Greetings! I hope your summer is going well, and that you have had (or will soon have) some time for relaxation. I’m glad to be back on campus after spending nearly three weeks traveling Europe with my family, including visiting 11 cities in Italy alone! We also spent time with family and friends in the Netherlands and had a great time.
On Tuesday, we held one of my favorite annual events during the 1Mendoza Summer Meeting: a reception to announce the recipients of the 2024 Dean’s Awards for Excellence. The awards recognize the exceptional dedication and hard work of teams and individuals at Mendoza in three categories: Cooperate, Elevate and Integrate.
We had many deserving nominations submitted by colleagues and leaders across the College. The nominations were reviewed by a diverse committee of Mendoza staff and faculty, with the Dean’s Cabinet giving final approval to the winners.
The recipients are as follows:
Cooperate Award: Laura Glassford, program coordinator for Undergraduate Studies. This award is presented to an individual staff member who has gone above and beyond personal interests for the benefit of the community. Laura consistently seeks ways to enhance projects and support initiatives beyond what is required, actively improving student experiences and operational efficiencies within the Undergraduate Studies advising office. Her proactive approach is evident in her meticulous data collection and responsiveness to advisor needs, ensuring that student watch lists are continuously refined. She has significantly enhanced advisors' ability to support students by maintaining thorough tracking and a deep understanding of student needs. Her genuinely caring and positive presence resonates strongly with both students and colleagues, creating meaningful connections and contributing to a vibrant and cohesive office environment. She embodies a spirit of joy and dedication in the 101 office. Laura is a role model and a valuable asset to the department, College, University and the broader higher education community.
Elevate Award: The Graduate Student Life MBA Team of Christine Gramhofer, Teresa True, Samantha Crisp, Sherry Nadai and Cathi Kennedy. The Elevate Award is presented to a team or individual who identifies new opportunities for Mendoza to compete in the business school landscape and shows exemplary accomplishment toward a significant achievement through innovative thinking. The Graduate Student Life MBA Team significantly improved the course registration experience for our MBA students. The Fall Pulse Survey showed a remarkable rise in satisfaction scores, from 2.8 to 4.1 historically (and from 3.5 to 4.1 in just one semester). This improvement is attributed to the innovative registration video series launched in October that provided students with a valuable resource to supplement traditional advising methods. This initiative not only enhanced understanding of the registration process but also garnered high praise from students.
Integrate Award: The Experiential and Global Learning team of Megan Piersma, Ben Wilson, Lara Brian, Stephanie Drudge and Gabor Holtzer. The Integrate Award is presented to a cross-functional team that has worked together to accomplish a goal or complete a project supporting the vision, mission and priorities of the College. Under Megan's leadership, the College made the strategic decision to bring in-house the sourcing and execution of Grow Irish projects last summer. Thanks to their commitment to excellence, the Experiential and Global Learning team members successfully sourced 28 diverse and impactful projects for the MBA program this spring. These projects span multiple industries including technology, financial services, retail, health care, real estate and nonprofit, with eight international projects. The team also secured projects for other key programs within the College.
Please join me in congratulating these individuals and teams for their significant contributions to the College. Thanks also to those who submitted their colleagues for award consideration.
In Notre Dame,
Martijn