Commitment to Excellence
The Andy Award for Commitment to Excellence honors staff members who take great pride in producing excellent work. They serve their customers with a steadfast commitment to quality performance. Nominees have an upbeat attitude and are consistently willing to invest considerable time and effort to overcome obstacles so that outstanding work might be delivered.
Criteria include consistently performing above and beyond the responsibilities of a job description, regularly delivering exceptional work products and realizing accomplishments that exceed goals and requirements.
2026 Nominees (Rookie)
Elizabeth Dechasa
College of Engineering
Over the past year, Elizabeth has masterfully balanced fulfilling complex California compliance reporting with teaching introductory graduate coursework. She’s built a warm, supportive community by launching inclusive events such as ECE Day and traditional tea times. Elizabeth’s proactive problem-solving, dedication to advocacy and selection as an upcoming Inclusive Teaching Fellow embody the spirit of this award.
Jen Fisher
College of Engineering
Through exceptional initiative and relationship-building, Jen has orchestrated complex events, guided stakeholders through a dean transition and anchored university-wide programs requiring seamless coordination among senior leadership, academic departments, alumni and external partners. Jen consistently delivers beyond the script, anticipating logistical bottlenecks, streamlining planning processes and finding cost-conscious solutions that never compromise the college’s high standards.
Ariel He
College of Engineering
Since joining CMU in January 2025, Ariel has quickly become an indispensable asset. Ariel manages the high-stakes reappointment, promotion and tenure process for approximately 60 faculty cases annually, coordinating smoothly across the Pittsburgh, CMU-Silicon Valley and CMU-Africa campuses. Ariel transformed the college's multi-stage faculty hiring system by replacing traditional email threads with a secure, centralized web platform that streamlines tracking and communication for all stakeholders.
Julie Kailath
CMU-Silicon Valley
Through Julie’s leadership, student engagement has surged, campus programming has expanded and students report feeling deeply connected to both their peers and the institution. She steps beyond the boundaries of her role to solve complex challenges, forge strategic partnerships and bridge the geographic gap between the Silicon Valley and Pittsburgh campuses. Whether advocating for student success, collaborating across divisions or anchor-leading through periods of transition, Julie consistently improves the experience of everyone around her.
Reenie Kuhlman
Tepper School of Business
Reenie has transformed her team’s collaborative culture. By building an environment centered on trust, accountability and shared success, she balances strategic leadership with a commitment to developing those around her. Reenie’s unique approach has made a profound, lasting impact on the entire Tepper School community.
Erica Maultsby
Information Networking Institute
Erica is a pillar of the team whose impact extends far beyond the standard scope of her role. She consistently operates at an elite level, approaching every project with an innate commitment to excellence that has become her trademark. For Erica, surpassing goals isn't a milestone to strive for; rather, it is her baseline. Through her sharp expertise, thoughtful leadership and unwavering dedication, she has established herself as an outstanding contributor and a trusted leader.
Margaret McGill
Office of the Vice President for Research
Margaret unites dozens of faculty members to produce comprehensive research memos, such as key briefs on AI and energy for the July 2025 Energy and Innovation Summit. Whether she is guiding a 200-person summit to chart the university’s research roadmap or modeling empathy from her remote office in Washington, D.C., Margaret's proactive leadership exemplifies the best of CMU.
Emily Mirales
School of Computer Science
Over two years, Emily has become an indispensable pillar of the SCS advancement team, directly supporting a record-breaking fundraising year. Managing a demanding, multi-faceted workload for six team members, her wide scope of impact spans flawless logistical coordination to redesigning workflows. Emily anticipates team needs before they are articulated, collaborates on strategic planning and immerses herself deeply in university culture.
Sarah Nielsen
College of Engineering
Sarah has rapidly transitioned from a temporary hire to an indispensable TechSpark leader. After mastering a wide range of fabrication technologies, she single-handedly put our woodshop on the map, skyrocketing its popularity through her engaging and encouraging student instruction. Sarah excels through her proactive, self-driven ownership of the facility. By cross-maintaining complex equipment and fostering a safe, welcoming culture, she has created a highly collaborative environment for the entire College of Engineering.
Maureen O’Hara-McCue
Computing Services
Maureen has brought extraordinary project management to some of CMU's highest-stakes, university-wide projects. She successfully managed the Graduate Applications and Admissions Data II project to assess unifying more than a dozen graduate admission platforms and orchestrated the AI and Data Analytics Summit for more than 250 staff members. Maureen is known for her fierce team advocacy and ability to lead through influence rather than formal authority.
Roger Turner
Global Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Accreditation
Roger is a gifted systems thinker who looks at complex, messy problems and finds elegant solutions. He can transform confusing state compliance requirements such as California's tricky Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education regulations into streamlined, structured processes. By breaking down departmental silos, he led an IT project to digitize compliance forms, saving his colleagues countless hours and making the student experience smoother. Roger has also championed global initiatives ranging from international education guidelines and the Artists and Scholars at Risk program to research that shapes CMU's international partnerships. Roger’s calm, collaborative approach ensures the university meets its highest legal obligations while consistently lifting up the team around him.
Honorine Uwicyubahiro
Carnegie Mellon Africa
Always looking for ways to support her colleagues, Honorine is a model team player across departments. Combining data-driven precision with cultural empathy, she has streamlined application tracking, successfully spearheaded the campus onboarding to Webex, and brought vital analytical insights to the Financial Aid Committee. Operating within a lean administrative ecosystem that serves a diverse student body across 22 nationalities, Honorine masterfully balances meticulous technical competence with a human-centric approach.
2026 Nominees (Veteran)
Lisa Cowling
College of Engineering
Lisa is an anchor for our department whose mastery of university operations makes her a go-to resource for information and practical solutions. Lisa prioritizes the convenience, efficiency and effectiveness of faculty, enabling them to focus on teaching, research and service. As the administrative lead for an intense faculty search process, she manages a pool of about 500 applicants. From curating personalized welcome packages to personally guiding visitors through our campus labyrinth, Lisa serves as our department's ultimate ambassador.
Erin Driskill
School of Computer Science
Erin’s organizational skill, initiative and sound judgment maximize the effectiveness of faculty, staff and administrators. While expertly supporting seven faculty members, she also serves as a trusted department-wide resource, developing training programs, managing complex promotion and tenure processes, and regularly sharing her expertise across the university. Erin has a remarkable ability to anticipate needs, preemptively solve problems and elevate every project and person she touches. The department is more productive, efficient and successful because of her contributions.
Erin Green
Tepper School of Business
A driving force for many of the program’s critical successes, Erin combines exceptional operational leadership with unwavering commitment to the university community. Over the past year, she successfully guided the program through significant organizational changes, managed seven large-scale student events for more than 300 participants and generated more than $50,000 in cost savings through strategic vendor negotiations — all while helping secure the highest student satisfaction ratings among Tepper’s master’s programs.
Jennifer Kukawa
Tepper School of Business
Jennifer is the steady hand behind Tepper's most important milestones, from guiding faculty recruitment and policy development to anchoring promotion reviews and leadership transitions with absolute integrity. She demonstrates encyclopedic institutional knowledge, sharp attention to detail and genuine warmth and a desire to help those around her succeed.
Kayla McCracken
Cyert Center for Early Education
Kayla provides exceptional care and early education for the children of CMU faculty and staff. She consistently goes above and beyond to design thoughtful, developmentally rich learning experiences while navigating multiple toddler and preschool classrooms with deep patience, kindness and expertise. By providing a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for families, she serves as a vital pillar of support for the university’s workforce.
David Meyers
Computing Services
David goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional tech services that support the university's teaching, learning and research missions. When the university faced a critical transition period, David stepped up without hesitation to take on additional responsibilities. Thanks to his proactive problem-solving, technical expertise and dedication to service, he has made a lasting impact on the reliability and success of our campus technology services.
Jelena Micic
Facilities, Infrastructure and Risk Management
Jelena’s technical and operational contributions have systematically reduced administrative burdens while driving up compliance. A proactive educator, Jelena filled gaps in safety education by launching courses and delivering tailored lectures for student groups. Her approachable demeanor, careful planning and effective communication have led to a measurable reduction in workplace incidents and a significant increase in policy compliance across campus.
Jeff Moreci
Mellon College of Science
For over two decades, Jeff’s operational expertise and leadership have fueled growth in enrollment, research footprint, faculty prestige and national reputation. Managing a broad portfolio spanning finance, human resources, grants management and staff development, Jeff excels as a mentor and collaborative partner across the Mellon College of Science. His strategic guidance was instrumental in the launch of the Institute for Computer-Aided Reasoning in Mathematics, one of seven National Science Foundation mathematical sciences institutes in the country.
Kristin Niceswanger
University Advancement
Kristin elevates the performance of everyone around her. She is a vital lifeline for our gift officers, answering donor phone calls, resolving questions and patiently tracking down students to gather the stories and statements that bring our scholarships and fellowships to life. When asked to handle something outside her usual job description, she reliably steps up without hesitation and goes above and beyond.
Dany Ricci
Community Health & Well Being
Dany balances life-saving crisis intervention with flawless operational support. As the face of the front desk, Dany navigates high-stakes, emotional interactions with profound warmth and empathy, managing urgent triage situations while juggling complex administrative tasks to take the logistical stress off the clinicians. Dany displayed a proactive drive to grow by completing voluntary suicide risk assessment training to better support students in distress.
Brian Staszel
Robotics Institute
For more than 24 years, Brian has been more than the Robotics Institute’s multimedia designer — he is its storyteller, historian, ambassador and visual architect. He translates complex, groundbreaking robotics research into compelling global narratives that resonate with students, donors and policymakers. His ability to seamlessly adapt across decades of rapid technological change, combined with his broad institutional knowledge and collaborative spirit, makes him an indispensable asset who exceeds expectations to preserve and elevate the university's world-changing innovations.
Amber Vivis
School of Computer Science
Amber seamlessly orchestrates the program's full academic and logistical lifecycle, from managing complex admissions and orientations to executing high-stakes milestones such as mandatory corporate internships and the annual capstone project competition. Whether she is driving the program's impressive 80% enrollment yield, organizing milestone community dinners or rallying support for international scholars facing sudden academic disruptions, Amber’s dedication and self-starting leadership over the last 26 years have directly elevated the SCS’s reputation.
Sandra DeVincent Wolf
College of Engineering
Sandra has a knack for bridging the gap between campus research and the business world, using her technical background to win major federal grants and build powerful industry partnerships. Recently, she worked through seven rounds of negotiations to buy complex machinery for the Mill 19 facility at a savings of nearly half of a million dollars. Sandra always keeps her door open for students. Whether she is meticulously reading a Ph.D. thesis or helping graduates navigate their first job offers, Sandra is fully invested in the success of the CMU community.