UI recognizes faculty, staff award recipients at annual ceremony

The 2026 Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony will take place May 5 at Hancher Auditorium

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

As the end of the academic year approaches, it's time to celebrate all the fantastic work University of Iowa faculty and staff have accomplished this year.

Many campus groups that give awards will take part in the university's second annual Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony Tuesday, May 5, at Hancher Auditorium

Below is a list of all faculty and staff award winners who will be honored.

Improving Our Workplace Award (I.O.W.A.)

Mathematics Efficiency Team

Anna Kelly, administrative services manager

Ryan Kinser, DEO, professor

Amanda Marr, instructional services specialist

Amy Simonson, administrative services coordinator

Administrative Leadership Team Executive Committee

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS)

Justin Kahler, departmental administrator, Health, Sport, and Human Physiology

Ruthina Malone, departmental administrator, Psychological and Brain Sciences

Heather Mineart, departmental administrator, Physics and Astronomy

Shonda Monette, departmental administrator, Chemistry

Lindsay Vella, departmental administrator, Cinematic Arts

Doug and Dereck Collaboration Team

UI Health Care

Dereck Beggs, carpenter, Maintenance and Engineering

Doug Russell, nursing unit clerk, Nursing Services

Note Depot Core Team

Information Technology Services

Gretchen Anderson, IT manager, Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Jeremy Dietmeier, digital innovation consultant, Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Michael Espey, senior IT support consultant, Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Vicky Maloy, associate director of academic technologies, Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Ross Miller, lead application developer, Administrative Information Systems

Dawn Moore, data scientist, Administrative Information Systems

Rachel Schneberger, application developer, Administrative Information Systems

Jack Stockley, application programmer and analyst, Administrative Information Systems

Mike Venzon, director, Student Disability Services

Improving Our Workplace Award (I.O.W.A.)

Maggie Vogel, facility manager, Dean's Office, CLAS

Mental Health Champions

Bram Elias, clinical professor, College of Law

Alton Poole, police officer, Police Department, Office of Campus Safety

Bethany Walczak, doctoral candidate, School Psychology, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, College of Education

Staff Excellence Awards

UI Outstanding Staff Award

Merry Aamodt, senior human resources specialist, Dean's Office, CLAS

Steph Beecher, basic needs coordinator, dean of students, Division of Student Life

Kirsten Hanrahan, director, Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice, Patient Care and Services, UI Health Care

Shannon Ortiz, research associate, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Carver College of Medicine

Kate Ralston, director, Enrollment Data Analytics, Office of the Provost

Nicole Weathers, director, Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program, College of Nursing

Richard E. Gibson Merit Staff Award for Innovation and Excellence in Customer Service

Kris Bevelacqua, administrative support, Department of Rhetoric and The Writing Center, CLAS

Dorian Bright-Walker, clerk, Organization Effectiveness, University Human Resources

Welcoming and Respectful Environment Staff Award

Sarah Butler, rural residency coordinator, Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine

Vonda Semler, support services specialist, North Liberty Hospital - Guest Services, UI Health Care

Lola Lopes Award for Undergraduate Student Advocacy

Amanda Elkins, director, Student Legal Services, Division of Student Life

David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service

Shonda Monette, departmental administrator, Department of Chemistry, CLAS

Emily Sargent, staff nurse, Nursing - Emergency Department, UI Health Care

Graduate Faculty Awards

Graduate College Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award

Amy Colbert, UI Distinguished Chair, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Tippie College of Business

Stephanie Gilbertson-White, associate professor, Division of Primary and Community Care, College of Nursing

Discovery and Innovation Awards

Distinguished Achievement in Arts and Humanities Research Award

Robert Bork, professor, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS

Distinguished Achievement in Publicly Engaged Research Award

Martha Carvour, assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Carver College of Medicine

Faculty Communicating Ideas Award

Mary Charlton, professor and director, Iowa Cancer Registry, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health

Leadership in Research Award

Elizabeth Chrischilles, professor, Marvin A. and Rose Lee Pomerantz Chair in Public Health, and head, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health

Distinguished Research Professional Award

Elizabeth Chrischilles, professor, Marvin A. and Rose Lee Pomerantz Chair in Public Health, and head, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health

Richard Dvorsky, aerospace principal engineer, Department of Physics and Astronomy, CLAS

Distinguished Research Administrator Award

Teresa Gaffey, director of finance and business operations, IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, College of Engineering

Early Career Scholar of the Year Award

Jessica Gorzelitz, assistant professor, Department of Health, Sport, and Human Physiology, CLAS

Distinguished Mentor Award

Jared McLendon, assistant professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy

Bingbing Zhang, assistant professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, CLAS

Scholar of the Year Award

David Miles, F. Wendell Miller Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, CLAS

Faculty Awards

Hubbard-Walder Award for Excellence in Teaching

Theresa Bechtel, associate professor of instruction, Primary Care Division, College of Nursing

Stella Burch Elias, Bouma Family Fellow in Law, College of Law

Elizabeth Heineman, professor, departments of History and Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, CLAS

Brian Lai, associate professor, Department of Political Science, CLAS

Jan Steyn, associate professor of instruction in literary translation and French, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, CLAS

President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence

Colleen Bringman, associate professor of instruction, Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering

Alison Guernsey, Herschel G. Langdon Clinical Professor of Trial Advocacy, College of Law

Ted Neal, clinical professor of science education, Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education

Chad Tracy, Harold Jaffe Chair in Translational Urologic Oncology, Department of Urology, Carver College of Medicine

Marion L. Huit Faculty Award

Nicole Esposito, professor of flute, School of Music, CLAS

Michael J. Brody Award

Edward Gillan, professor, Department of Chemistry, CLAS

Teresa Marshall, Michael W. Finkelstein Centennial Professor of Teaching, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics

James N. Murray Award

Anne Zepeski, clinical assistant professor of emergency and pharmacy, Department of Emergency Medicine, Carver College of Medicine

University-level Named Faculty Positions

Roy J. Carver Professorship

Kaveh Akbar, Roy J. Carver Professor, Department of English, CLAS

Kim Blackwell, Roy J. Carver Professor, Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering

Melissa Febos, Roy J. Carver Professor, Department of English, CLAS

Clement T. and Sylvia H. Hanson Family Chair

Jan Wessel, Clement T. and Sylvia H. Hanson Family Chair, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, CLAS

UI Distinguished Chair

Colin Gordon, UI Distinguished Chair, Department of History, CLAS

Highly Prestigious External Awards

Rome Prize

T.J. Dedeaux-Norris, associate professor, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS

National Academy of Sciences

Stanley Perlman, professor and University of Iowa Distinguished Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine

National Academy of Medicine

Edwin Stone, professor and Seamans-Hauser Chair in Molecular Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine

Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award

Michael Welsh, professor and Roy J. Carver Chair in Biomedical Research, departments of Internal Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Neurology, Carver College of Medicine

Staff Appreciation Awards

College Liberal Arts and Sciences

Sarah Dilorenzo, chemistry

Kyle McEvilly, academic advising

Emma Kirk-Alvarez, academic advising

Rebecca Tritten, CLAS administration

Rachel Spengler, CLAS administration

Briana Maxwell, performing arts production

College of Education

Michelle Hayes, administrative support services

Katrina Leyendecker, center for evaluation and assessment

Brian Campbell, UI REACH

College of Law

Melissa Norman, career services

College of Nursing

Brenda Van Dee, teaching services

College of Public Health

Margaret Evans, Department of Biostatistics

Kortney Barrett, Clinical Trials Statistical and Data Management Center

Megan Riley, Department of Epidemiology

Michele Hogue, Department of Epidemiology human resources

Janie Simmons, Occupational and Environmental Health

Division of Student Life

Laura Croteau-Lopez, administration

Virginia Scherer, student services

Milica Oliver, tennis

Patrick Galligan, University Counseling Service

Finance and Operations

Chris Parker, daytime custodial service area

Courtenay Villhauer, human resources

Office of the Provost

Anna Flaming, Center for Teaching

Kathryn Murphy, International Programs

Jan Warren, Office of Community Engagement

Lindsey Strom, Office of the Registrar

Matthew Augeri, Pomerantz Career Center

Office of the Vice President for Medical Affairs

Thomas Seboldt, financial planning

Office of the Vice President for Research

Amy Stewart, administration

Anne Hinkle, Office of Animal Resources

Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine

Lisa Pfannebecker, administration

Mercedes Juelfs, administration

Lisa Neff-Letts, medical genetics

Amanda Moeller, Quad Cities Multispecialty Clinic

Tippie College of Business

Xirui Chen, dean's office

University College

Jennifer Lynch, TRIO programs

Ali Casella, First Generation Hawks

UI Health Care

Natalie Van Waning, gastroenterology

Jill Kain, advanced practice providers

Sara Murph, ambulatory care - dialysis administration

Stephanie Stewart, nursing informatics and nursing quality

Kelly Miller, clinical work services care coordination

Michael McElmeel, Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center

Kirsten Hanrahan, nursing research

Michelle Greve, diabetes education

Bryanne Hensley, Money Follows the Person program

Erin Reynolds, ambulatory care psychiatry

Brenda Byram, Admission and Transfer Center

Jolyn Kay Schneider, burn unit

Connie Sherman, capital management

Sara Feldmann, administration

Lindsey Sadewasser, ambulatory care

Connie Floerchinger, clinical microbiology laboratory

Haley Andrews, clinical services lactation team

Tara Clark, digestive disease procedure suite

Jo Frommelt, emergency department

Marcus Espey, administration and escorts, guest services

Karen Kelly, health information management

Emily Newland, hematology oncology bone marrow transplant unit

Ashley Smith, information desk, guest services

Stephanie Wagenaar, inpatient medical-surgical units

Adam Jones, inpatient care units

Jacqueline Gravert, Stead Family Children's Hospital, Level 11

Elizabeth Amelon, pediatric inpatient pharmacy

Austin Kannegieter, neurology clinic

Alicia DeFrance, ambulatory care

Alicia DeFrance, ultrasound services

Staci Anderson, research billing

Shanel Wermerskirchen, patient library, guest services

Emily Martin, pediatric intensive care unit

Drew Hogan, pediatric specialty clinic

Kylie Weber, perioperative services - main operating room

Rachel Goughnour, perioperative services - operating room, Stead Family Children's Hospital

Kylie Weber, perioperative services - post-anesthesia care unit

Kylie Weber, perioperative services - pre-operative unit

Heather Bream-Rouwenhorst, acute care pharmacy

Kate Smith, internal medicine, transplant, hematology-oncology, behavioral health

Caroline Smith, rehabilitation therapies

Jacqueline Cicchese, primary care ambulatory specialist team

Jessica Maigaard, discharge pharmacy

Jessica Maigaard, general hospital pharmacy

Jessica Maigaard, pediatric outpatient pharmacy

Bryan Schneider, ACT central fill

Bryan Schneider, North Dodge Pharmacy

Bryan Schneider, River Crossing Pharmacy

Taylor Bentler, surgical and neuroscience intensive care unit

Brittany Grabe, Crisis Stabilization Unit

Annie Nimtz-Janssen, off-campus administration

Julie Boothby, accreditation

Laura Fisher, rehab therapies

Megan Buh, clinical operations and registration

Robert Rawlins, engineering services

Josiah Miller, environmental services

Josh Harland, material services

Mark Nelson, supply chain

Michelle Wagner, Solon Outpatient Clinic

Michelle Wagner, Tipton Outpatient Clinic

Michelle Wagner, West Branch Outpatient Clinic

Jennifer Kahler, Heartland Drive Outpatient Clinic

Ruaa Elkhair, third floor frontline staff

Debra Herold, off-campus administration

Jennifer Kahler, pediatrics - Heartland Drive, Coralville

Rebecca Lara, First Avenue outpatient clinic

Mandy Sweers, home health care