UIndy Recognizes Faculty and Staff with 2024 Achievement Awards
Written by Troi Watts
Today the University of Indianapolis announced the recipients of this year’s Faculty and Staff Achievement Awards. Congratulations to the following faculty and staff for being recognized for their achievements and successes from the 2023-24 academic year:
The Collaborative Spirit Award
The Collaborative Spirit Award recognizes a team or department that has demonstrated successful collaboration. Whether it is creating a project, solving an issue that resulted in improvements, planning a new program or initiative, offering a service, or streamlining a process, nominated groups are examples of the positive effects of true teamwork.
Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL)
CELL has recently championed four initiatives designed to meet the ever-growing needs of Indiana’s K-12 educators, specifically through online graduate coursework: Teach Dual Credit Indiana, STEM Teach Indiana, Indiana Special Education Assisted Licensure (I-SEAL), and Indiana Teachers of English Language Learners Licensure (I-TELL). Four dedicated teams of CELL staff spearheaded these initiatives and collaborated across campus to develop them into productive movements that not only empowered the state’s educators, but also grew the University’s graduate student population.
As their nominator summarized, “These teams went beyond simply sending out requests for proposals to UIndy. They advocated to encourage development or redevelopment of high-demand content areas, provided student projections, and gave feedback based on knowledge of dual credit credentialing and teacher licensure. As a result of the collaborative, tireless efforts of these teams, UIndy was able to capture graduate students who would have been lost to other online graduate programs at competing universities.”
The Enhancing the Student Experience Award
The Enhancing the Student Experience Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in inspiring students through innovative practice fueled by enthusiasm. The recipient of this award exemplifies extraordinary efforts to increase student success and promote a positive, healthy and impactful learning experience.
Brenda Bassi, Academic Success Associate, Center for First-Year Experience & Student Success
College is a challenging time for many students, and having meaningful support makes all the difference. As a Student Success Coach, Brenda Bassi demonstrates exceptional dedication to the success of UIndy’s students. Bassi’s enthusiasm and investment in creating a positive, impactful learning experience for UIndy’s students are evident in everything she does.
In the words of her nominator, “Brenda’s efforts extend beyond mere professional obligations. She genuinely cares about the well-being and success of every student she encounters. She consistently exudes enthusiasm and passion for supporting students. Brenda promotes a positive and impactful learning experience and for the above reasons is highly deserving of this award.”
The Beyond UIndy Award
The Beyond UIndy Award recognizes a staff member who has made significant efforts to improve the UIndy community, as well as their own. The recipient of this award is a leader within larger communities, working toward social justice, societal change, and service of others with humility and compassion.
Dr. Kelly Miller, Director of the Student Counseling Center
UIndy is proud to have such a strong, supportive community thanks to people like Dr. Kelly Miller. As Director of the UIndy Student Counseling Center, Dr. Miller has not only found ways to promote mental health on campus, but also to engage the campus community in collaborative, meaningful projects. Last year, Dr. Miller partnered with the R.B. Annis School of Engineering and Art and Design students to enhance the environment of the Counseling Center through dynamic lighting, sound, and artwork. Outside of her work on campus, Dr. Miller also volunteers with the OneAmerica Pathway program to mentor high school students. In this role, she helps to mentor future Greyhounds and grow the Pack even more.
In the words of her nominator, “Dr. Kelly Miller has a heart for UIndy! She is always promoting UIndy, on and off campus. She has a desire to connect with departments not just as a support for campus mental health but to also find ways to bring the campus together.”
The Inclusive Excellence Awards
The Inclusive Excellence Awards recognize UIndy staff members who make noteworthy contributions that help advance inclusive excellence at the university. These individuals have demonstrated recognizable efforts exceeding their job responsibilities that promote, support, and improve inclusion at UIndy, and help to enrich experiences for faculty, staff, and students.
Jocelyn Ortiz, Senior Assistant Director of Diversity Recruitment, Office of Admissions
Since joining the Office of Admissions, Jocelyn Ortiz has revitalized the University’s efforts to recruit and support a diverse student population. Ortiz’s leadership led to the establishment of UIndy’s first Bilingual Visit Day for prospective Spanish-speaking students, which was a resounding success (and will return in future Admissions cycles). Her work can be seen in every classroom across campus and will influence the growth of the UIndy community for many classes to come.
In the words of her nominator, “Jocelyn is passionate about helping students from diverse backgrounds find community and success at University of Indianapolis. In conjunction with the Office of Inclusive Excellence, Jocelyn’s work contributed to the University’s first Diversity Report, which tracks diverse students as they matriculate through the university. This data will help our office and the broader campus know who our diverse students are, how we are serving them, and what we can do to better serve them in the future. The Admissions Team is lucky to have her, and proud of what she has accomplished for the team and the students we serve.”
Sabrina Camargo, Senior Admissions Counselor, Office of Admissions
Sabrina Camargo’s commitment to serving students from all walks of life goes beyond her role within the Office of Admissions. Her passion led her to pursue her master’s in applied sociology, and she has used the knowledge and skills gained through the program to enhance the Office of Admissions’ approach to recruitment. Camargo, in collaboration with Jocelyn Ortiz and the Office of Inclusive Excellence, was also instrumental in establishing UIndy’s first DEI Data Drive, which helps support students from diverse backgrounds as they navigate the admissions process. Off campus, Camargo serves as a proud representative of UIndy at Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) Education Summits, where she frequently sits on panels to share her experience as a first-generation, Latina college student.
In the words of her nominator, “As a first generation, Latiné woman, Sabrina is passionate about helping students with similar backgrounds find success at her alma mater. Diversity and inclusion work is woven into what Sabrina does every day. She has established herself as a leader in diversity efforts in the Admissions Office, across our campus, and now the state.”
The Spirit of UIndy Award
The Spirit of UIndy Award recognizes a staff member who goes beyond simply taking pride in the university, but encompasses what it means to truly live in the example of UIndy’s mission. The recipient of this award is a shining example of excellence, positivity, loyalty, teamwork, creativity and cooperation, serving as the beating heart of the institution, acting with integrity, respect and compassion, and always looking out for the welfare and well being of others.
Jared Cutler, Help Desk Technician, Information Technology
Service. Kindness. Collaboration. These ideas are at the heart of everything UIndy and Jared Cutler do. In his role as a Help Desk Technician, Cutler encounters a variety of technology problems, but no matter what, he always approaches it with positivity and understanding. Faculty and staff across campus have praised him for his patience, willingness to help, and enthusiasm.
In the words of his nominator, “Jared takes every opportunity to show kindness and to extend a bit of mercy for those who struggle to use technology or are unfamiliar with campus processes. He brings people along rather than making them feel small for asking for assistance. He is a natural leader, is calm and positive in the face of difficult situations, and works hard on every team that he is part of to build consensus and camaraderie. We appreciate all of Jared’s contributions to ensure success for UIndy’s constituents, including his sense of humor and quick-wittedness, which helps the IT team stay sane on even the craziest of days!”
The Emerging Leader Award
The Emerging Leader Award is presented to a staff member with fewer than two years of service at UIndy who has made a unique, significant contribution not only to embracing the spirit of the university, but also providing superb service and fostering interdepartmental relationships. An emerging leader shows signs of strength, integrity and continuous improvement professionally and personally.
Gabby Graves, Administrative Assistant, Global Languages & Cross Cultural Studies and Department of Music
After stepping into a new position with the Department of Music, Gabby Graves quickly proved herself as both a leader and valuable team member. Graves took the initiative to reimagine the Department of Music’s auditions as a full-day experience for prospective students and their families. As a result of her efforts, the Department of Music has welcomed many new students to their ranks.
In the words of her nominator, “Gabby is an extremely gifted individual in so many areas. She works well with students and faculty alike and is always willing to go above and beyond to help others. She suggests solutions before there might even be a problem to be proactive and these suggestions are highly valued. She has become a ‘go to’ person in the Department of Music and is an ‘emerging leader’ at UIndy.”
The Unsung Hero Award
The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a staff member who is dedicated not only to executing their job, but also to helping others and filling in where needed, performing tasks at a quality level, actively solving problems and demonstrating dependability, responsibility and perseverance-all without fanfare. The recipient of this award takes initiatives to solve problems and improve work situations without being prompted and is an invaluable team member.
Megan Godsey, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Office of Admissions
While she may have labeled herself as a ‘silent leader,’ Megan Godsey’s work speaks volumes. Godsey has played a pivotal role in growing the UIndy community. Not only does she manage recruitment for two of the University’s largest feeder schools, co-manage the Greyhound Ambassador Program, and organize 50+ K-12 group campus visits each year, but Godsey also supports and leads the Admissions team with positivity and enthusiasm, even during times of change.
In the words of her nominator, “Megan is always working for the betterment of the Admissions team and the UIndy campus, but never asks for any credit. After a successful event, she is quick to give credit to her teammates and how they all contributed towards its success, when really she put in the bulk of the work. I see her getting here early and staying late at events, talking with families, giving directions to the bathroom, wiping down tables, and helping the Events team manage the buffet line when hundreds of students and their families are coming through at once. Without Megan and the work that she does, we would not have an incoming class of new Greyhounds.”
The Connecting Expertise with Action Award
The Connecting Expertise with Action Award recognizes a faculty member or team of faculty members who has successfully pursued work across disciplinary lines in the areas of scholarship, program development, curricula, service, or coursework.
Dr. Trent Cayot, Associate Professor, Kinesiology, Health & Sport Sciences
UIndy prides itself on its collaborative spirit and dedication to community engagement. Dr. Trent Cayot embodies that commitment by partnering with local organizations to share his expertise. Dr. Cayot recently partnered with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) to revamp their physical fitness test for cadets to ensure it was probably preparing and evaluating officers to meet the expectations of the job. This collaboration not only benefited UIndy’s community, but also provided real-world experience for students within the exercise science program. Dr. Cayot has also facilitated collaborations between the Krannert School of Physical Therapy and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team as well as Community Health Physical Therapy and Rehab, and Rock Steady Boxing.
In the words of his nominator, “It is evident that Dr. Cayot regularly lives the work of ‘Connecting Expertise to Action’, engaging with colleagues across campus to help students apply their expertise to solving these real-world problems. His unique projects over the past year have left a significant impact on the community and student education.”
The Education for Service Awards
The Education for Service Awards recognize faculty members who best represent the UIndy motto, ‘education for service,’ in their teaching or scholarly work.
Rick Dunkle, General Manager of UIndy TV & WICR and Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Communication
Since joining the Department of Communication, Rick Dunkle has not missed a chance to step up and serve the UIndy community. From volunteering to judge speech and debate competitions to producing major video projects for University priorities to filling in for positions at WICR, Dunkle is a continual supportive presence at UIndy.
In the words of his nominator, “Mr. Dunkle is an especially deserving candidate for the way he has taken the university motto, ‘education for service,’ and streamlined its potential to focus on ‘education for service to our community.’ Through his example and mentorship, he is showing students how to be a leader, professional, Greyhound, and Hoosier-all through the power of service.”
Dr. Alex Nelson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology & Archaeology
The UIndy community is charged to use their education for service and Dr. Alex Nelson has gone above and beyond that call. From building a new anthropology major that provides new avenues for student engagement, to volunteering his time and efforts to curriculum development, to facilitating service-learning opportunities with the Burmese American Community Institute (BACI), Dr. Nelson has demonstrated a true commitment to using his expertise to benefit not only UIndy, but the surrounding community.
In the words of his nominator, “Alex Nelson embodies service in every way, as a colleague, as an instructor and mentor to our UIndy students, and as a community member desiring to use his expertise to help others.”
The Emerging Scholar Award
The Emerging Scholar Award recognizes a faculty member who is new to higher education and within the first four years of service. The individual must have demonstrated significant progress toward implementation of a successful scholarly agenda.
Dr. Matthew Stapleton, Assistant Professor, College of Education & Behavioral Sciences
Since entering the world of higher education, Dr. Matthew Stapleton has demonstrated an innovative approach to scholarly work. One of his most notable contributions in his journey so far has been his research on education majors who pursue teaching as a career, which has earned many accolades in the scholarly community. In addition to his own scholarly endeavors, Dr. Stapleton empowers UIndy students as they conduct their own research projects by participating in workshops, seminars, and collaborative projects.
In the words of his nominator, “Matthew Stapleton is a remarkable individual whose scholarly contributions have significantly enriched our academic environment. His intellectual curiosity, coupled with his outstanding research abilities, not only positions him as a promising scholar but also as a potential leader in his field with a bright future ahead.”
The Teaching in the Core Award
The Teaching in the Core Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching core coursework for undergraduate students.
Mary Gobbett, Assistant Professor & Biology Lab Coordinator, Department of Biology
Mary Gobbett has helped welcome UIndy students to the Greyhound community and guided them through their transition to college through innovative and thoughtful instruction across seven courses. Not only does Gobbett’s work benefit students within the Department of Biology, but across the campus as a whole. She has developed brand new courses to meet the needs of students from a variety of majors, including elementary education and public health. Her innovative courses have earned her praise not just from her fellow faculty, but also from her students, who have claimed that Gobbett’s courses were “the best general education” courses they had ever taken.
In the words of her nominator, “Mary Gobbett not only teaches seven different courses in four different categories for the general education core, but also provides support to faculty teaching multiple other courses in the core. She does more to support teaching in the core than any other faculty person I know, and definitely deserves to be recognized for her contributions.”
The Outstanding Scholar Award
The Outstanding Scholar Award recognizes a faculty member whose scholarly work has received substantial external recognition.
Dhabih Chulhai, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Since joining the Department of Chemistry in 2019, Dr. Dhabih Chulhai has quickly become one of UIndy’s top-cited faculty members. Despite serving as a faculty mentor and advisor in both the Honors College and the Department of Chemistry and developing semester-long workbooks for his 100-level courses, Dr. Chulhai still finds time to keep up a steady publication rating. Most recently, his publication on video games earned publication in the Journal of Chemical Education, the top-ranked journal in the field, as one of the first entries of the issue.
In the words of his nominator, “One unique aspect of Dhabih’s scholarly work is providing students with engaging in-class resources. He has created full, semester-long workbooks for his 100-level classes, a suite of computational exercises for his quantum mechanics classes and developed an open textbook for his quantum chemistry class. Dr. Chulhai works very hard for all the students at the university and his positive impact can be felt in everything he has been involved in at UIndy.”
The Institutional Leadership Awards
The Institutional Leadership Awards recognize faculty members who demonstrate exceptional leadership by advancing a program, committee, task force or other group to achieve goals of importance to UIndy.
Dr. Lori Bolyard, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Director of Undergraduate Advising, Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences
Over the past few years, Dr. Lori Bolyard has not hesitated to step up as a leader for some of the University’s most notable programs, including the annual Scholars Showcase. Her commitment to leading UIndy into a brighter future has helped her thrive as the Director of Undergraduate Advising for the Shaheen College of Arts and Sciences. In this role, Dr. Bolyard helped reimagine undergraduate advising and facilitated the transition of Faculty Advisors to Primary Advisors for UIndy students.
In the words of her nominator, “Dr. Bolyard’s role has built relationships across all aspects of campus life, from faculty and students to the Registrar’s office and upper administration as well as student affairs and the Academic Success center. Without Dr. Bolyard’s tireless work and commitment to the success of our students and programs, the University of Indianapolis would be missing a significant leader.”
Dr. Roxxi Davis, Assistant Professor & BSW Program Director, Department of Social Work
Dr. Roxxi Davis has been instrumental in advancing the recruitment efforts for the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) within the Phylis Lan Lin School of Counseling and Social Work. One of Dr. Davis’s key achievements has been creating targeted 2+2 initiatives to attract a diverse and talented pool of Ivy Tech Community College applicants. Dr. Davis’s commitment to the Department of Social Work expands beyond the UIndy campus; this year, Dr. Davis will teach BSW courses at Ivy Tech to connect with prospective students and continue to raise awareness for the many opportunities offered at UIndy.
In the words of their nominator, “Roxxi’s exceptional communication and organizational skills have been crucial in coordinating recruitment events, information sessions, and open houses. Her ability to engage with prospective students and their families, address their concerns, and highlight the strengths of our program has been particularly noteworthy. Roxxi’s genuine passion for social work and commitment to our mission resonates in every interaction, inspiring confidence, and enthusiasm among potential applicants.”
The Outstanding Faculty Award
The Outstanding Faculty Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary integration of teaching, scholarship, and service.
Dr. Laura Santurri, Associate Professor and Interim Dean, College of Health Sciences
In addition to providing exemplary instruction to their students and stepping up to lead the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Laura Santurri dedicates herself to service in her role as Board Chair of the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA). With support from a Faculty Scholarship Grant, Dr. Santurri contributed her teaching expertise to the ICA to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a hybrid, online education program for adult learners to assist with managing their interstitial cystitis, the Learning to Thrive pilot program. The findings for the Learning to Thrive pilot program are being prepared for publication and the success of this pilot has paved the way for a potential federal grant application, highlighting Dr. Santurri’s commitment to pursuing impactful research opportunities.
In the words of her nominator, “Dr. Santurri’s dedication to integrating teaching, scholarship, and service is truly commendable. Their innovative approaches, scholarly contributions, and service commitment have profoundly impacted the university, the academic community, and the broader society.”
Congratulations to all of this year’s Faculty and Staff Achievement Award winners!