Awards
Distinguished Staff Award Nomination
Overview
The Lamar University Distinguished Staff Award is an annual award given to exemplary staff members who demonstrate a high level of job performance and leadership within the university.
Eligibility
- All Lamar University full-time staff who are below the rank of executive reporting directly to the President, and have been employed continuously for five years by Lamar University are eligible for nomination.
- Previous Distinguished Staff Award recipients may be nominated after a lapse of years.
Criteria
Distinguished Staff Award recipients will have made a significant impact on the university through outstanding dedication, extraordinary competence, superior performance, positive relationships, exceptional contributions and accomplishments, as demonstrated by the following:
- Performance and Initiative – Employee consistently produces quality work and exhibits a high level of commitment to the department and university as a whole. This personal investment is demonstrated through individual resourcefulness, as well as collaboration, cooperation and teamwork. Often, the employee makes personal sacrifice, or goes above and beyond what is required for a particular job.
- Positive Attitude and Relationships – Employee must have a positive and dedicated attitude that enhances morale, and is consistently respectful, compassionate and dignified. He or she unfailingly demonstrates a spirit of fairness in a culturally diverse environment, and is able to interact sensitively and effectively with all races and cultures.
- Outstanding Contributions/Accomplishments – List three of the most outstanding accomplishments/contributions this nominee has accomplished or contributed to the university, department and/or community.
How to Nominate
Complete and submit the nomination form providing specific examples of the nominee’s outstanding service in the areas listed.
- Provide two examples of Performance and Initiative.
- Provide two examples of Positive Attitude and Relationships
- Provide three examples of Outstanding Contributions and Accomplishments.
Submission deadline: Monday, April 1, 2024
For any questions or concerns, please contact Staff Council via email at lustaffcouncil@lamar.edu.
Staff Service Awards List for 2023
Staff members who have served 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or more years at LU prior to December 31, 2023, will receive an award during the upcoming reception. This reception will be held between 2 - 4 p.m. on April 22, 2024, on the 8th floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.
Please take a moment to review the staff service list below, checking that your name is listed and the spelling is correct. For corrections to spellings or if you prefer a different name on your award, please email Staff Council at lustaffcouncil@lamar.edu.
If you believe that your information has been left off or is missing from the list below, please contact Human Resources at extension 8375 and/or email Staff Council directly no later than April 12, 2024.
Five-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Julie | Alpough | Payroll Specialist | Payroll |
| Gail | Battiest | Administrative Specialist | Setzer Student Center |
| Blaire | Benoit | Contract Specialist | Procurement Services |
| Laura | Bowman | Administrative Coordinator | Accounting |
| Joanne | Brown | Major Gifts Officer | University Advancement |
| Xiao | Chen | Web Support Analyst | Library Services |
| Akilah | Cooper-Edmond | EHS Spec Risk MGMT/Occ Safety | Risk Management |
| Kyle | Fayan | Assoc. Dir. Student Involvement | Student Service Fee Administration |
| A'Quonesia | Franklin | Head Women's Basketball Coach | Women's Basketball |
| Larry | Gaskin | Custodian | Custodial Services |
| Angelica | Guerrero | Assistant Director, Admissions-Recruitment | Area Recruiting |
| Amy | Hooks | Head Women's Softball Coach | Women's Softball |
| Jerod | Hughes | Alarm & Electronic Controls Specialist | Building Maintenance |
| My Mustapha | Jourdini | Executive Director OIES | International Student Services |
| Janice | Kelly | Custodian | Custodial Services |
| Shirley | Kelly | Custodian | Custodial Services |
| Cassidy | Kennedy | Customer Service Specialist | Associate VP Facilities Management |
| Corey | Kirkland | Director, Landscape & Campus Svcs | Building Maintenance |
| Michelle | Lancaster | Graphic Designer | Marketing & Communications |
| John | Lee | Director Small Bus Dev Center | Small Business Development Center |
| Nathan | Macy | EHS Spec Bldg/Lab Safety | Risk Management |
| Melissa | Maples | Asst. Director, Recruitment | Area Recruiting |
| Lynn | Maurer | Dean/Professor | Dean of Arts & Sciences |
| Tod | McDowell | Asst. Baseball Coach | Men's Baseball |
| Michael | McKnight | Security Guard | Cardinal Village Security |
| Leslie | Nelson | Administrative Specialist | Accessibility Resource Center |
| Tammy | Robertson | Sr. Administrative Coordinator | Financial Services |
| Alicia | Stewart | Director Veterans Affairs | Veterans Affairs |
| Laura | Thompson | Sr. Advisor | Athletic Academics Affairs |
| Kristan | Traxler | Sr. Administrative Coordinator | Graduate Studies |
| Amy | Troha | Director of Operations | Office of President |
| Kacie | Wallace | Senior Financial Analyst | Budget and Analysis |
| Rodna | Willett | Counselor I | Student Health Center |
| Christopher | Willis | Custodian | Custodial Services |
| Elizabeth | Wilson | Security Guard | Cardinal Village Security |
Ten-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Danielle | Aylor | Director, Budget & Financial Planning | Budget and Analysis |
| Matthew | Chandler | Network Engineer | IT Operations |
| Larry | Cobb | Pest Management Specialist | Grounds Maintenance |
| James | Dixon | Asst. Ath Dir Sports Info | University Advancement |
| Dhonte | Ferguson | Sr. Advisor | Higher Education Partnership |
| Christina | Gengo | Transcript Evaluator II | Admissions |
| Courtney | Jackson | Asst. Director, Health Ed Svcs | Student Health Center |
| Shane | Jenkins | Supervisor, Building Trades | Building Maintenance |
| Sharon | Kimberlain | Licensed Vocational Nurse | Student Health Center |
| Sheila | Lansdale | Coordinator for Strategic Initiatives | Dean Arts & Sciences |
| Erin | Lemoine | Director of Pre-Award & Sponsored Project Development | Sponsored Program Administration |
| Carol | Lindsey | Sr. Administrative Coordinator | Dean Fine Arts & Communication |
| Yatara | Martin | Sergeant | Police Department |
| George | Moore | Electrical Specialist | Building Maintenance |
| Meliva | Parkerson | Custodian | Custodial Services Housing |
| Becky | Saleme | Administrative Specialist | Nursing |
| Paula | Scrougham | Administrative Specialist | Chemistry |
| Dawn | Short | Associate Director, University | Distance Education |
| Jessica | White | Associate Registrar | Registrar |
Fifteen-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Shelly | Barrios | Research Analyst | Data Analytics Reporting & Analysis |
| Audra | Bendy | Sr. Administrative Coordinator | University Advancement |
| Tracy | Boudreaux | Administrative Specialist | Biology |
| Michael | Clanahan | Coord Laboratory | Biology |
| Pamela | Comer | Director McNair Scholars | McNair Scholars |
| Theresa | Edgerton | Academic Coordinator | Distance Education |
| Kimberly | Elizondo | Coord-Practicum & Assessment | Educational Leadership |
| Matthew | Hall | Laboratory Technician | Chemical Engineering |
| Wanda | Harper | Document Imaging Specialist | Library Services |
| Deidra | Mayer | Assistant Vice President, Admissions and Aid | Scholarships |
| Matthew | Moore | Procurement Specialist Sr. | Procurement Services |
| Pam | Morris | Custodian Crew Leader | Custodial Services |
| Christy | Swanson | Coordinator, Digital Communications | Web Communications |
| Denis | Waller | Facilities Maintenance Tech Sr. | Building Maintenance |
| Katherine | Wood | Curriculum and Assessment Support Analyst | Accreditation and Assessment |
Twenty-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Megan | Cochran | Academic Advisor Senior | Dean of Business |
| Carl | Hollier | Lieutenant | Police Department |
| Robert | King | Facilities Maintenance Tech Sr. | Building Maintenance |
| Robin | Latimer | Associate Dean of Student Success in College of Graduate Studies | Dean of Education & Human Development |
| Rhonda | Marcontell | Coord-Assessment & Field Exp | TExES & Certification Office |
| Stacy | Picou | Student Records Manager | Registrar |
| Daniel | Powers | Data Center Operator | IT Operations |
| Douglas | Sampson | Supervisor, Plumbing | Building Maintenance |
| Srinivas | Varadaraj | Dir-IT Enterprise Services | Information Technology |
Twenty-Five-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Geoffrey | Latil | HVAC/R Specialist | Building Maintenance |
| Gordon | Williams | LUTV Studio Operations Manager | Communications |
| David | Wong | Head Women's Tennis Coach | Women's Tennis |
Thirty-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Andrew | Coughlan | Director of University Press | Communication |
| Elizabeth | Simmons | SAP Coordinator | College of Business |
Thirty-Five-Year Staff Service Recipients
| Name | Title | Department | |
| Karen | Woods | Coordinator Laboratory | Earth & Space Sciences |