2025 Fall Staff Assembly honors individuals and teams for excellence in leadership and innovation

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Vice Chancellor of People, Culture and Belonging Sydney Savion presented awards at the 2025 Fall Staff Assembly to a mix of inspiring individuals and teams who have made significant contributions through their community engagement, research and service.

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD

The Community Impact Award recognizes a full-time staff member or team that represents Vanderbilt through community engagement, service, leadership or other outreach and creates a better understanding of the university to external audiences. This year's winner was Megan Altemus, the lab manager and administrator for the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research.

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Megan Altemus, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From Altemus' nomination, "Megan has embraced the role of ambassador for science. She sees outreach as an essential component of communicating science which is crucial at a time when public trust in science is fragile, and misinformation often holds sway. The hands-on lab tours that she designs and leads help demystify complex science and create welcoming spaces for all visitors. She builds trust, sparks curiosity and shows that science is not just something done by others in a lab. It is, instead, a shared endeavor with real-world impact that we should all be passionate about."

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Innovation Excellence Award is given to a staff member, or staff group or team, for excellence in innovation demonstrated by implementing or attempting a new system or approach that has had a meaningful and significant impact on a process, program or initiative at Vanderbilt. This year's award was presented to members of the Campus Dining Training team:

• Doug Best
• Kriska Nagle
• Emily Svennevik

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Vanderbilt Campus Dining Training team, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From the nomination, "Doug, Kriska and Emily transformed what began as a mentorship program for Campus Dining staff into the accredited Vanderbilt Culinary Academy. After staff members selected for the program complete the rigorous training-equivalent to two years of culinary school-they can test for the prestigious certified culinarian credential. The academy invests in staff development and satisfaction, incubates culinary talent and has enabled Vanderbilt Campus Dining to be one of the premier university dining services in the nation."

The award was also presented to the Next Steps Program team members:

• Ariana Amaya
• Lauren Bethune-Dix
• Lindsay Krech
• Megan Macon
• Sophie Downing
• Thomas Anglim
• Hannah Oakley
• Steven Greiner
• Caitlin Bernstein

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Next Steps Program team, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From the nomination: "Next Steps at Vanderbilt is a four-year certificate program that offers neurodiverse students a transformational postsecondary education and immersion in Vanderbilt's student culture. In 2025, its 15th year, the program launched innovations that take the program to the next level. The curriculum now has a rigorous liberal arts program and two new academic pathways: Early Childhood Education and Self-Advocacy in Leadership. New courses were created, and audit options were expanded. And with a grant, the program has added apprenticeships in hospitality, health care and other areas, leading to credentials and higher wages for Next Steps students. Next Steps continues to empower their students to dare to grow and is a model for programs nationwide."

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARD

This award recognizes staff members who empower, educate, coach and support Vanderbilt colleagues and show outstanding commitment to the university's mission through strong, courageous leadership that builds partnerships, engagement and trust. This year's recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award to two staff members: Alan Bentley, assistant vice chancellor of technology transfer and intellectual property development with the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, and Lucas Ryan Lemons, welder-pipefitter group lead on the facilities team.

From Bentley's nomination, "Under Alan's leadership, CTTC has become a catalyst for entrepreneurship, elevating Vanderbilt's national reputation. He helped establish campus intellectual property policy and co-created the Innovation Catalyst Fund, which supports faculty members' early-stage research that has potential for commercial success and positive impact. He also is a decisive leader and a humble and selfless mentor. With radical collaboration and low team turnover, he has earned his nickname: 'the godfather of tech transfer.' As one team member says, 'Alan is a visionary who inspires others to think similarly and encourages the team to think boldly about the work that we do.'"

From Lemons' nomination, "Ryan and his crew keep our high-pressure steam system going strong to safely power campus and the medical center. He formulates solutions for existing systems and for future ones, working as a consultant for contractors and Vanderbilt employees to plan successful steam work. From fabricating motor mounts and metal gates to fixing a Sarratt handrail, Ryan creates practical solutions. He fabricates whatever is needed and fixes whatever breaks."

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

This award recognizes a person who goes beyond specific job duties to support Vanderbilt's mission and success by demonstrating excellence, positively influencing the work environment, fostering cooperation, achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This year's award was presented to three staff members: Susan Hilderbrand, senior program coordinator for the Graduate School, James Knight, a dedicated member of Campus Dining since 1980, and Bart Brunk, chief operating officer for Vanderbilt's Office of Investments.

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Susan Hilderbrand, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

According to Hilderbrand's nomination, "For the past five years, Susan has made a difference for students and colleagues at the Graduate School. Graduate school is a pivotal time for students to deepen their knowledge and acquire the experience and skills to follow their passions and achieve their goals. Navigating the experience is challenging and stressful-Susan smooths the way. Not only with administrative expertise-such as implementing groundbreaking new electronic workflows-but with unwavering support and respect. Susan supports our students' growth by making every interaction collaborative, and every person a valued part of our community."

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, James Knight, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From Knight's nomination: "James fosters a supportive atmosphere-whether he's welcoming students with a warm smile, coaching new team members or ensuring every guest feels valued.

New employees look to him as an example, colleagues describe him as a source of encouragement and wisdom, and managers rely on his steadiness and judgment. His leadership reinforces a culture of respect, teamwork, and professionalism across the entire team. Across nearly every campus dining hall, James has built lasting connections with students, faculty and staff."

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Bart Brunk, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From Brunk's nomination: "Bart and his team support every aspect of the complex mix of investments that make up the endowment. He trains analysts and interns in the function and history of the endowment and has built a collaborative team that he guides and mentors. He is also a trusted partner across the university and a respected leader among fellow COOs. The expertise and dedication of Bart and his team keep our endowment strong, which is crucial for us to be a vital university now and to become the great university of the 21st century."

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD

This award recognizes a staff member whose support of research has made a significant impact on the process of discovery and the pursuit of knowledge at Vanderbilt. This year, two staff members were recognized for the award: Mayme Van Meveren, a biochemist and research specialist in the Fesik Lab, and Yilin Yang, a computational analyst with the Lau Lab in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Mayme Van Meveren, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From the nomination for Van Meveren: "Mayme is a key member of the lab's project on Myc inhibitors-drugs that rein in Myc, a cancer-driving protein. She designed and ran tests to see how well new compounds stick to their target. After adapting a published test, she spotted a flaw, fixed the setup, re-tested more than 300 compounds, and found that many that had appeared ineffective actually worked. Her work reshaped the direction of the project, influenced follow-up by the lab's chemists and structural biologists, and contributed to developing and refining related lab tests. Proactive and meticulous, Mayme has become indispensable for this important research."

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Yilin Yang, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From the nomination for Yang: "Yang has become the go-to expert for making sense of complex single-cell data. She helped create a breakthrough 'molecular clock' that tracks how individual cells change over time during development and with cancer-and knowing the timing of cellular events is a key to understanding. Beyond discoveries, Yilin introduces new methods, mentors students and builds the computing pipelines that power research projects and collaborations. As a trusted partner to scientists, Yilin helps turn data into insight and discovery and fosters a culture where interdisciplinary collaboration is not just possible but deeply productive."

STUDENT IMPACT AWARD

This award goes to staff members who, through access, resources, mentorship or service, have had a positive impact on Vanderbilt students' quality of life and continued success at the university. This year's recipient of the award was John Bradley, director of the Writing Studio and Tutoring Services.

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, John Bradley, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From Bradley's nomination: "As director of the Writing Studio, John guides a team of consultants and tutors. The STEM tutors work with our future physicians, engineers, educators and researchers who will serve our communities. Consultants help students with any writing project, which also strengthens their critical thinking and overall communication skills. Last year, the team had more than 8,000 tutoring appointments. John guides his team to help students not only master coursework, but also build confidence, the habit of seeking help and a sense of purpose in their education. His impact multiplies through the tutors he mentors, who learn to teach effectively and take pride in helping peers succeed."

DARE TO GROW

This prize honors members of the Vanderbilt community who embody the university's motto, Crescere aude, which translates to "dare to grow." These individuals have demonstrated agility and creative solutions in their work, adopting a "dare to grow" mentality. This year's prize went to two recipients: Johnathan Shaw, tax director for Vanderbilt, and the Vanderbilt University Media Relations team:

• Damon Maida
• Julia Jordan
• John O'Brien
• Brian Smokler

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Johnathan Shaw, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From Shaw's nomination: "Johnathan is responsible for the development and monitoring of Vanderbilt's tax-related policies, keeping us compliant on federal and state levels. And he prepares and reviews all the university's tax filings. He was instrumental in interpreting new endowment tax language in the White House budget bill and helped university leadership understand recent changes in endowment laws and gave expert advice. Johnathan also partners with departments across the university to implement best practices and provide oversight on tax compliance issues."

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Vanderbilt University Media Relations team, Sydney Savion (Vanderbilt University)

From the Media Relations team's nomination: "Our Media Relations team is on the front lines of building and protecting Vanderbilt's reputation and demonstrating what makes Vanderbilt different and special. They do this through working with the media to share the Vanderbilt stories that represent who we are, what we do and what we stand for. Just one measure of their success: mentions of Vanderbilt in the top media outlets have grown 97 percent over the past five years. This team also battles misrepresentation and oversimplification and expertly navigates complexity. Most importantly, they turn complexity and challenge into opportunities to showcase how Vanderbilt continues to grow and thrive despite the challenges-or even because of them. Through sharing our story with the world and shaping and protecting our reputation, this team is helping make our vision for the university a reality."

The 2025 staff award winners will receive a monetary prize and a keepsake honoring their contributions to the university.

Read more about the 2025 Fall Staff Assembly.