Are you inspired by a colleague or team member? Do you know someone who achieves distinction in their daily work and commitment to the university?
Nominate a university member for either PSA Employee of the Year (Professional) or ACE Employee of the Year (Classified). Let’s work together to recognize our colleagues who are the foundation of this university!
PSA Employee of the Year
Wendy Wong
Wendy Wong
Wendy Wong, business operations manager in the School of Public Service, was named Professional Staff of the Year by the Professional Staff Association. The award honors an employee who has demonstrated: a significant contribution to their department; involvement in campus-wide activities supporting students, faculty or staff; participation in community service and/or professional organization involvement; and contributed to the university mission and the Blueprint for Success.
Of Wong, her nominators said: “She is someone who ‘knows everything’ – in a positive way, a true professional, flexible in her work, has a friendly and warm demeanor, is a lifelong learner, and someone who makes all students, alums, and external guests feel welcome and at home.”
Melinda Keckler
Melinda Keckler
Marketing Director Melinda Keckler has been named the Professional Staff Association Outstanding Employee of the Year. Recipients of this award are nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their commitment to the university and its mission.
“Melinda is a primary reason behind the Boise State University success in branding. It is hard to quantify or isolate the units, programs and people she has impacted, because that would be the entire campus,” one nominator said.
Keckler is a member of the university’s Brand Committee and leads the Marketing Minds working group, which is made up of marketers from across campus. She and her team are responsible for the planning and activation of numerous campaigns across the university, working with on-campus and external partners to meet the desired marketing objectives.
“Because of Melinda, we were able to achieve a monumental milestone this past year the launch of our exciting brand campaign, Out of the Blue, which has been incredibly successful. She has stayed true to our brand and the success of this campaign has been strong, because it is grounded in our people and their stories, and the Blueprint for Success,” another nominator said.
Criteria
Full-time employment
Involvement in campus-wide activities
Community service and/or professional organization involvement
A significant contribution to the University mission
NOTE: Nominee may not be a current member of the Professional Staff Senate
Process
Submit a nomination form from the department (or nominator) with details regarding campus activities, organization support, and/or community service activities of the nominee.
Email any other support documentation that provides details for the nomination (letters of recommendation, photos at events, achievement certificates, student impact statements) to drewalexander@boisestate.edu.
Nomination deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024
Please carefully review the criteria. Your nomination letter and supporting materials may be the only information on which the selection committee has to base the decision. When completing your nomination, include as many details as possible with an emphasis on achievements or contributions/activities from the last year or two.
The Association of Classified Employees has named Saul Meza, a materials handler and mover in Facilities Operations and Maintenance, its Outstanding Classified Employee of the Year. This award honors an employee who displays a deep and sincere commitment to the quality of their work.
Meza’s nominator had this to say of him:
“Saul ensures the safety of Bronco fans as a security officer at Albertsons Stadium. He also makes sure that campus gets their important packages fast and reliably so they can continue doing their important work. His attention to detail makes him exceptional in both these roles, and his service to the university has helped cultivate meaningful relationships with folks all across campus. He’s always willing to lend a hand: whether it’s an emergency package delivery, or helping folks stuck in an elevator, you can always count on him.”
Jeremy Shaw
Jeremy Shaw
Central Receiving Foreman Jeremy Shaw has been named the 2023 Outstanding Classified Employee of the Year. This award is presented by the Association of Classified Employees to a member who has displayed a deep and sincere commitment to the quality of their work, going above and beyond in service to everyone they meet.
“Jeremy makes intentional connections across campus and will go out of his way to understand the unique needs of our campus departments, finding solutions with an exceptional level of care and service,” one nominator said.
Shaw and his team are responsible for moving a large amount of materials all across campus in a safe and timely manner. He also manages the university’s surplus and storage facility, Gage Warehouse.
“He is never above any task and is always willing to lend a hand to anyone with anything they might need,” another nominator said.
Criteria
Who can I nominate?
Classified employees who are employed a minimum of one year at Boise State in a permanent, benefit-eligible, full-time (30 hours or more) position at the time of nomination.
Who can’t I nominate?
Current ACE elected or volunteer positions (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Advocate, Senator, or Ambassador).
Past recipients of the award
What if the person I nominated changes jobs?
If an employee is nominated and then takes a professional position or retires, they are eligible to win the award if they were a classified employee at the time of nomination, are still employed by Boise State (or have emeritus status), and meet the previously stated criteria.
Ben Quintana, an adjunct faculty member in the College of Business and Economics, received the Adjunct Faculty Member of the Year Award from Provost John Buckwalter.
“To deliver our academic programs at Boise State, we rely on faculty in both tenure and non-tenure track roles,” Buckwalter said. “Adjunct faculty play a critical role and are essential to the delivery of high-quality academic programming, and help us achieve our first goal of the strategic plan – student access and student success.”
The award honors adjunct faculty members who are demonstrating excellence in teaching, particularly by using evidence-based instructional practices and student engagement techniques to support student success, as well as by their engagement with faculty development opportunities.
Student and peer testimonials recognized Quintana for the significant impact he’s made in the Professional, Online and JD/MBA programs in the College of Business and Economics, and his students speak highly of the care he devotes to his classes both as an educator and as a mentor for rising business professionals.
President’s Community Service Awards
Two members of the Boise State University community were honored by Boise State University President Dr. Marlene Tromp with the 2024 President’s Community Service Award. The award provides the campus community an opportunity to celebrate and honor individuals, or groups of faculty, staff or students, who serve the community in extraordinary ways.
Nere Lete
Nere Lete
Nere Lete, professor in the Department of World Languages, is helping to preserve Basque language, culture and history. Over the course of nearly three decades, Lete has been exceedingly generous in dedicating time for service to the department, the college, the university, the community and the profession. She works within the university to educate others about Basque language, culture and history, and actively works beyond the university to preserve and promote Basque language, culture and history.
Mike Stefancic
Mike Stefancic
Experiential and Career Learning Coordinator Mike Stefancic worked with Idaho Partners for Good to facilitate a workshop to help community members understand how to partner with the university and successfully support student volunteers. He took on the challenge of starting their first grant relations team and the selection process. Stefancic is careful about developing and nurturing connections and turns them into relationships that support the good he wants to do, both personally and professionally, and he is committed to making meaningful and fulfilling connections for Boise State students.
Presidential Innovation Award
Faculty Winner
Jared Talley
Jared Talley
Talley’s research focuses on community collaboration in the environmental governance of the American West. He received a Resource Nexus for Sustainability Grand Challenge award this year. This interdisciplinary initiative elevates societally relevant questions around finite and critical resources, sustainability and community needs. He led the team that focused on regenerative ranching and carbon project potential in Idaho, seeking to better understand how diverse communities relate to the land and how this relationship poses both obstacles and opportunities for collaboration and governance.
Student Winner
Makena Chase
Makenna Chase
Chase single-handedly founded the Special Olympics Club at Boise State. She pioneered this path for student involvement by reaching out to deans, publishers, student clubs, faculty organizations and other groups to inform students of the opportunity. She also raised almost $500 for the initiative during Bronco Giving Day. This is just the beginning of the positive impact this organization will have.
Staff Winner
Kristin Olson, Ashley Nichols, Andy Giacomazzi
Kristin Olson, Ashley Nichols and Andy Giacomazzi
This staff-faculty trio created Conflict Support Services, an impactful experiential learning opportunity that helps students learn to solve problems. Through this program, Boise State students, primarily those who live in student housing, connect with peers trained in the Conflict Management Program who provide conflict coaching, facilitate conversations and mediate disputes. Students receiving the services are introduced to a field of study and opportunities for earning a certificate, if they are interested.
