PROFessionals of the Month

The focus of the PROFessionals of the Month program is to recognize, on a monthly basis, exemplary Rowan employees as nominated by fellow members of the University community.

The program is for faculty, staff, or employee groups at any level across all University campuses. The monthly recipient(s), chosen by the Employee Recognition Committee, will receive a special visit by the committee’s Prof Patrol, a group of professionals dedicated to recognizing—and celebrating—outstanding work by Rowan employees.

Nominations can be submitted for individual employees, work groups or project teams. The ideal candidate will have played a major role in a recent, exceptional accomplishment, preferably in the month they have been nominated for (Examples: Completion of a high impact task or project, successful organization of an event, receipt of an award for an outstanding accomplishment, etc.).  

To nominate faculty, staff, or a team of professionals for the PROFessional(s) of the Month, fill out the PROF of the Month Nomination Form by the end of the calendar month to explain why your nominee(s) should be recognized. Feel free to resubmit nominations that were previously submitted!

Which Rowan professional or team of professionals has gone above and beyond the call of duty in serving the University community? Who in the past month exhibited terrific student engagement, customer service, and teamwork, exemplifying all that is terrific about Rowan professionals?  

In short, who should be Rowan’s PROFessional(s) of the Month?

 

  

April 2023

Angela Evans (Problem-Based Learning, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Sewell Campus)

 

Congratulations to Angela Evans for being selected as the April PROFessional of the Month!

Angela is being recognized for her work to provide incoming Rowan-Virtua SOM applicants with exposure to the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) program. Angela originated an evening student-to-student question and answer program, which she attended repeatedly, so applicants could learn more about Rowan-Virtua SOM programs. She has assisted in the coordination of PBL student shadowing for applicants and coordinated admission events on weekends several times each year, in addition to orientation, residency match and graduation. She supports students every step of the way in their journey at SOM. 

Angela has also been filling in for 2 other staff members in the department who are out on a leave of absence. All of this is in addition to managing the PBL block courses and her usual position responsibilities. Angela continuously looks for ways to expand her role.  She actively seeks out new responsibilities and ways to make improvements, eagerly assists others in their tasks, and does not look for rewards or recognition. Angela has excellent insight into student needs and is an amazing asset to Rowan. 

Angela, because of your dedication and commitment to Rowan students, your colleagues, and the university as a whole, we honor you as the April PROFessional of the Month. Exceptional work!

March 2023

The Student Support Services Team

Congratulations to the Student Support Services Team for being selected as the March PROFessionals of the Month!

The Student Support Services Team, led by Erin Hannah, works with students on academic probation and students who have been identified by faculty as ‘at risk of failing’. There is an urgency around the goals of this team as they work to retain one student at a time with a multi-pronged innovative approach to academic support.

Rowan University offers a wide variety of impressive resources to support students and collectively, as a university, we strive to make sure that students know about these resources. Unfortunately, we occasionally hear from students that they are not aware of these resources or how to connect when they need them. The Student Support Services team has successfully implemented innovative ways to meet the students where they are. Here are some examples of their work:

New Tutoring Center: The team recently worked together to quickly convert a former classroom (Savitz 321) into a welcoming and functional Tutoring Center. Working toward the shared goal of providing a visible, accessible and holistic tutoring space, the team quickly transformed it into a hub of student support. Students who enter can meet with their tutor and also pick up snacks or coffee and interact with Student Support staff.

Street Team: Last year, the Student Support Services group created the Street Team which is a group of federal work study students who were hired and trained to go where students congregate in dining halls, housing and academic buildings to distribute information about campus resources such as tutoring and success coaching. 

Student Success Summit: In September, the Student Support Services team along with the Office of Accessibility Services held the first summit focused on student success. Over 70 students attended the event which brought together professionals from across the Glassboro campus, who outlined resources available to students—from success coaching and career advancement to tutoring, accessibility services, mental health services and more. The day included a student lunch, resource fair and student panel.

Success Workshop Series: Each semester for the last two years, the team has hosted a Success Workshop Series with interactive workshops for students to explore many of the tools Rowan has to offer. These are offered both virtually and in-person with weekend and evening options to accommodate student schedules. 

Academic Improvement Program: All students on probation or continuing probation are enrolled in the Academic Improvement Program Canvas course which contains modules related to improving academic performance. Students in the course are required to fulfill additional requirements including meeting with a Student Success Coordinator or attending Success Coaching, Tutoring or Advising.         

Two-way texting campaign utilizing Ocelot: The team is currently working together on a pilot to engage with students informally with two-way texting which has not been used before by the team. Through two-way texting, team members engage informally with students, assess their immediate needs and make referrals to resources that best address the student's needs at the moment. 

The Student Support Services Team is continually coming up with new approaches which are impacting the success of Rowan’s students, and because of this dedication and commitment to Rowan students, your colleagues, and the university as a whole, we honor you as the March PROFessionals of the Month. Exceptional work!

February 2023

Jennifer Green, Photography/Strategic Enrollment Management

 

Congratulations to Jennifer Green for being selected as the February PROFessional of the Month!

Jennifer Green’s colleagues were effusive in their praise for her work ethic, creativity, and impact that she makes every day for the university. Jen’s beautiful photography creates visually stunning optics of our beautiful campuses. However, it is her student-centered, humanistic work which deserves to be recognized.

When working with a photography source, given the nature of photography itself, Jen becomes a source of comfort and confidence for our students, who often feel emotionally vulnerable being photographed. She will sometimes come back to the office dismayed after a shoot with a first-year student, sharing that the source disclosed that they “have no friends”. Jen will then ask her colleagues who we can connect the student with to help them develop a sense of community. Additionally, Jen offers free, professional graduation photos to students each year, a loving gift to our students and their parents, as they enter our Alumni Association and leave their college years behind them.

To summarize, Jen impacts students’ lives, in tangible and meaningful ways that go above and beyond her role as photographer. She is already “PROFessional of the Month” in her team’s eyes, but Jennifer, because of your dedication and commitment to Rowan students, your colleagues, and the university as a whole, we honor you as the February PROFessional of the Month. Outstanding work!

January 2023

Kristine Fazzio, Rowan Global Learning & Partnerships

 

Congratulations to Kristine Fazzio for being selected as the January PROFessional of the Month!

Kristine consistently demonstrates a high level of dedication and overall commitment to all aspects of the Rowan Global Team, the University, and the Glassboro community. She arrives to work early, is meticulous with her work, takes leadership roles without being asked, works as a team player, and consistently contributes new ideas to help processes within the department run smoothly. Her customer service skills are exceptional, and she strives to make sure students have the best experience when applying to our Graduate programs. She is a true example of Rowan Pride and a valuable asset to our division.

Kristine puts others before herself on a regular basis. An example of this is the two holiday drives that she organized for the office during the recent holiday season. The Thanksgiving “Adopt a Family Drive” was able to help multiple families have the Thanksgiving dinner that they deserve. She promoted, collected, and went shopping on her own time for this to be possible. Kristine also chaired the initiative to raise “Toys for Tots” within the past several weeks. Our office was able to donate two large boxes of toys that helped make many Christmas mornings very bright for some less fortunate children.

Kristine, because of your kindness, dedication and commitment to your team and the University as a whole, and willingness to always lend a helping hand, we honor you as the January PROFessional of the Month. Outstanding work!

December 2022

Brian Richards, Central Store/Central Receiving 

Congratulations to Brian Richards (center) for being selected as the December PROFessional of the Month!

Congratulations to Brian Richards of the Central Store/Central Receiving team for being selected as the December PROFessional of the Month!

Brian consistently goes out of his way to be friendly and brighten everyone’s day. His customer service is truly exemplary. For example, the Department of Art receives a significant amount of goods (supplies, chemicals, and kits for art studios, just to name a few). They have a constant stream of boxes full of all kinds of items, some heavy, some light, some inexpensive, some expensive. Brian goes beyond leaving these packages inside the office. He consistently checks with the department to find out if it is a larger size shipment and if it needs to be placed in another location such as in a closet or office down the hall.

He is reliably efficient and professional, but more than that, he genuinely cares about co-workers and other employees that he interacts with. He frequently asks how they are doing and what is going on with them. The care that he shows for others is a ray of sunshine day in and day out across the entire Glassboro campus. He is truly valued as an employee and is held in high esteem by everyone that he interacts with.

Brian, because of your consistent positivity, high level of customer service, and extraordinary efforts for the University as a whole, we honor you as the December PROFessional of the Month. Outstanding work!

November 2022        

Melissa Meireles and Sheena Pierce, IRT Training and Instructional Support

 

Congratulations to Sheena Pierce (left) and Melissa Meireles (right) for being selected as the November PROFessionals of the Month!

Congratulations to Sheena Pierce and Melissa Meireles of the IRT Training and Instructional Support team for being selected as the November PROFessionals of the Month!

Recently, Sheena and Melissa completed the challenging task of recreating all of the training for the new user interface for the Rowan travel software – Concur. With a fast approaching deadline, because the interface was changing in a few short months, they teamed up with Accounts Payable to completely rebuild most of the training that was created right before the pandemic, when Concur was first launched. For this project, they created a survey and worked with a focus group to study the effectiveness of the previous training and instituted their findings to improve the new user interface training. New Knowledge Base articles and videos were created, based on the feedback provided by the survey and focus group, to help make Concur a more seamless process for the whole university. 

Their dedication to customer service, which inspired them to analyze the previous training while conferring with the current users, along with their extraordinary effort to recreate effective and responsive training for Concur on such a short schedule, is why Sheena and Melissa are being honored as the November Professionals of the Month. Exceptional work!

October 2022

Kathleen Roderique, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Simulation Center

Congratulations to Kathleen Roderique (center, bottom row) for being selected as the October PROFessional of the Month!

Congratulations to Kathleen Roderique in the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Simulation Center for being selected as the PROFessional of the Month for October!

One of her Kathleen’s colleagues commented: “I started in my new role in September, and in this short period of time I have been shown so much support from everyone in my team, especially Kathy. She spends hours not only handling her responsibilities, but also going above and beyond when it comes to helping her co-workers. Even when she is home, we can always count on her (although I tell her to enjoy her time off). Kathy deserves to be recognized for her reliable dedication to her tasks and her team, ability to embrace change, demonstrate kindness, and create a welcoming atmosphere for all. All are powerful traits to have!”

Well said! Kathleen, because of your consistent team first attitude, willingness to help your colleagues, and enthusiasm for your work, we honor you as the October PROFessional of the Month. Outstanding work!

September 2022

The Freshmen Recruitment Team, The Office of Admissions

 

Congratulations to (from left to right) Milan Ahye, Amanda Marcks, Jasmarie Arce, Charissa Burgos, and Sean Scott for being selected as the September PROFessionals of the Month! (Not pictured: Keith Dickens)

Congratulations to the freshmen recruitment team in the Office of Admissions for being selected as the PROFessionals of the Month for September! The team is made up of six members: Amanda Marcks, Charissa Burgos, Sean Scott, Milan Ahye, Keith Dickens, and Jasmarie Arce. The dedication and passion they brought to the table day in and day out led to the University successfully welcoming the largest freshmen undergraduate class in Rowan’s history. They spent many nights on the road recruiting, speaking with parents/students, providing outstanding customer service, and assisting with on campus recruitment events. They are the lifeblood of Rowan University, working extremely hard to make sure the campus is vibrant and full of students!

Freshmen Recruitment Team, because of your consistent enthusiasm for the students and exceptional efforts for the University as a whole, we honor you as the September PROFessionals of the Month. Outstanding work!

August 2022        

Peter Vignola and Tyler Healy (Fire Safety, Environmental Health and Safety)

 

Congratulations to Peter Vignola (left) and Tyler Healy (right) for being selected as the August PROFessionals of the Month!

Congratulations to Peter Vignola and Tyler Healy from the Environmental Health and Safety Department for being selected as the PROFessionals of the Month for August! They have worked tirelessly to ensure the highest level of fire safety at Rowan University. During the past two years while dealing with the pandemic, both were on-site almost every day, maintaining fire safety systems and ensuring compliance with the state fire code. They were reliably responsive to campus concerns after hours, handling emergency situations and ensuring the safety of all of our students, staff and visitors. They do all of this with smiles on their faces and positive attitudes! We are proud to have them on the Fire Safety Team and recognize their ongoing exemplary work. 

Peter and Tyler, because of your consistent dedication to your department and exceptional efforts for the University as a whole, we honor you as the August PROFessionals of the Month. Outstanding work!

July 2022

Ronald Collins and Kyle Truitt (Environmental Services, Rowan SOM, Sewell Campus)

Congratulations to Ronald Collins (left) and Kyle Truitt (right) for being selected as the July PROFessionals of the Month!

Congratulations to Ronald Collins and Kyle Truitt for being selected as the PROFessionals of the Month for July! Ron and Kyle played an instrumental part in preparing the Sewell campus for the arrival of the 72 medical students on July 12^th. The incoming class was the first group of students on this campus, so there was a lot of preparation to be done and Ron and Kyle were key contributors to the efforts! During the weeks leading up to the new medical students’ arrival, their help and commitment to maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for the students did not go unnoticed.

Ron and Kyle never hesitate to assist with any task, no matter how big or small the task is. They take pride in everything that they do and are the true definition of team players. If you see Ron and Kyle around the building you are guaranteed to be greeted with a warm smile and a friendly hello. Many of their colleagues have stated that it is an honor to work with them on a daily basis.

Ronald and Kyle, because of your commitment and extraordinary efforts for the Sewell campus of SOM, we honor you as the July PROFessionals of the Month. Outstanding work!

June 2022

Andrea Baer, Dan Kipnis, and Ashley Lierman (Rowan Library)

   

Congratulations to Andrea Baer (left), Dan Kipnis (center), and Ashley Lierman (right) for being selected as the June PROFessionals of the Month!

Rowan librarians Andrea Baer, Dan Kipnis, and Ashley Lierman have been selected as the June 2022 PROFessionals of the Month. Their support of our campus community's advanced learning about research strategies is noteworthy and impactful. Specifically, the tools they have created for students teach us ALL new and necessary information literacy skills for life. Their vision for helping us properly conduct independent research is simultaneously compelling, complex, and refreshing. These three staff members energize the entire Rowan University Libraries system with their thoughtful instructional approaches. After another excellent year of targeted work, the adoption of their learning tools and strategies across departments is worthy of recognition as a sustained, collaborative team effort.

Their work in helping us to recognize bias in the news, to find and use quality sources, and to think clearly and critically about the origins of information reminds us all that we must continually update our skills as communication technologies and the media evolve. Details of their efforts can be seen on the library webpage, in the Library Instruction Resources for Teaching Online section at https://libguides.rowan.edu/online-instruction (which includes  online self-paced research tutorials for faculty, students, and staff) and the Rowan Library Workshops section at https://libguides.rowan.edu/libraryworkshops (which lists both past and upcoming workshops and demonstrations for faculty, students, and staff).

These three experienced educators may be identified as faculty librarians, search experts, or informators, yet their shared specialization is in communicating the nuances of scholarly and public information to the rest of us. This expertise becomes increasingly more valuable each year as our university grows and the world continues to change in unusual ways. We are most grateful that our colleagues from the Rowan University Libraries are continually keeping our campus "up to date" and "in the know."

Andrea, Dan, and Ashley, because of your commitment and extraordinary efforts for so many departments, divisions, employees and students, we honor you as the June PROFessionals of the Month. Outstanding work!

May 2022

University Events

Congratulations to the University Events team for being selected as the May PROFessionals of the Month!

I would like to nominate the University Events Team for their outstanding work with Commencement this year, as well as for their consistent excellence year after year in every event they plan. They faced many obstacles this year, including not being able to host the large Commencement celebration, but have continued to work tirelessly to make the event a success for the Rowan Community. They always represent Rowan very well through their various events but for this month in particular, I think that they should absolutely be highlighted.

The University Events team manages more than 50 events annually and provides guidance and support for hundreds more throughout our institution. In fact, the team manages the review, confirmation and guidance for all events across campus.

Throughout the past two years, the University Events team members have had to frequently pivot from their normal mode of operations to find new ways to keep celebrating the University’s special moments. Each time, they’ve come up big, hosting virtual awards ceremonies for Celebrating Excellence awardees, holding smaller gatherings for the President’s Welcome celebration, leading the annual holiday party (held virtually in 2020 and in person in 2021), and even assisting the Wellness Center by managing the reservation system to book COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

Their work requires: extraordinary teamwork, both among themselves and with departments and divisions across Rowan; a love of our institution and a keen belief in the power of celebrating Rowan pride; flexibility; sense of humor; and extraordinary can-do attitudes. By all measures, University Events is a terrific team that uses its talents to help all of us feel as though we are a vital part of Rowan University.

University Events team, because of your commitment and remarkable efforts for so many departments, divisions, employees and students, we honor you as the May PROFessionals of the Month. Outstanding job!!