Past Award Recipients

Select a tab below to read about previous recipients of the Linda Lorimer Award. Visit the 2024 awards page to learn more about this year’s recipients.

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At Yale Hospitality: Xuewei Chen

Through her commitment to inclusion and cultural enrichment, Xuewei transformed a simple dish – the humble Egg and Tomato – into a symbol of community and belonging on campus. Evoking an immediate and extraordinary response from students and patrons, her work to bring a taste of home to campus has resonated far beyond the dining table.

At the Yale Schwarzman Center: Kito Covington

A committed steward of Woolsey Hall, Kito ensures that this historic facility provides a welcoming, positive experience for members of our campus and local community. He manages every event, from small concerts to high-profile sold-out programs, with the same level of outstanding dedication and “can do” spirit.

At the School of Medicine: Patricia Genero

Patricia created resources that have transformed critical departmental processes at Yale Neurology, improving access to vital information, facilitating swift decision-making during emergencies, and contributing greatly to the department’s mission of delivering outstanding patient care. Her innovation, attention to detail, collaboration, and selflessness have left an indelible mark on the department.

At the School of Medicine: Natalie Kil

Natalie has worked tirelessly to improve the health of the New Haven community, partnering with local health services to curb the opioid epidemic and launching groundbreaking harm-reduction programs to prevent the spread of HIV, among other health initiatives. The impact of this innovative work is a testament to her visionary leadership and collaborative spirit.

At the School of Medicine: Nicholas Licht

Through collaborations within and beyond campus, Nicholas implemented a range of critical career development programs and resources and led a new approach to faculty mentoring for his department. These initiatives have significantly enhanced career opportunities and retention by cultivating a culture of mentorship and inclusivity, especially among early career faculty.

At the Office of Facilities: Sheri Miller

Under her inspiring leadership, Sheri’s team completed several major capital projects on Science Hill that will have a lasting impact on research and education at Yale for generations to come. Successfully navigating the complexities of managing multiple projects simultaneously, Sheri created spaces that promote learning, research, reflection, and a sense of community.

At the School of Medicine: Kyle Pedersen

Through his work at the Connecticut Mental Health Center and in the Department of Psychiatry, Kyle has had a sustained and exceptional influence on the front lines of mental health care in New Haven. His outstanding commitment to service, leadership development, and belonging in the workplace has benefited countless lives and left a profound and lasting impression on the organizations he supports.

At the School of Medicine: Lena Smith Parker

As a highly collaborative, experienced, and trusted partner, Lena worked with teams across the university to implement critical enhancements to the Yale School of Medicine’s website. Thanks to her leadership, the website is a valuable and accessible resource for the medical school community and has played a significant role in recent reaccreditation efforts.

At Yale College: Risa Sodi

Risa has helped shape and grow the Eli Whitney Students Program, striving to ensure that they and other non-traditional students feel a sense of belonging and have the guidance and support they need to thrive here at Yale. A tireless advocate, she has been described as “the best of Yale — quietly working to help others.”

At Yale College: Patricia Wei

Patricia championed programs to make Yale more attractive and accessible to veterans seeking higher education. “The face of Yale student veteran recruitment,” she has significantly grown Yale College’s veteran population thanks to the care and commitment she provides to each applicant.

At the School of Medicine: Laura Abriola, Nalini Dhingra, Yulia Surovtseva, and Sheila Umlauf

This small but mighty team at the Yale Center for Molecular Discovery has made exceptional contributions to diverse research initiatives across the university. The highly customized services they provide give investigators the insights they need to support their innovative approaches. This team’s expertise, commitment to customer satisfaction, and ability to stay at the forefront of technology have been instrumental in advancing the work of Yale’s research community.

At Human Resources and Yale Divinity School: Rondi Frey, Stephanie Gosteli, Shaun King, Terry Reese, Jane Savage, Deirdre Stowe, Deborah Stanley-McAulay, Lynn Sullivan, Ben Walter, and Benjamin Wretlind

This team created and launched Emerge at Yale, a rigorous learning experience that fosters diverse leadership, collaboration, and excellence on campus. This bespoke program has helped staff members from diverse backgrounds hone their leadership skills, develop mentorships with seasoned leaders, and connect with peers from across campus in a way no other program has before.

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At Yale College: Mira Debs

Mira has promoted the successful expansion of the Education Studies Program, adeptly building partnerships across campus, and securing significant financial support for the program. Thanks to Mira’s exceptional work, student participation in the program has quadrupled in size.

At the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning: Karin Gosselink

Through outstanding leadership, collaboration, and commitment, Karin developed the Poorvu Center’s Academic Strategies program. Delivering transformative results, the program has equipped and empowered students, including first-generation low-income students, for scholastic success.

At the School of Medicine: N’Kenge K. Haines

Through skillful collaboration and consensus building, N’Kenge brought innovative structural and educational changes to the Yale School of Medicine’s financial aid program. Her work has expanded access to educational opportunities and significantly improved student wellbeing.

At the School of Medicine: Marya Shanabrough

With perseverance and an innovative approach, Marya was instrumental in launching the Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism at Comparative Medicine. Her focus on excellence and her dedication to creating an inclusive work environment has made her a role model for others.

At the Law School: Kiran Tahir

While working at the university’s Office of Development, Kiran designed an innovative, inclusive development program that focuses on creating meaningful connections with historically underrepresented Yale College alumni, encouraging them to engage, participate, and invest in Yale.

At the School of Medicine: Terry Bohonnon, Rodolfo Lopez Jr., and Angel Ojeda

This team fostered positive relationships and promoted a safe space for New Haven community members seeking Community Health Care van services. Throughout the pandemic and beyond, they have unfailingly offered a caring and trusted environment for those in need of addiction services and medical treatment.

At Information Technology Services, the School of Medicine, and the School of Public Health: Katy Araujo, Kraig Eisenman, Brian Funaro, Mary Geda, Dana Limone, Janet Miceli, and Jesse Reynolds

This team skillfully introduced the REDCap tool to Yale. REDCap is an open-source research data collection tool that provides university investigators with optimal services. Over the years, their ingenuity, combined with a commitment to excellence, has led to software and system improvements that enhance data quality and project efficiency for Yale investigators at 39 schools and departments, involving more than 1,300 research projects conducted in 91 countries worldwide.

At the School of Medicine, Office of Facilities, and West Campus Administration: Kelly Anastasio, Meghan Dahlmeyer, John-Paulo Fernandes, and Michael Galbicsek

In the midst of the pandemic, this intrepid team transformed urgently needed space to safely conduct COVID-19 treatment studies. Their quick thinking and ingenuity were key in moving this crucial research forward.

At Public Safety: Richard Simons and Heidi the Public Safety Service Dog

Officer Rich Simons has been the driving force behind the creation of Yale’s service dog program. He and Heidi, Yale’s Public Safety Service Dog, are a familiar and much-loved presence on campus and at numerous events. Their unique ability to support and connect with others, especially in moments of crisis and need, has unified the community and inspired countless smiles.

At the Office of Public Affairs and Communications and the School of Public Health: Michael Greenwood, Fred Mamoun, and Colin Poitras

Prolifically communicating the School of Public Health’s research and mission, this team translated complex scientific findings into easily understandable and impactful stories. Their collective work has helped transform communications within the school and in the field of public health.

At the Yale Alumni Association: Anthony Hannon, Rhoda Lea, Sharon Small, Lauren Summers, and Jessica Woodward

When the pandemic grounded the Yale Educational Travel program, this team launched the Yale Alumni Academy to ensure alumni engagement. This vibrant, multi-media program facilitates lifelong connections among alumni with faculty members, research, and scholarship at the university.

At Yale Hospitality, Human Resources, Local 35, and the School of Medicine: James Benson, Christine Centola, Carmen Piza, Robert Sullivan, Tyisha Walker-Myers, and Agatha Williams

Through collaboration and interest-based engagement, this team created the Culinary Apprenticeship and Management-in-Training programs. Their collective efforts have opened job pathways for current employees and the local community.

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In the Office of Facilities: Sydney Colon

With ingenuity and consensus-building, Sidney created best practices to ensure a safe work environment on campus construction sites. Her work helped protect over 1,000 individuals each day during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Office of the General Counsel: Nancy Loucks

Combining professional expertise with impressive communication and negotiation skills, Nancy guided the university during the COVID-19 pandemic in developing health and safety strategies to advance academic goals.

In Information Technology Services: Matt Coshal, Joshua Goss, Kathleen Omollo, Netal Patel, Rebecca Schneider, and Harry Shyket

To meet the urgent need to track COVID-19 tests across the Yale community, this team developed “COVIDSwiper,” a unique software application. This application has become the bedrock of Yale’s health and safety response to the public health emergency brought about by COVID-19.

In the Department of Psychiatry: Susan Brown, Edith Luysterborghs, Maureen McCarthy, and Antoinette Weinstein

To lessen the burden on community hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, this small but mighty team quickly transitioned mental health care to a telehealth care model. Their efforts provided uninterrupted support for 265 clients with severe and persistent mental illness. Moreover, they did so while demonstrating exemplary compassion, positivity, and an unwavering commitment to clinical care.

At the University Press, University Library, and Office of the General Counsel: Donna Anstey, Katherine Brown, John Carlson, Pamela Chambers, Wendy DeNardis, John Donatich, Patricia Fidler, Rowena Griem, Adria Patterson, and Sara Sapire

To significantly increase access to arts and architectural history resources, this team developed a unique e-book platform, the “A&AePortal” that has quickly become a key study site for scholarship. Further, it enhances diversity and inclusivity by providing a path to represent a wide range of gender, global, and cultural perspectives.

In the School of Public Health: Monica Brackney, Paula Clogher, AmberJean Hansen, Kyle Higgins, James Meek, Sara Niesobecki, Danyel Olson, Tamara Rissman, and Kimberly Yousey-Hindes

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with the Connecticut Emerging Infections Program, this team’s initiative strengthened academic-community partnerships. They helped to keep Yale’s campus open, and as safe as possible, to carry out the university’s mission. Additionally, they informed programs and policies to reduce COVID-19 transmission, at Yale and beyond.

At the Yale Alumni Association, Information Technology Services, and the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale: Stephen Blum, Maria Canales, Ronald Colonna, E. J. Crawford, Jeannie Daniel, Chelsea Gladue, Kate Gustavson, and Victor Padilla-Taylor.

Unifying and engaging the Yale student and alumni communities, this team created the Cross Campus portal, a virtual hub for online networking, community building, and mentoring support.

At Yale Hospitality: Mattie Dixon, Marlene Esposito, Elizabeth Ferguson, Emily Hopkins, Chevelle Irvin, Clenone Irvin, and Jean Michel Mange

This team went above and beyond to swiftly create safe food preparation and delivery processes. They also directly delivered meals to as many as 100 students daily who were quarantined due to COVID-19 throughout the academic year.

At Yale Health, the School of Public Health, Yale College, Yale Hospitality, Information Technology Services, Facilities, and the Office of Public Safety: Margaret Anderson, Hema Bakthavatchalam, Christian Berrios, Christine Chen, Sarah Christie, Samuel Feliciano, J. P. Fernandes, Ted Hanss, Lauren Horner, Lisa Kimmel, Alexa Martindale, Adam Millman, Kathleen Omollo, Karen Otterson, Dorothy van Rhijn, Madeline Wilson, and Stephen Woods

With creativity, innovation, and collaboration, this team developed the COVID-19 testing and contact tracing program. Their work enabled students and staff to return to campus as safely as possible.

In the Department of African American Studies: Vanessa M. Epps

Demonstrating exceptional performance, Vanessa went above and beyond her primary job responsibilities to foster an inclusive environment for faculty, students, and staff in her department.

In the Office of International Students & Scholars: Ann Kuhlman

A fierce advocate and compassionate visionary, Ann tirelessly worked to ensure the wellbeing of Yale’s international community and built the Office of International Students & Scholars to connect diverse populations in new ways.

At Yale Health: Cheryl Carden, Mary Cofrancesco, Nanci Joseph Fortgang, and Giuseppe Giorgetti

To reduce the risk of a “double pandemic,” this team reinvented the entire flu vaccine delivery model and developed an ingenious scheduling system to provide a broad spectrum of safe and convenient offerings to the Yale community.

In Yale Hospitality:  Aniello DeMartino, Cyon E. Jones, Danielle Lucci, Craig Staffey, Christina C. Wethington, and Nicole White

With exceptional operational performance, this team selflessly distributed thousands of pounds of food to the New Haven community and created a “home away from home” for all students remaining on campus during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the Yale community and beyond.

In Yale Conferences & Events, Facilities Services, Risk Management, Housing & Fleet Management, Yale College, and Student Administrative ServicesHeather Abati, Melanie Boyd, Donald Filer, Jeff Hughes, Ferentz Lafargue, Shannon LeGault, Marjorie F. B. Lemmon, George E. Longyear, Jr., Nathan Lubich, Suzanne Shaw, Caitlin Slattery, David Wright, Kate Vieillard, and Jennifer Zuccaro

Under untested and challenging circumstances, this team helped solved the temporary housing crisis for frontline health care workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic and managed the logistics of moving students’ possessions to and from campus.

In the Office of Undergraduate Admissions: Ashleigh Corvi and Hannah Mendlowitz

With visionary leadership and creativity, this team converted Bulldog Days to a highly successful online experience for admitted Yale students.

In the Department of Emergency Medicine: Luis Cruz, Joy Grabow, and Jeffrey R. Hoffman

With exceptional creativity, flexibility, and utmost attention to detail, this team seamlessly transitioned emergency medical training to a virtual environment, providing educational continuity for medical students and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Office of Environmental Health & Safety:  Kevin M. Charbonneau, Benjamin Fontes, and Peter A. Reinhardt

Under enormous pressure, this team calmly and rapidly led the creation and mobilization of an infrastructure that ensured university-wide biomedical safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Yale Cancer CenterTrisha Burrello, Diane Eannotti, Laura Leary, Neta Shanwetter Levit, Talia Mitchell, Kira F. Pavlik, and Sara Raboin

With extraordinary care and diligence, this team rapidly transitioned Smilow cancer patients, researchers, and staff to remote care and work while upholding a high level of productivity, engagement, and quality.

In Yale Printing & Publishing Services, the Yale Broadcast Studio, and the Office of Public Affairs & Communications: Nicholas J. Appleby, Gregg Chase, Jason David England, Douglas Forbush, Andrew Hurley, Zoe Keller, Patrick Leone, Jack Neiswanger, Guy Ortoleva, and Dan Renzetti

In record time, this team worked together to create and produce an accessible, virtual Commencement and Opening Assembly, ensuring the continuity of hundreds of years of Yale tradition.

View photos from the 2019 awards ceremony

At Yale School of Nursing: Tracy Chidsey

Going above and beyond her primary responsibilities, Tracy helped orchestrate inter-professional curricula for what has become Yale’s largest healthcare professional course.

At Yale Hospitality: Crystal Coleman

Demonstrating exceptional service and dedication to her culinary craft, Crystal went above and beyond to ensure the health and wellbeing of a Yale student.

At the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library: Meredith Miller

Meredith proposed and created a program that brought beautiful and intellectually stimulating works to the public space at Yale Health to add vibrancy and promote inclusiveness.

At the Yale University Library: Judith Ann Schiff

Judy’s extraordinary commitment to discovering and sharing Yale’s history has engendered a deeper sense of community, advanced diversity, and disseminated knowledge of the university.

At the Comprehensive Cancer Center: Kathleen Uscinski

Kathleen expanded and accelerated access and availability to Yale’s clinical trials to every person diagnosed with cancer in the state of Connecticut.

At the Office of the Secretary and Yale Hospitality: Heather Calabrese, Ryan Croteau, and Daniel Flynn

In support of the university’s sustainability goals, this team designed and built “hydration stations” for Commencement that drastically reduced waste and costs associated with plastic water bottle usage.

At Information Technology: Sarah Lynch, Kim Miller, Christine Mongillo, Michelle Morgan, and Michael Vaughn

This team led the effort to ensure accessibility to Yale’s websites and web applications for the broadest range of users. They broke down barriers for those with disabilities and promoted better understanding and communication for all.

At Sociology and Internal Medicine: Samy Galvez, Wyatt Israel, Mark McKnight, Petergaye Murray, Rennie Negron, and Liza Nicoll

In the face of enormous challenges, this team conducted a large-scale randomized control trial in Honduras to deliver health education aimed at reducing infant and maternal mortality. Their efforts established a model trial that now serves as a best-practice template for researchers around the world.

At the Office of the Provost: Lani Danilowitz, Aley Menon, and Anita Sharif-Hyder

With an optimistic spirit, extraordinary dedication to fair process, and the utmost discretion, this team helped foster a climate of safety and respect for Yale’s students, faculty, and staff.

At Yale College: Samuel Cohen, Jane Edwards, Burgie Howard, Camille Lizarribar, Kelly McLaughlin, Daniel Smith, Scott Wallace-Juedes, and Rebekah Westphal

This team launched Yale Safety Net, a financial literacy website, to help undergraduate students manage their money and allow Yale College to nimbly respond when students ask for help meeting unexpected financial needs.

View photos from the 2018 awards ceremony

At Yale Hospitality: Humberto Espinal

Humberto represented Yale in the National Association of College and University Food Services Culinary Challenge, winning the top prize, and he teaches and inspires others in the School of Management kitchen.

At University Police: Marnie Robbins-Hoffman

Marnie has developed programs and training that incorporate best practices in addressing sensitive crimes, thereby increasing awareness, promoting transparency, and helping victims.

At the Center for Teaching and Learning, Campus Community Technologies, and Office of Digital Dissemination: Pilar Abuin, Timberley Barber-Marini, Christine Costantino, David Hirsch, Jenn Lawlor, Michelle Morgan, Kristi Sanchez-Dini 

With outstanding collaboration, technical ability, and customer service, this team transitioned thousands of faculty members and courses from an antiquated learning management system to a more sophisticated platform, Canvas.

At the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale Center for British Art, Yale University Art Gallery, ITS, Campus Community Technologies, Digital Preservation, and University Library: Michael Appleby, Jeff Campbell, Euan Cochrane, Lawrence Gall, Xinjian Guo, Youjun Guo, Tim Speevack 

Representing Yale’s museums, libraries, and Information Technology Services, they worked collaboratively to migrate 1.1 million digital assets to a modern, comprehensive platform with global access to showcase Yale’s vast collections in a single online venue. 

At the Office of Development, Human Resources, and Center for Teaching and Learning: Marinda Monfilston, Alina Nevins, Patrick O’Brien, Celestina Perone, Katie Rowe

Seeking to advance diversity and inclusion at Yale, this team developed and championed innovative networking, professional development, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities for the university’s 2,800 young professionals.

At the New Haven Initiative: Claudia Merson and Maria Parente

They developed and coordinated the Yale Pathways to Science program, increasing participation, promoting data-driven decision-making, and supporting local school districts. 

At the Yale School of Medicine: Karina Julius, Margaret Reilly, Yon Sugiharto, James Vincent

In response to Workplace Survey feedback, this group offered the Core Curriculum to 685 managers and staff to enhance leadership and professional competencies at the School of Medicine.

At Yale College: ​Robyn Acampora, Stephanie Glover, Stephanie Waite, Derek Webster

In record time, this team created the infrastructure, marketing materials, and a streamlined application process for the Domestic Summer Award in its inaugural year.

View photos from the 2017 awards ceremony

At Silliman College: Sergio Gonzalez

From introducing wellness weeks to converting a college lounge into a student-run coffee shop, Sergio has implemented innovative programs that enhance the culture of Silliman College and bolster student engagement, while achieving significant savings.

At the Yale Center for British Art: Linda Friedlaender

Using an innovative art observation program of her own creation, Linda has taught countless professionals and students how to ‘read’ artworks to improve their observational, critical thinking, and communications skills to advance medical diagnostics and other professional disciplines.

At the Yale School of Nursing: Sandy Esposito

Filling a critical role during a challenging organizational transition, Sandy expertly managed the 2017 admissions process at the Yale School of Nursing to achieve the school’s strongest applicant pool and most diverse class to date. 

At the Yale School of Medicine: Eric Georgelos

Eric skillfully engaged his team in adopting techniques and tools to significantly improve the management of supplies and their ability to serve principal investigators at the Yale’s Animal Resource Center. 

At the Office of Human Resources and Administration: Jane Savage

Working together with Locals 34 and 35 to craft new labor contracts, Jane changed union-management relations, improved how we work together, and unified us as a community.

At the Office of the Secretary, Information Technology Services, and Office of General Counsel: Maria Trumpler, Jane Livingston, Caroline Hendel

Coordinating with the Office of the Registrar to successfully implement the “student names project,” they have enhanced diversity and inclusion for Yale students and helped realize Yale’s commitment to inclusivity, which honors the dignity of all persons studying at Yale. 

At the Yale School of Medicine: Joyce Dupree, Teresa Carty

By centralizing the School of Medicine’s coding and billing function and introducing best practices, they improved the collection process for approximately $700 million of clinical revenue and enhanced morale within their unit.

At the Office of Yale-NUS New Haven: ​Kel Ginsberg, Angela Kuhne, Nakia Black-Geter, Jacqueline Su

They contributed significantly to the launch and development of Yale-NUS College, a signature undertaking for the university. They made possible the rapid development of one of the leading colleges in the world and ensured that the Yale ethos is central to this new institution.

At Information Technology Services: Michael Felberbaum, Hadar Call

They skillfully achieved the ambitious goal of building a donor and alumni database to track Yale’s upcoming capital campaign progress and priority targets.

At Yale Security and Information Technology Services: George Hines, David Landino, David Nevins, David Boyd

Through exceptional teamwork and the application of best practices, they introduced a state-of-the-art security access system across the university, with minimum disruption and significant savings.

At the Division of Finance, Office of Human Resources and Administration, Business Operations, Yale School of Medicine, and Information Technology Services: Nancy Creel, Kathy Byington, Carrie Capezzone, Kathy Broderick, Darrell Cook, Linda Faust, Anna Maria Hummerstone, Ron Lipkins, Karen Polhemus, Ryan Schlagheck, Jackie Tucker, Marc Ulan

With mighty leadership and profound expertise, they successfully implemented Workday financials and other improvements to Workday human resources and academic tools, providing a strong foundation for continuous improvements to administrative processes for years to come.

View YaleNews coverage of 2016 awards ceremony

At the Office of Development: Deepti Pradhan
 

Pradhan’s initiative in creating and developing ground-breaking analytical and statistical tools and models has significantly improved the university’s ability to fundraise and engage alumni.

At Yale Hospitality: Christopher Jamilkowski

From teaching students how to prepare healthy meals to producing maple syrup from Yale’s trees, Jamilkowski’s innovation has created an inclusive and educational environment for students and staff enhancing the life of West Campus.

At the Yale School of Medicine Teaching and Learning Center: Gary Leydon

Leydon’s passion for advancing the ease and effectiveness of learning through technology is exemplary. By introducing game-changing technology, he has enhanced medical students’ clinical experiences and research capabilities.

At the University Chaplain’s Office: Ian Oliver, Gale Iannone, Amanda Wood, Debra A. K. Rohr, Sharon Kugler, Asha Shipman, Candice Provey, Maytal Saltiel, Omer Bajwa,

The Chaplain’s Office’s innovative programs have created places to honor diversity, enhance understanding, and build community across religions and cultures.

At the Yale Medical Library: Lei Wang, Holly Grossetta Nardini

Their creation of a breakthrough web-based search tool has saved hundreds of hours for investigators doing important medical research, while also ensuring more accurate and comprehensive data results.

At the Office of Facilities: Jack Tiboni, Jason Cook, Robert Molloy

The team’s initiative has reduced costs for HVAC filters and belts while contributing to a healthier environment. Setting a new standard, these improvements are being applied across campus and will help Yale achieve its vigorous sustainability goals.

At the Yale School of Medicine Trauma Surgery Department: Andrea Barada, Louise Salvati,  Michele MacKinnel,  Esther Torrealba-Fox, Lillian Ortiz-Rodriguez

Together with their colleagues, this team has established an exemplary patient care and service model in a high-pressure trauma and surgical critical care unit. The team model they have created makes it possible to deliver outstanding results and continuous improvements that ensure their section’s smooth functioning.

In Communications and Change Leadership, Administration, Human Resources Communications, and Information Technology Services: Karen Colburn-Murphy, Lisa Maloney, Lalani Perry, Lisa Sawin, Linda Clarke, Dana Lipnickas

The transformation and consolidation of forty-seven administrative Yale websites into a single community-focused web presence—It’s Your Yale— was the ultimate collaborative effort. This team’s leadership and extraordinary contributions produced a site that is the first of its kind in higher education.

View YaleNews coverage of 2015 awards ceremony

At the Yale Police Department: Daniel Cavanaugh and Martin Parker, Jr.

Breaking down the door of a smoke-filled apartment and carrying a Yale student down two flights of stairs to safety, they illustrated courage, teamwork, and initiative that saved both a life and the apartment building.

At Yale Medical Group: Sally Thibodeau, Eileen Pepe, Michelle Colaccio, Lisa Burwell, Rasheda Danzy, John Johnston, Mary Mulqueen, and Michelle Pagan

Leading a successful effort to develop a clinical “pre-authorization” process at the Yale Medical Group, this team earned the trust and collaboration of all clinical departments, ultimately yielding more than $1 million in annual savings while increasing patient satisfaction.

In Information Technology Services: Elvin Torres

After noticing suspicious activity on Yale’s Outlook servers, he invested his own time to investigate the problem, thereby detecting a major cyber security risk to our systems and identifying the means to address it.

At the Yale University Art Gallery: Jill Westgard, Linda Jerolmon, Elizabeth Landau, Valerie Richardson, Laurie Laliberte, and Brian McGovern

Thinking creatively, this team investigated whether the gallery’s 1,200 paid memberships could be made free without financial loss. The resulting switch led to an eight-fold increase in members and simultaneous gain in revenues from dues and annual gifts.

At the Office of Undergraduate Admissions: M. Bowen Posner

Seeing the opportunity to transform the system by which alumni interviews are collected, he researched and led the creation of a new technology platform, improving dramatically both the ease of gathering interviewers’ input and the overall quality of rater evaluations.

In the Office of Emergency Management: Maria Bouffard

With an organization of two, she has inspired and built a team of more than 50 passionate, skilled staff members who voluntarily participate in campus-wide efforts to provide safety, coordinate responses to disasters, and protect the essential functions of the university.

At the Music in Schools Program: Michael Yaffe, Ruben Rodriguez, and Kathryn Gonzales

This small team from the School of Music developed an innovative program serving students in grades 4 to 12 that reinforces Yale’s connections with the New Haven community and has been recognized nationally as a model for cultural leadership.

The Workday implementation team: Nancy Creel-Gross, Ronald Lipkins, Marc Ulan, Jacqueline Tucker, Julie Grant, and Anna Maria Hummerstone

Coordinating a team effort involving more than 200 staff members from across the Yale campus, this cross-functional group from Human Resources, IT, and Finance & Business Operations ensured a successfully completed first phase of the Workday conversion project.

In the Yale Dining Services Bakery: Keri Logan, Edna Betzner, Gary Gulino, Joseph (Rusty) Hamilton, Pedro Rivera, Ronda Myers, and Bonnie Hill

With the opening of a new culinary services center, this team of bakers saw the opportunity to respond to a long-standing student interest in more vegan food options, developing desserts that are not only healthy but also delicious.

View YaleNews coverage of 2014 awards ceremony

The Drupal Website Tool Creation team: Nancy Flowers-Mangs, Jessica Greer, Tenyo Grozev, Andrea MacAdam, Vincent Massaro, Kimberly Pasko, JoAnn Piscitelli, and Victor Velt

Working across departments and disciplines, this team collaborated to introduce a flexible and highly learnable web publishing tool, YaleSites, that has enabled us to cost effectively update and enhance thousands of pages of web content across the university.

Damage Containment at the Environmental Science Center: Richard E. Boardman

When sprinkler heads burst during the winter recess, Richard Boardman quickly pulled the right group of expert colleagues together and led this effort, which prevented catastrophic damage to one of Yale’s beloved treasures, the Peabody collections.

The Clerical & Technical Summer Training Collaboration team: Yvette C. Barnard, Ann DeLauro, Andrea C. Hart, Susan Z. Hart, Marcy Kaufman, Erica Sayers, Denise D. Scott, Daria Vander Veer, and Cathy Vellucci

This team developed a Summer Training Program which has helped to expand the perspective and skills of more than 1,000 Yale staff who have participated. Their efforts reinforce Yale’s commitment to staff development and career progression.

At the Yale Health Pharmacy: Peter Steere

Demonstrating consistent innovation and excellence in patient responsiveness, Peter has made the Yale Health Pharmacy one of the lowest cost and highest service quality operations in the industry.

The Expansion of Internal Millwork Capabilities team: Gabriel Esposito, Kevin Gardner, Michael J. Pizzella, and Barry J. VanSteenbergen

This team recognized that millwork projects that in the past were handled by outside experts could be done differently and less expensively through the acquisition of a few additional pieces of equipment and the development of the millwright team.

For the advancement of Digital Learning for Yale: Lucas Swineford

Lucas helped to cultivate donors and recruit faculty to teach online courses and led the effort to overhaul and rebuild Yale’s digital learning presence. His leadership is helping to transform Yale’s digital efforts and the global accessibility of its courses.

The Yale Pathology Tissue Services team: Amos Brooks, Lori A. Charette, Lisa Gras, Laura Ann Johnson, Sudha Kumar, Rebecca Melucci, John McGuire, Deirdre H. Salemme, Joseph R. Salemme III, and Yan S. Song

This team created a resource lab that provides researchers with tissue types vital to their work and helps translate research findings into diagnostic tools, medicines, and more. Their efforts have helped expand our annual research revenues by $1 million.