Introducing the 2025 Dietrich College Andy Award Nominees

Comprised of 50 individuals and 16 teams of colleagues, the 2025 Andy Award nominees represent a diverse array of departments, functions and responsibilities across the university. No matter their job title or daily role, all of the nominees share one thing in common — outstanding performance and commitment to service worthy of recognition via the Andy Awards.

Dietrich College staff have nabbed nominations in four categories. Learn more about each of them below.

Commitment to Excellence (Veteran)

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. 

Amy Stoebe
Assistant Director of Writing & Communication
Department of English

Amy takes extraordinary care of students, faculty and grad students. She is forward-thinking in her data-driven innovations to the English program and is respected by everyone from adjuncts to the highest level of leadership in the department.

Commitment to Students

The Andy Award for Commitment to Students honors staff members who are dedicated to guiding and assisting university students. They surpass the duties of their job description to meet students' needs, serving as role models who display a positive and professional image at all times.

Criteria include investing extra effort in satisfying student needs and expectations, identifying opportunities that support student needs and involving students in campus life beyond the classroom to emphasize their value as members of the university community.

Laura Donaldson
Associate Director of Academic Affairs
Department of English

Laura is deeply empathetic and has a great talent for listening. She regularly meets with students one on one, guides their trajectory, suggests ways to supplement their education with internships and steers them toward people with expertise for further guidance.

Innovative and Creative Contributions

The Andy Award for Innovative and Creative Contributions honors staff members who have developed new approaches, methods and processes to improve organizational effectiveness. They have demonstrated imagination and creativity in solving problems or fostering change that has benefited the university community. These nominees are expansive thinkers and effectual doers.

Criteria include making significant and positive contributions to achieving organizational objectives, recognizing opportunities to improve, streamline or reinvent processes or systems and creating a work environment that encourages others to embrace change and creativity.

Krystalyn Kovacs
M.A. Student in Rhetoric,
Department of English and
Senior Academic Coordinator,
Mellon College of Science

Krystalyn has worked diligently to improve coordination across multiple departments in planning the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research’s annual commencement ceremonies. She also has improved transparency and communication to students as they prepare to participate in these ceremonies.

Teamwork and Collaboration (Standing Teams)

The team category is open to any group of two or more people, either in a shared department or interdisciplinary unit/taskforce, who have worked together toward a common goal.

This award honors staff teams who exemplify collaboration and cooperation with colleagues, students and the university community and recognizes its transformative impact. The team has developed new approaches, methods and systems to improve organizational effectiveness or has improved the student experience and/or students' learning opportunities. It has demonstrated imagination and creativity in solving problems or fostering change that benefits the university community.

Dietrich College Communications
(Pictured left to right) Jason Bittel, Emily Nagin, Stefanie Johndrow, Abby Simmons, Nicole Mitchell

The Dietrich Communications team oversees a diverse portfolio of disciplines and research and works hard every day to equitably support the many departments and constituents. The work the group does elevates the efforts of our community and embodies the notion of their hearts being in the work.