makes an exemplary member of the IU community.

Michelle Bartley-Taylor

Department: IU Center of Excellence for Women & Technology

Nominated by: Jeannette Lehr, IU Center of Excellence for Women & Technology

Nomination text: As Director of the IU Center of Excellence for Women & Technology, Michelle is a true champion for women at Indiana University, demonstrating a remarkable blend of passion, expertise, and empathy. Her deep knowledge of gender equity issues in the tech industry, along with her commitment to advancing IU’s role in addressing these challenges, is truly inspiring. She is deeply invested in the success of our students and is a powerful advocate for their growth and development.

Beyond her commitment to our students, Michelle prioritizes the professional growth and well-being of her staff. She has implemented performance reviews designed not only to track progress toward the Center’s goals but also to ensure that all team members feel valued, heard, and supported. Michelle’s regular outreach to staff highlights her genuine concern for job satisfaction, fostering an environment where both performance and fulfillment are paramount. Her leadership embodies two essential qualities: a relentless drive to advance the mission of the Center and a profound care for her team.

Michelle continually seeks innovative ways to further our objectives while also celebrating team milestones and encouraging camaraderie among staff. Her efforts to enhance our connections, both within the Center and across the broader IU community, reflect her commitment to inclusivity and support. I believe it is crucial to recognize and honor leadership that prioritizes both the mission of the university and the well-being of its staff. Michelle exemplifies the type of leadership that we should aspire to cultivate in our work environments and her staff and community appreciates her very much!

Fruzsi Szabo

Department: KISI - Kelley Institute of Social Impact

Nominated by: Alex Martens, Kelley School of Business

Nomination text: Fruzsi was recently promoted to Assistant Director within the KISI office at the Kelley School. She always goes above and beyond in helping fellow staff, and students. Recently, she led KISI's Social Impact Fair which led to dozens of students attending to learn about issues we face, and how our student groups are helping fix the problem. She's extremely kind, and is always a great help!

Tara Holbrook

Department: Luddy Informatics

Nominated by: Ann McCranie, Isray Institute

Nomination text: Tara wears many hats, both as a Program Manager for an NSF AccelNet-MultiNet project in which she has handled the many logistics for about 50 long-stay international exchanges of graduate students and early career around the world. Many Fellows come from or come to IU for their visit, but most don't, so she has had to navigate all kinds of challenges with visas, funding, travel, and programmatic issues since 2019. Tara is very patient, detail-oriented, and reliable in this work and keeps all the rest of the project team in line and organized. We could not do it without her. She also is the primary administrative support for a group of informatics faculty associated with the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research and is the "nerve center" for those faculty. Tara has been with IU for over 15 years now, and chances are, if she doesn't know the answer to something, she knows who will have the answer. She's a great team player.

Amanda Lueck

Department: Academic Advising, College of Arts & Sciences

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: As an academic advisor, Amanda is a caring and determined advocate for students. She works diligently to make sure that her advisees receive the most useful information, understand the variety of options they have, and are connected to resources across campus that will improve their experience in Bloomington, academic and otherwise. She supports her colleagues unfailingly, collaborating generously and communicating well. She always answers questions helpfully and excels at sharing her deep knowledge of academic policy. Her knowledge helps the advisors around her succeed in their jobs while her kind and humorous presence in the office brightens their days. Bloomington is a better place to work because of Amanda.

Missy Deckard

Department: Borns Jewish Studies Program

Nominated by: Anonymous

Nomination text: Missy has been with the program for close to 40 years. She has done it all and seen it all. Currently with staff adjustments she is tackling the responsibilities of two positions. She does it cheerfully and with aplomb. I appreciate her deep knowledge of the program and guidance.