Spotlight on Excellence Celebration

2024

A wide shot of many employees gathered and conversing in the Ballroom for the Spotlight on Excellence event.

At the second annual Spotlight on Excellence Celebration, held May 13, 2024, 海角大神 acknowledged the contributions and achievements of our faculty, staff, administrators and retirees.

Photos

See the photos from the event in a . (To preview the photos, you may need to use the view option button in the upper right to change to the Tiles view.)

Program

  1. Welcome – Pamela Zarkowski, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
  2. Opening Prayer – Charles Oduke, VP for Mission Integration
  3. Presentation of Gifts to Retirees
  4. Presentation of Years of Service Pins
  5. Announcement of Administrator and Staff Promotions
  6. Announcement of Promotion and Tenure Achievements
  7. Announcement of 2024 Faculty Recognition Awardees
  8. Announcement of 2024 Jesuit Community Faculty Stipend Awardees
  9. Announcement of and Presentation to Commitment to Excellence Awardees
  10. Announcement of and Presentation to Mission Leadership Awardees

Congratulations on your Retirement!

  • Patricia Baker, Administrative Assistant, School of Dentistry (21 Years)
  • Mark Denham, Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Education (9 Years)
  • Michael Dosch, Associate Professor, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing (19 Years)
  • Julia Eisenstein, Library Professor, McNichols Campus Library (15 Years)
  • Marjorie Lang, Personal Counselor, Wellness Center (14 Years)
  • Joan Lewis, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Dentistry (9 Years)
  • Sohayla Mammo, Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Clinical Essentials and Simulation, School of Dentistry (10 Years)
  • Becky Nauta, Associate Professor, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing (12 Years)
  • Michael Pyatenko, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Dentistry (9 Years)
  • Dinetria Sams, Administrative Assistant, School of Dentistry (8 Years)
  • Gilbert Sunghera, S.J., Associate Professor, School of Architecture & Community Development (17 Years)
  • Maureen Van Hook, Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Dental Hygiene, Director of Dental Hygiene Program, School of Dentistry (11 Years)
  • Mary Yim, Director of Clinical Patient Operations, School of Dentistry (27 Years)

Years of Service Recognition 

10 Years of Service

  • Kristen Abraham
  • Michael Armstrong
  • Mazin Askar
  • Arneshia Austin
  • Barraka Baber
  • Sean Bacon
  • Cindy Bauer
  • Christopher Benson
  • Adam Bouton
  • Teri Carroll
  • Steven Chang
  • Sean Clark
  • Debra Cope-Huff
  • Louis Davis
  • Rachel DeWitt
  • Troy Diaz
  • Felicia Hartinger
  • Renady Hightower
  • Darrick Hollowell
  • Terry Howard
  • Kristie Jones
  • Renee Kettering, RSM
  • Arthur Ko
  • Zigmond Kozicki
  • Eric Krukonis
  • Genevieve Meyers
  • Denise Morabito
  • Nancy O'Shea
  • Susan Paurazas
  • Evan Peterson
  • Nancy Poznick
  • Joshua Scheys
  • Victoria Spallone
  • Debbie Stieffel
  • Mark Stoll
  • Diana Swider
  • Monisha Tunstall
  • Brenda Vance
  • Robert Vowels
  • Ian Walker
  • Michelle Whalen
  • Amy Wisniewski
  • Rita Yeremian

15 Years of Service

  • Darnella Anchrum
  • Bruce Balconi
  • Julia Belian
  • Claudia Bernasconi
  • Odie Boley
  • Richard Broughton
  • Stephanie Conant
  • Charles Cross
  • Amy Dereczyk
  • Marilyn Dow
  • Kendra Evans
  • Donna Gormely
  • Danielle Harris
  • Mary-Catherine Harrison
  • Karen Henning
  • Amanda Hiber
  • Richard Hill
  • Saran Hollier
  • Hsiao-Lan Hu
  • Melissa Keith
  • Shamaila Khan
  • Christopher Kolon
  • Mohamed Mansour
  • Molly McClelland
  • Lauri Moore
  • Helena Perez
  • Kimberly Raleigh
  • Noah Resnick
  • Rhonda Robinson
  • Jason Roche
  • Jennifer Ruel
  • Omid Sabbaghi
  • Bryce Schonfeld
  • Nart Shawash
  • Nutrena Tate
  • Shelley Wagnon
  • Rodney Warren
  • Carmon Weekes
  • Charles Wilson

20 Years of Service

  • Sara Armstrong
  • Monica Barbour
  • Crystal Becker
  • Tierre Brundige
  • Abhijit Dasgupta
  • Barry Dauphin
  • Don DiPaolo
  • Heather Hill
  • Petra Hurt
  • Lazaros Kikas
  • Walter Lim
  • Gregory Ott
  • Linda Slowik
  • Julie St John
  • Julia Stocker-Schneider
  • Cassandra Wadley
  • Mary White

25 Years of Service

  • Jeffery Boats
  • Stephen Corder
  • Tyra Dahlerup
  • Jenny Duncil
  • Harold Greene
  • Yvonne King
  • Katherine Lanigan
  • Wendy Marshall
  • Andrew Moore
  • Anthony Neely
  • Dan Pitera
  • Mitzi Saunders
  • Lori Small
  • Jill Spreitzer
  • Jonathan Stevens
  • Prasad Venugopal
  • Lynn Vitale
  • Lara Wasner

30 Years of Service

  • Steven Abell
  • Janet Baiardi
  • Stokes Baker
  • Michael Barry
  • Mark Benvenuto
  • Shuvra Das
  • Alan Hoback
  • Michael Jayson
  • Lisa MacDonnell
  • Maryrose Patrick
  • Katy Snyder
  • Gregory Sumner
  • Jonathan Weaver
  • Sandra Wilson

35 Years of Service

  • Mary Burns
  • Adrian Currie
  • Utpal Dutta
  • Carole Fletcher
  • Joel Gallihugh
  • Cindy Gillham
  • Alesia James
  • Lezly Pruitt
  • Edward G. Tracy

40 Years of Service

  • Elizabeth Boyar
  • John Finan
  • Cynthia Langham
  • Kristine McLonis
  • Brigette Murphy-Barbee
  • Mark Paulik
  • Gregory Ulferts

45 Years of Service

  • Diane Praet
  • Pamela Zarkowski

50 Years of Service

  • Jane Schley

Administrator & Staff Promotions

  • Lori Armstrong, System Specialist, Admissions and Recruitment
  • Arneshia Austin, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, Alumni Relations
  • Taylor Baker, Director of Credentialing, Clinical Compliance, School of Dentistry
  • Holly Cunningham, Patient Services Specialist, Wellness Center
  • Juliette Daniels, Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, Schools of Dentistry & Optometry
  • Gregory Grobis, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, College of Liberal Arts & Education
  • Danielle Harris, Director, Student Services, School of Dentistry
  • Darrick Hollowell, Corporal Investigative, Public Safety
  • Stephen Huprich, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, College of Liberal Arts & Education
  • Melanie Johnson, Accelerated Program Clinic Coordinator, School of Dentistry
  • Yvonne King, Assistant Dean, Student Academic Success & Inclusive Excellence, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing
  • Tracey Knowles, Director of Center for Career and Professional Development, Student Life
  • Thaddeus Lindsay, Mechanical Engineering Lab Manager, College of Engineering & Science
  • Betsy Lozano, Director of Student Engagement & Belonging, School of Dentistry
  • Nick Neamonitis, Sergeant, Public Safety
  • Leslie Samano, Assistant Director/Event Coordinator, Admissions and Recruitment
  • Tommie Smith, ReBUILDetroit Director of Student Success, College of Engineering & Science
  • Thommy Snell, Acquisitions & Electronic Services Specialist, School of Law
  • Jack Sydorchuk, Director of Athletic Facilities & Operations, Athletics
  • Kimberly VanAssche, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Financial Aid
  • Michael Wynn, Director of University Recreation, Fitness Center

Promotion & Tenure

Promoted to Professor

  • Shadi Banitaan, Ph.D., Electrical & Computer Engineering & Computer Science, College of Engineering & Science
  • Eric S. Krukonis, Ph.D., Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry
  • Yu Peng Lin, Ph.D., Economics, College of Liberal Arts & Education
  • Michelle L. Richards, J.D., Law, School of Law

Promoted to Clinical Professor

  • Sanjay P. Chand, M.B.B.S., M.D., Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry
  • Melanie E. Mayberry, D.D.S., M.S.-HCM, Oral Health and Integrated Care, School of Dentistry

Promoted to Associate Professor with tenure

  • Wilfred Allen, Ph.D., Nursing, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing
  • Louis Davis, DNP, Nursing, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing
  • Yolonda Freeman-Hildreth, Ph.D., Physician Assistant Program, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing
  • Amandeep Gupta, M.D., Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry
  • Janet Joiner, Ph.D., Social Work, College Liberal Arts & Education
  • James Leach, M.Arch, Architecture, School of Architecture & Community Development
  • Rachel L. Lee, Ph.D., Psychology, College of Liberal Arts & Education
  • Nicole Najor, Ph.D., Biology, College of Engineering & Science
  • Ivy J. Razmus, Ph.D., RN, Nursing, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing (Aquinas Campus)
  • Naama H. Sleiman, Ph.D., Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry
  • Cristine Smoczer, M.D., M.Sc, Ph.D., Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry

Promoted to Associate Library Professor with tenure

  • Rebecca Tull, MLIS, Libraries, McNichols Campus Library
  • Nadine Wodwaski, DNP, Nursing, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing

Promoted to Clinical Associate Professor

  • Eliana Sanchez-Castano, D.D.S., M.S., Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry

Promoted to Senior Lecturer

  • Anne-Marie Kosi-Kupe, Ph.D., Biology, College of Engineering & Science

Faculty Recognition Awards

2024 Faculty Excellence Award

  • Claudia Bernasconi, M.Arch, Professor, School of Architecture & Community Development

2024 Faculty Achievement Award

  • Nadine Wodwaski, DNP, Associate Professor, Nursing, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing

2024 Jesuit Community Faculty Stipend

  • Dr. Rosemary Weatherston, Associate Professor, English Department
  • Dr. Erin Henze, Associate Professor, Psychology Department; Dr. Rachel Lee, Assistant Professor, Psychology Department; Dr. Sarah Rowe, Assistant Professor, Psychology Department

Commitment to Excellence Awards

2024 Commitment to Excellence Rising Star Award

  • Dwayne Arnett, Helpdesk Technician, ITS

2024 Commitment to Excellence Staff Award

  • Lalisha Griffin, Administrative Assistant, Biology, College of Engineering & Science

2024 Commitment to Excellence Administrator Award

  • Tyra Dahlerup, Executive Director of Admissions, Admissions & Recruitment

Mission Leadership Awards

2024 Agere ex Missione Staff Award

  • Karla Lewis, Administrative Assistant to the Dean, College of Engineering & Science

2024 Agere ex Missione Administrator Award

  • Megan Novell, Title IX Coordinator and Equity and Compliance Specialist, Co-Director of Women’s and Gender Studies Program

2024 Agere ex Missione Faculty Award

  • Arthur Ko, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing
Four people, three holding lamps, stand and pose for a photo inside with a blue 海角大神 backdrop behind them.
Three people stand smiling in front of a blue 海角大神 backdrop.

Colleague Reflections