Staff Awards and Recognition

Alyssa has significantly contributed to the team and organization, especially in her efforts to enhance the virtual Disbursements & Travel Services training program, her unwavering dedication to customer service, and her willingness to go above and beyond her duties to assist the department and UTSA. Alyssa’s leadership in creating a more engaged and effective virtual training program for DTS has been nothing short of remarkable. Understanding the challenges of remote learning, she has innovatively designed and implemented training sessions that are not only informative but also interactive and engaging. Her initiatives have led to improved performance and efficiency, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. Moreover, her dedication to customer service is evident in her swift approval processes, which significantly minimize delays in processing travel arrangements and payments. Alyssa also has a prompt and proactive approach which ensures that not only the department's operations, but campus wide operations, run smoothly, demonstrating her commitment to excellence and efficiency. Perhaps most notably, is her willingness to assist beyond her scope of work exemplifying her exceptional character and professionalism. Alyssa’s contributions have not only enhanced the functionality and efficiency of her department but have also positively impacted the wider organization and the customers they serve. Her leadership, dedication, and altruism are deserving of recognition.

Doug oversees several teams under the Enterprise Hyperconverged Infrastructure and Database Services umbrella such as DevOps, EIS, SIS, and EDS proving to be a strong leader willing to accept many challenges and is someone who helps grow and strengthen the teams. With his caring nature and knowledge of a variety of subjects, Doug is easy to go to for help and a role-model for others. He lighten up a room with his light-hearted jokes and motivational enthusiasm. Doug has helped new employees feel like they were a part of something more than just a job and they look up to him for his constant willingness to strive towards the department’s next goals with perseverance. On top of their numerous duties, Doug is also part of organizations within campus as well as volunteers at on-campus events, always encouraging others to give back. Doug is an inspiration and deserves to be recognized for everything he does for UTSA.

The Graduate School’s Administrative Team’s main responsibilities are focused on helping the day-to-day operations run within the Graduate School. While they are exceptional at balancing many tasks, they consistently find ways to contribute outside of their normal duties. They can frequently be found helping students at UTSA through their interactions on the phone, email correspondence, or in-person by directing them to the appropriate contacts and sharing their insights about The Graduate School. Despite not working in admissions, in the colleges or in specific departments, they have acquired a plethora of knowledge about university and admissions policies required for new and current students and use their role to disseminate this essential information to our students. In addition, they have taken the initiative to lead and supervise the work studies to help with multiple events, day-to-day operations, and administrative planning. They serve not only as leaders in the Graduate School for our work studies but as mentors who are invested in their academic success. Each team member coordinates multiple schedules for faculty committees and staff, all of which require meticulous attention to detail. They also find ways to make the lives of several employees easier through their work. While completing these extra tasks, their attitudes always remain positive and welcoming with everyone they interact with, facilitating a sense of belonging at UTSA for our students, staff, and faculty. For their endless, selfless and exceptional contributions to the University, we thank Clarissa Benavides, Gabby Zepeda and Jake Sullivan!

The College of Education and Human Development’s Student Development Specialists have truly kept the college running for the past 6+ months. As new employees earlier this year, they were the only two representing 6 departments throughout this College. Although the department is trying to grow the team, Jay Wells and Michelle Muenich have been managing critical responsibilities for each of the departments including degree audits, admitting new students, fielding questions from prospective students, attending recruitment events, meeting with students, tracking milestones and processing all forms for the college - and they do it all with a positive attitude. In addition to meeting the high demands of their role, they have made a significant impact on improving the morale and culture within the team and college. They have built strong relationships with both students and faculty across the college and have received nothing but excellent feedback across the board. Their work has had a huge impact on our students.

Our department operates because of Dawn Morales – she is dedicated, hardworking, empathetic, and selfless. Her fearless leadership, service, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to the community, students, and colleagues has helped make the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies – and UTSA – a better place for everyone. Dawn’s work within the department has been essential during transitions occurring within the college and the department over the last few years. She consistently goes above and beyond to assist the faculty and students in the department. Dawn’s work continues to help the ELPS department excel within the college while maintaining a level of service that creates an inclusive and welcoming environment. Dawn takes initiative in various projects the department is involved in, such as their continued work with the University Council on Higher Education, a national organization committed to developing leaders in education. She has assisted part-time and full-time students to receive their funding for various conferences and fellowships, advocating for timely completion of paperwork to ensure students receive the assistance they need while remaining in compliance with university policy. Lastly, Dawn volunteers to assist faculty with paperwork and policy requirements that contribute to advancing the university’s research goals. No task is too daunting and no problem too large for Dawn. Her compassion, leadership, and fortitude are without a doubt creating a lasting impact in the lives of our students and her colleagues.

Madison delivers at such a consistently high level of excellence! On a daily basis, she positively impacts each and every team within the department and is instrumental in the daily functioning of People Excellence. Madison develops and fosters relationships within the department with the ease of a seasoned professional. She is hardworking and dedicated to service in their role. She is extremely organized, methodical, and focused on continuously learning and developing best practices to manage her routine and recurring activities both efficiently and effectively. She brings a high level of energy and a warmly engaging personal touch to every customer encounter and team collaboration. It is always a pleasure to work with her, because she is energetic and inquisitive! Without a doubt, People Excellence is a far more efficient and effective work-place thanks directly to their efforts to improve and streamline our day-to-day efforts. You cannot find a staff member within People Excellence who would not sing Madison’s praises! She is an integral part of the People Excellence Team. Madison is terrific at welcoming our new staff, faculty, and graduate/undergraduate student employees – greatly enhancing their onboarding experience. From budgets, to hiring, to inventory, to purchasing, to process improvement, and so much more, her impact has been phenomenal and without equal. Her hard work was directly impactful in the overhaul of the People Excellence spaces, the People Excellence training rooms, the acquisition and distribution of new technology solutions to our staff, and the inventory of numerous storage area & removal of surplus materials.

In the spring of 2023, Flor Hernandez and David Symns faced a significant challenge when a long-serving staff member retired. Despite being short-staffed, this team stepped up admirably, assuming additional responsibilities and ensuring the seamless continuation of essential functions within the Class Scheduling Team. Their commitment to excellence became evident as they shouldered the extra workload, which included coordinating all aspects of class scheduling with UTSA's academic departments. They effectively managed the influx of thousands of emails each semester, meticulously organizing and optimizing course offerings to meet the needs of our student body. They also further enhanced UTSA's class scheduling system along the way. Their tireless efforts significantly contributed to maximizing the number of available courses, thereby enhancing the academic experience and supporting student success. Their willingness to share their knowledge and offer support has been instrumental. Their adaptability and commitment to serving UTSA and its community deserve commendation and appreciation. Their contributions have not only positively impacted our department but have also made a tangible difference in the educational experience of our students.

Marivel Guerrero provides a complex and high level of service to the faculty, staff and students in Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design. She leads a team of 8 that fully support the financial and human resource functions of the college. Not only does she provide excellent service to our college but she works hard to share best practices with her colleagues across the institution so that others can benefit from her experience. She is an outstanding colleague and leader and we are so grateful for her continued service in UTSA's KCEID.

Kelly Garza has played a pivotal role in building and leading employees from the College for Health, Community, and Policy since its inception. She is described as a dedicated and caring manager who prioritizes the success of the college and its individuals. She is also a trusted individual within her department and appreciated by various members of the college.   Notably, Kelly is admired fir how encouraging she is to their peers, including encouraging several of her employees to pursue professional development. Kelly has organized training programs and supported her staff in pursuing higher education degrees.   She consistently considers and seeks feedback from various sources and uses it to improve processes and address concerns. Kelly is known for her high-quality work and appreciated for being the “go-to” person for their area.   Thank you, Kelly, for leading your team with excellence, managing conflicts effectively, and fostering a positive and motivating work environment aligned with UTSA's mission and values.  

We recognize the Welcome Center team for going above and beyond in their service to prospective students and families. They always provide an exceptional and inclusive experience when providing daily tours of our campuses, group tours, and special academic program visits. In addition to these daily activities, these individuals also produce UTSA Day - a production engaging many campus stakeholders and attended by thousands of people. Recently there have been a few changes to the staff, but these individuals have been up to the challenge and have worked tirelessly to ensure the goals of the office and university are still met. Due to their dedication and excellence in performance, we recognize the Welcome Center team for being passionate about UTSA and having it show through all that they do-every day/year-round!     

Mayra has always gone above and beyond the scope of work to not only accommodate, but to assist her fellow coworkers at UTSA. She is always ensuring everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Whenever you have a question or need some advice; she takes her time to explain the process and ensures that your questions are answered. Her guidance was that of a strong leader as she was patient and encouraging. Mayra has made positive impacts on several employees throughout UTSA. Mayra is a great example of a person I did not know before the task was assigned, but has made such a positive impression on me.

John is contacted for all sorts of technology issues and as always, he provides resolution and superb customer service. At times I even connect him with others in our department. They are quick to let me know how knowledgeable, and helpful he is. When John is assisting you, he doesn't just remote on and assist you, he talks you through what he's doing in a way that will teach you how to resolve the issue, so that when these types of technology issues arise with other users, we are prepared to assist on our own. He has been a blessing to our department when it comes to technology issues. His efforts, knowledge, dedication, extraordinary customer service, and attitude personify the professionalism a UTSA staff member should aspire to have.

Miranda recently got promoted from an Advisor II to an Advisor III. During her transition period, she was not yet been able to fully hand off her previous duties. Yet she has handled it not only with a great attitude but with ambitious goals of excellent quality work. She was also selected for the Staff Mentorship Program which is another activity to add to her plate, but she manages these disparate modes of involvement with aplomb. She's very unique in what she brings to the table, having experience as an academic coach and a fascination with metacognition, positive psychology, and advising pedagogy.

Fernando Montoya is an invaluable team member, and his department is incredibly grateful for his service, leadership, and contributions to Academic Innovation and the UTSA community. Fernando consistently provides excellent customer service. He is known for his dedication to his work and never fears jumping right into things. He is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure our team and customers have what they need to succeed. Fernando's positive attitude and willingness to help have not gone unnoticed, and UTSA is grateful for his contributions. He is an exemplary leader and an asset to our department. He is always willing to take on new challenges and lead by example. He is known for motivating and inspiring his colleagues and creating a positive work environment. Fernando's leadership style fosters a collaborative, inclusive culture that values and respects everyone's input. Nando is an outstanding team member, leader, and contributor to our department and the UTSA community. His commitment to excellence, positive attitude, and leadership qualities have been instrumental in our success.

Debra Nelson has students interests and goals at the heart of all that she does. Her work with students to help them become members of the UTSA community, and Honors College in particular, is remarkable. She spends a great deal of time with prospective students, answering myriad questions, and often fields questions from inquiring parents. She puts herself in their shoes and with infinite patience provides them with the resources they need to feel great about making UTSA their new home. For many Honors College students and their families, Debra is their first point of contact as they navigate becoming UTSA members. As a result of her relationship building, Debra was best suited to serve as liaison with a friend and family of a student who passed away – demonstrating her unique and amazing skill set that helped the family navigate a tragedy. Debra’s commitment to leadership, service and excellence is what drove her to earn her masters in higher education from UTSA last May, the focus of her studies was student engagement and research related to that.

Nicole Poole has performed admirably in her solo-staff position in the Department of History this year. Her great strength in event management, in particular, has helped the department to stage a pair of signature events, namely, a symposium for the graduate students in our Master’s Program in the fall and a daylong research conference open to the public in the spring. In addition, Nicole has provided excellent administrative support to a host of other functions throughout the year including our highly successful public history workshops. Her effective coordination with our UTSA partners and off campus vendors, timely communication with guest speakers, handling of publicity efforts in advance, and scrupulous attention to details on site have given us the capacity and the confidence to pivot as a public-facing, community-engaged academic department. Nicole also brings a contagious can-do spirit and a cheerful demeanor to work every day. Armed with a servant-leader mentality, she is always ready to roll up her sleeves and do her best after a clear-eyed assessment of the need. The faculty also greatly appreciate her student-centered service, as she brings much-needed sensitivity and a student-friendly culture to the operation of the department, perhaps because she was once an undergraduate student and a work study at UTSA, and is now a graduate student enrolled in the Art and Art History Program. Nicole Poole is truly an asset to the History Department and she deserves our recognition!

Ryne coordinates and is primarily responsible for the Behavioral Intervention Team, which consists of 15+ faculty and staff from various Departments across the University. The primary purpose of the Team is to ensure the safety of the campus community and connect those who are experiencing mental health struggles with on and off campus resources. Her expertise and dedication are unmatched. She leads the BIT evaluations, at times requiring a very large and diverse group to reach a consensus on extremely important considerations. It is only her and 1 direct report that responds to each and every report made to the team (there are 1-7 each day and they touch base with both the identified person and the reporting employee), conducts interviews/examinations of individuals 1:1 to determine their mental state, and identifies resources that match the level of distress. Her commitment and dedication to caring for all employees and students is awe inspiring and appreciated.

I am writing to nominate Liz Rockstroh for her exceptional spirit of collaboration, positive attitude, and leadership qualities. In addition to her outstanding collaborative skills and positive attitude, Liz has also demonstrated remarkable leadership qualities by implementing innovative solutions in the Business Affairs Division. One such example is her implementation of Mentimeter for the Strategic Plan Refresh listening conversations, which has improved our ability to gather clear and consistent feedback and insights from our employees and facilitated a more productive and collaborative dialogue. Liz goes above and beyond everyday and does so with a positive attitude. No project is too big or too small. Her team in the Office of the Vice President for Business Affairs follows her lead and maintain a positive work atmosphere, which is recognized by visitors and colleagues. Liz's ability to think creatively and her willingness to take risks have inspired her colleagues to embrace new ideas and approaches. Her leadership qualities have been instrumental in enhancing the overall productivity and success of the Business Affairs Division and have made a significant contribution to the University.

As the lab safety team, Rich, Quy, and Cynthia are tremendous assets to the Roadrunner Nation because they provide fundamental support to students, faculty, and staff. They all demonstrate a deep commitment to supporting safety in research and teaching labs, studios, shops, and creative spaces. They have maintained the highest level of customer service to our research community and have proactively sought additional training and safety certifications to ensure they have the expertise to meet UTSA's needs. They have created new training modules for research staff, developed strong relationships with regulatory oversight officials, and conducted peer comparisons to support continuous improvement. They continue to maintain research equipment, replace essential safety tools, and train researchers on their use. Because of this team, UTSA lab safety has remained stable, strong, and supports the innovative advancements for our faculty and students. Without this team, UTSA would not be able to meet its regulatory obligations to many oversight agencies, which would cause a significant disruption to important discoveries and training for our students. In addition, these three individuals are irreplaceable in terms of their depth of knowledge and their genuine passion for improving the safety culture and awareness throughout UTSA's campuses. Often working persistently and quietly in the background, these staff are often overlooked.

This past October, a critical need arose to inspect all the dorms in student housing. This was a monumental task and it needed to be completed as soon as possible. Student housing comprises of approximately 4,000 beds in several residential units on campus. The OREM team was called upon to provide leadership and support for this effort in conjunction with residential life, campus services and PD. The OREM team, led by Jason Dempsey, stepped up to the challenge and put their day to day work aside for a few days in order to prioritize the inspections. They developed a schedule and a plan for how to accomplish the work. Initially, it was estimated that it would take a week to complete the inspections. The team was assisted by a rotating group of approximately 20-25 RA’s each day. Each new group of RA’s needed to be trained and guided through the process. Due to the efforts and dedication of the OREM team, the work was completed in about 3 days (half the time initially estimated). After the inspections were completed, they worked extra hard to catch up with their other duties, which had taken a back seat for those days. We are very proud of the team and their work ethic.

While each member of this team works in different area, each has taken part in assisting with establishing cost centers, especially around the time of endowment buy-in. Many times, establishing an endowment cost center cannot be done on our schedule, but rather to the timeline of our donors and UT System, which may differ from UTSA’s schedule. This team must make adjustments to their daily tasks to accommodate us in being able to assist our donor, our students, and our staff. Their prompt service and their counsel is greatly appreciated.

The Multicultural Student Center for Equity and Justice office is dedicated to advancing inclusion, equity, and building community across the UTSA campus. During the spring 2023 semester, MSCEJ offered about 24 different trainings/workshops and trained about 500 faculty, staff, and students on topics related to advancing inclusion and advocating for equity across campus. Despite the many obstacles and barriers to equity and inclusion work, MSCEJ has continued to persist in support of students and the broader UTSA community.

The University's obligation to stay compliant with numerous legal and regulatory frameworks, the goal of which is to ensure equal access to employment and educational opportunities, is the responsibility of the EOS Team. This team, led by Suzanne Patrick and Adrienne Rodriguez, provide consultations, ensure policies are in accord with regulations, investigate allegations, coordinates with other University offices to provide trainings, counseling, and discipline where necessary. They meet with all parties and witnesses to various matters, write comprehensive reports and referrals that incorporates all evidence and legal contours to ensure employees and students have all opportunities to which they are entitled, and that they are treated in a fair, civil, and supportive manner. They work long hours on difficult matters and disputes, but remain available to other teams to provide guidance and support in matters that relate to equal opportunity. They treat each person with dignity, respect and support, and their work is necessary at a local, state and federal level. As collaborators, they are also supportive and ready to partner to make the UTSA climate the best it can be.

It’s been said that the Environmental Management Team, Anastacio Alvarez, Ernesto Chapa, Richard Guitierrez, Ivonne Torres, often doesn’t get seen, because their work happens “behind the scenes, or is not so pretty, and can often times be smelly. This team is why UTSA is a clean and litter free campus. This team contributes to why we have a sustainable environment and a greener campus with the efforts they put in. We know that recycling will help eliminate many items from landfills which is work that goes out of the public eye, but this team of people work all day outside no matter the weather are some of the hardest working and professional people at UTSA.

The COLFA BSC, Annie Herrera, Felix Almanza, Jenny Stokes and Tempest Pouncy, do an amazing job of serving the faculty, staff and students in the COLFA department. Whether processing new hire forms in People Soft, managing the budget for all the cost centers, completing monthly reconciliation, or any of the other roles, this team gives extraordinary attention to detail to ensure that everything is completed in a timely and accurate manner. This team’s work is vital to the success of our College, and although much of what they do is behind the scenes, they make significant contribution to the departments, centers and students by making sure that all our operations run smoothly. This team of individuals not only provide excellent customer service to faculty, staff, and students, they all individually and as a team demonstrate leadership qualities within COLFA. When we transitioned to Service Now, this team provided a comprehensive two-part training to staff and faculty, and offer one-on-one assistance as needed. Annie Herrera is always quick to respond to any question – big or small – and has been instrumental in allocating funds for the construction of our new center. Felix went above and beyond to help our student research conference winners navigate the Payment Works process so they could receive their awards. When I got my new One Card, Jenny Stokes patiently walked me through the process of completing all the forms. Tempestt quickly responds to purchase requests for student organizations and events. Not only do they get the job done – they do it all with a smile and an eagerness to help. The BSC is a model team and deserves to be recognized for their contributions to COLFA and UTSA.

The Graduate School Administration team, Ginger Hernandez, Gabrielle Zepeda, Clarissa Benavides and Jake Sullivan, are the unsung heroes of the Graduate School. The value they bring to the Graduate School is next to none and without them the department would come to a stand-still. The team is quick to help other staff members in our unit and across the University – and they do it with a smile. Often times they are the first face or voice of the Graduate School to students, faculty, and staff. They make sure every graduate school constituent receives the highest levels of customer service. They offer cross-unit support for events like commencement and orientation and are always ready to help their co-workers and colleagues. They go above and beyond for our unit staff and the UTSA community as a whole. In fact, they bring a sense of community to the Graduate School team. During a lengthy period of time when their team was short-staffed, they all quickly adjusted to make sure all front-facing areas of the Graduate School were covered. I don’t think it’s too far reaching to say this Team is the heart of the Graduate School unit.

Alegra Lozano wears many hats in the Honors College which she does so well. She is such a positive and transparent leader that makes our lives better. She truely cares about the health and well-being of her co-workers and students. She hosts Yoga, promotes professional development and urges everyone to be the best version of ourselves. Alegra is very approachable and welcoming to new ideas and process improvements. She gets the job done but does so in a manner that encourages our team to go above and beyond for our students. We get to work with some amazing students and help them learn new skills outside the classroom. Alegra is a source of knowledge for these students and makes a difference. Alegra has gone on study abroad trips with students under her watch and has been able to expand their global awareness. She easily connects to people through personal and professional interests. The Honors College would not be the same without Alegra and we all cherish her leadership and presence. 

The Roadrunner Days team did such an amazing job providing great leadership and engagement opportunities for the UTSA Community. They encouraged cross division collaborative efforts, assisted in creating a succinct calendar for the staff/faculty event leads and resources for new or seasoned event leads to look at their events differently. Additionally, they created new processes for the logistical setup of Roadrunner Days with a built in assessment system, RowdyLink events for all events and a streamlined marketing plan. On top of that they also pivoted well and were a sturdy foundation when we were unsure of the future of all programs in early August.