Congratulations to the five College of Engineering staff members who have recently been recognized with Outstanding Staff Awards by the University of South Florida and the College of Engineering.
Three College of Engineering Staff were recently recognized by USF with a 2016 Outstanding Staff Award. Shannon Salvog, Michael Konrad and Catherine Burton were recognized at an awards luncheon on April 4 at the USF School of Music Concert Hall. They received an individual award in the Academic Affairs category.
Shannon Salvog has served as the Center Administrator for the Global Center for Hearing & Speech Research for the past several years. She continues to excel at all aspects of her position, including managing over $14 million of grant awards for faculty with appointments in the Center; monitoring and carrying out the purchasing and receiving of the lab and office equipment needed to carry out the biomedical engineering research of the Center; handling all the personnel related issues and providing needed HR information to participating Colleges of Engineering and Behavioral & Community Sciences; and scheduling key events for the many faculty, students and staff who participate in research.
Michael Konrad is a Research Engineer in Technical Support Services which serves the College of Engineering, Medical, and select areas of Arts and Sciences. Mike is tasked with the design, procurement, installation, maintenance, and repair of technical equipment within the College. He routinely helps researchers and PIs construct world-class experimental setups, saves USF tens of thousands of dollars annually by performing in-house repairs, and expedites time-sensitive research allowing more technical works to be published every year. He patiently instructs students, advises faculty and staff, and interacts with external vendors and visitors with a kind and warm demeanor.
Catherine Burton works in the Academic Affairs office as an Academic Program Specialist assisting graduate students to prepare their theses and dissertations. She is actively involved with the Induction into the Profession ceremony held twice a year. She is an excellent representative for Engineering Academic Affairs, and excels in working effectively with the respective staff not only from the six Departments within the College, but also with the Office of Graduate Studies, as well as other members of the university.
The College separately honors outstanding employees. The recipients of the 2016 College of Engineering Outstanding Staff Awards are Lashanda Lightbourne from the Computer Science and Engineering Department and Kristin Larsson from CUTR.
Shanie Lightbourne has worked as an Academic Program Specialist in the Computer Science and Engineering Department since 2014. Her efforts do not stop with CSE, but she has also assisted other departments within the college when they have been in need of support. Shanie has withstood the transition of three office roles, two department chairs and two interim department chairs, and has trained two graduate program directors. In all that she does for the Department and the University, Shanie is an exemplary role model for the College and University.
Kristin Larsson began her career with CUTR as a Staff Assistant in 2010 and subsequently received two promotions. Her current role is Purchasing Administrator. Her function is critical for the smooth operation of multiple grants and projects. Kristin embodies the values promoted by the USF College of Engineering by demonstrating a culture of excellence within her work, her relationships with co-workers, and her commitment to help USF students that work at CUTR succeed.
In choosing the recipients, several things are considered, including outstanding performance, ethical behavior, and a collegial dedication to their department/unit and to the college on a daily basis. Individuals who have gone above and beyond their expected job standards, by way of flexibility, respect, learning, competence, and communication as well as individuals who provided influence and advancement that further areas of teaching, research and service; and individuals who support our mission on a daily basis.
Each College of Engineering recipient will receive a $1,000 award and be recognized at the annual Faculty and Staff Welcome Back Luncheon in August.
