The Staff Make Students Count Awards

2008 Fact Sheet

2008 Nomination Form

2007 Awards

2006 Awards

2005 Awards

UAA – Melodee Monson, Anchorage Campus
Melody Monson is the office manager in the UAA Human Services Department. Her nomination letter from the chair of the Human Services Department reads: “Her dedication to students is embedded in her professionalism and so voluminous, a letter of any reasonable length barely scratches the surface of her ever-present support, kindness and sensitivity to students and their needs.” Melodee’s efforts shine in the success of the human service club activities, human service professional organization conference and the human service alumnae association leadership circle. She is lauded by her bosses, peers, students and alumni. It doesn’t get any better than that.

UAF - Julia Parzick, Fairbanks Campus
Julia Parzick has been nominated many times and I am pleased to see her nomination finally shining through the gauntlet of the many fine nominations from UAF. Julia is the administrative assistant in the UAF history department. The teaching assistants, grad and undergraduate students and her faculty all laud her efforts. One graduate student said she would not have entered a masters program without Julia’s help. Julia is the backbone of the department and keeps everything in the student’s professional lives and keeps students’ academic, professional and person lives running smoothly. It’s good to see her efforts rewarded.

UAS – Jennifer Sandonato, Sitka Campus
Jennifer Sandonato is the instruction support specialist on the Sitka Campus. Students, faculty and peers all concur that when Jennifer gets up in the morning, she loves to come to work. She is always smiling and more than willing to jump up and help with all the various requests that come her way from the diverse group of students that attend UAS. If there is a question that Jennifer can’t answer, she has no problem putting time into finding out the answer, or finding someone who does have the answer. Students who the encounter the Jennifers of this university tend to stick around. It’s a good thing.

Statewide: Rhonda Ooms, Labor Relations
Rhonda Ooms is a labor relations analyst in the System office of labor relations. Her student employees nominated her for this award, stating that she is an excellent supervisor to her student employees and is exceptionally understanding of academic, leadership, and extra curricular opportunities that her student employees are involved in. She is an enthusiastic fan of the UAF Nanooks Hockey Team and advises and supports the Going Greek Club on the Fairbanks campus.

2004 Make Students Count Award Recipients

Congratulations to the winners of the 2004 Make Students Count Awards!

* Brian Brubaker, former Coordinator of the Coalition of Student Leaders and Administrative Coordinator, System Governance Office

* Marian Mitchell, Assistant Director, UAA Honors Program

* Maya Salganek, Administrative Coordinator, UAF Theatre Department

*Elizabeth Schelle, Academic Exchange Programs Director, UAS

2003 Make Students Count Award Recipients

Congratulations to the winners of the 2003 Make Students Count Awards!

• Patricia M. Ivey, Executive Officer for UA System Governance
• Diane Taylor, Coordinator of the UAA Kenai Peninsula College Learning Center &adjunct faculty member
• Wanda Martin, Director of the UAF Academic Advising Center
• Jodi Barnes, Academic Advisor at the UAS Student Resource Center in Juneau

President Hamilton presented this year's awards during the June 9, 2003, Board of Regents Meeting in Fairbanks. Recipients receive an award certificate presented at a Board of Regents meeting and $1,000. All nominees receive a certificate of nomination.

The Make Students Count Awards were established in the spring of 1999, to recognize university staff who have provided outstanding service to students, anywhere in the UA system, including rural campuses and extended sites. Service to students may include service as part of the job or volunteer service, either directly to students or behind the scenes. Four awards are available, one for each major administrative unit (UAA, UAF, UAS, and Statewide). the award is funded by the UA Foundation.

2002 Make Students Count Award Recipients
(pictured from left to right, President Hamilton center)

• Tonya Trabant, Counselor in UAF Career Services
  
• Cindy Marshall, Student Affairs Manager for the UAA Division of Student Affairs
  
• Roxy Felkl, Administrative Assistant for UAS Student Activities and Housing
  
• Janet Johnson, Senior Lead Analyst Programmer for the Banner Student Information System

2001 Make Students Count Award Recipients
(pictured from left to right, President Hamilton center)

• Saichi Oba, Manager of Electronic Student Services for the university system.
  
• Karen Wegzryn, Manager of UAA accounting services.
  
• Michele Stalder, Student Services Coordinator for the Tanana Valley Campus of UAF.
  
• Gail Klein, Student Counselor at the Ketchikan campus of UAS.

2000 Make Students Count Award Recipients
(pictured from left to right, Shelia Chapin, Rita Bowen and President Hamilton)

• Rita Bowen, UAS
• Sheila Chapin, UAF
• Carol Piser, UAA

(pictured from left to right, President Hamilton center)

• Michael Smith, UAA
• Susan Barlow, UAS
• Colleen Abrams, Statewide
• Sue McHenry, UAF

Important Links:

The Office of President Mark Hamilton