Excellence in Career Readiness Awards

Winner: Erica Shabnam
Nominated by: Topher Sutton – Career Exploration and Success

Erica Shabnam exemplifies the NACE competency of Career & Self-Development through her proactive pursuit of growth, leadership, and service. In addition to her work as a Peer Career Educator and her vital contributions to the launch and promotion of The Career Closet, Erica has taken every opportunity to expand her professional skillset and help her peers do the same. As her nominator shared, Erica "attended professional development events, made connections with full-time staff, and created a 5-star customer service environment for new Customer Relations Interns." They added that she also "led a reflective career development activity for CES interns at the End-of-Year Celebration" and emphasized that "Erica has demonstrated exceptional growth in the career and self-development competency during her time with Career Exploration and Success."

Featured Career & Self-Development Nominees:

• Adia Win
  (Nominated By: Courtney Kenney - Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services)
  
  Adia Win has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. According to their nominator, “She has collected data, organized an Excel file to efficiently capture and manage that data, and created graphs to visually analyze findings—all of which is beyond the capabilities of many at her stage in research.” 

• Alexander Velasco
  (Nominated By: Sunita Chaudhary, PhD - Rutgers Cancer Institute)
  
  Known for their impact in career & self-development, Alexander Velasco has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. In the words of the nominator, “The goal of RUYES is to increase the diversity of the biomedical workforce by providing participants an opportunity to receive hands-on cancer research training, participate in professional development and community outreach activities, and learn from scientific researchers who are devoted to preventing and curing cancer.” 

• Allan Peprah
  (Nominated By: Rose DiStefano - Undergraduate Programs)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Allan Peprah consistently embodies the spirit of career & self-development. As the nominator shared, “He spends his free time learning how to enhance his skills to increase his productivity in his current role, as well as prepare himself for his future career.” 

• Ashley Pierre
  (Nominated By: Chanelle Greene - Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology)
  
  Ashley Pierre has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in career & self-development and their willingness to go above and beyond. One nominator noted, “In times where the administrative coordinator of the department is absent, faculty are comfortable with asking Ashley questions knowing she will try her hardest to find the answer or help with any request.” 

• Brianna Fisher
  (Nominated By: Emily Fontaine - Center for Vector Biology Entomology Department )
  
  Brianna Fisher has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in career & self-development and their willingness to go above and beyond. Their nominator described, “While joining a laboratory without a typical lab background can be overwhelming, Brianna's eagerness to learn, punctuality, consistent reliability, proactive communication when seeking clarity, and the valuable ideas she contributes to improve our project are truly remarkable.” 

• Brielle Alina Dukes
  (Nominated By: Jelani (Jay) Dukes - Strategic Services IP&O)
  
  Brielle Alina Dukes has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in career & self-development and their willingness to go above and beyond. One nominator noted, “She prides herself on ensuring that each location’s brand identity and messaging are effectively represented across multiple platforms to an audience of students, alumni, faculty, and staff.” 

• Eesha Singh
  (Nominated By: Tom Cuthbert - Learning Centers)
  
  Eesha Singh has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. According to their nominator, “To prepare for her future in communications, she has joined the executive board of Rutgers TedX, applied for (and received) internships, worked at the International Emmy Awards, and recently joined the Learning Centers' inaugural student advisory board.” 

• Ege Canli
  (Nominated By: Christine Spassione - DIMACS (The Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science))
  
  Ege Canli has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in career & self-development and their willingness to go above and beyond. In the words of the nominator, “Also, while his supervisor was out for medical reasons a few times over his work here, he always kept her informed of where he stood with his tasks while she worked remotely.” 

• Erica Shabnam
  (Nominated By: Topher Sutton - Career Exploration and Success)
  
  Known for their impact in career & self-development, Erica Shabnam has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. As the nominator shared, “When she joined our team, she immediately jumped at multiple opportunities for advancement, including attending professional development opportunities, making connections with multiple full-time staff members in our office, and taking the lead in creating a 5-star customer service environment for our new CRIs.” 

• Gabriel Godoi De Lima
  (Nominated By: Lauren Ruiz - Procurement)
  
  Gabriel Godoi De Lima has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. One nominator noted, “He consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and a team-oriented mindset, always eager to contribute, offer innovative ideas, and display a genuine willingness to learn and grow.” 

• Jalen Davey
  (Nominated By: Marley Doring - Center for Communication and Health Issues/School of Communication and Information)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Jalen Davey consistently embodies the spirit of career & self-development. Their nominator described, “Recognizing the importance of effective communication, he leveraged his skills to design an educational poster articulating the campaign’s vision and purpose, prominently displayed in the school lobby to increase awareness.” 

• Janine Al-Zahiri
  (Nominated By: Courtney Kenney - Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Janine Al-Zahiri consistently embodies the spirit of career & self-development. In the words of the nominator, “However, her passion for supporting individuals with autism quickly became evident when she requested to get more involved, volunteering her time to work directly with our adults with autism—a challenging and deeply rewarding role.” 

• Johan Valbuena
  (Nominated By: Robin H. Diamond - SAS Office of Academic Services)
  
  Known for their impact in career & self-development, Johan Valbuena has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. According to their nominator, “His resume is a reflection of a student who methodically set out to prepare himself for his chosen career, by maximizing the many opportunities that are available to RU students in a way that stands out from the majority of his peers in sheer variety.” 

• Julia Jones
  (Nominated By: Julia Iannaccone - Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) )
  
  Julia Jones has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. Their nominator described, “As the younger sibling of an autistic adult brother, Julia Jones was inspired to pursue psychology cultivating a deep sense of empathy and awareness witnessing the service gaps that exist for autistic adults.” 

• Kaitlyn Adkins
  (Nominated By: Erin Comollo - Department of Family and Community Health Sciences)
  
  Kaitlyn Adkins has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. As the nominator shared, “She has coordinated with community partners and led a team of 7 interns to develop Food Pantry Directories for all 21 NJ counties for use in each county & to be featured in the NJ Food Systems Dashboard.” 

• Karisma Garcia
  (Nominated By: Dorothy Ahn - Linguistics)
  
  Known for their impact in career & self-development, Karisma Garcia has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. According to their nominator, “Not only is her work on point and excellent, but the fact that she developed this position completely on her own through her dedication and initiative is also inspiring.” 

• Kayla Gonzales
  (Nominated By: Coby Green-Rifkin - Rutgers Graduate School of Education/Office of Communication and Marketing)
  
  Known for their impact in career & self-development, Kayla Gonzales has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. One nominator noted, “She balances being a full-time honors student with two part-time jobs and dedicates time and energy to several Rutgers clubs/organizations including WRSU, The Rutgers Review, Spoon University, Highland Park Recorder Society (Scarlet PR), and the Asian American Cultural Club where she is a mentor.” 

• Nicholas Nguyen
  (Nominated By: Hunter Wells - Cell Biology & Neuroscience)
  
  Nicholas Nguyen has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. In the words of the nominator, “Some weeks, he’s had to aliquot viruses for future research use, while others he’s needed to help post-docs run histology on our tissue samples.” 

• Sam Williams 
  (Nominated By: Braily Bernaber - Recreation)
  
  Sam Williams has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. In the words of the nominator, “As a personal trainer, Sam has proven himself to be an outstanding communicator, consistently going above and beyond to help his clients achieve not only their fitness goals but also their emotional well-being.” 

• William Jacas-Alcantara
  (Nominated By: Trent Handlovsky - Engineering Computing Services)
  
  William Jacas-Alcantara has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in career & self-development and their willingness to go above and beyond. In the words of the nominator, “Our previous web developer left with little notice and Will was asked to learn web development to take over and he learned EXTREMELY quick and even help mitigate a pervasive web server attack.” 

• Yoali Vargas
  (Nominated By: Ali Imran Shaikh - Division of Diversity, Inclusion, & Community Engagement)
  
  Yoali Vargas has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of career & self-development, as noted by their nominator. Their nominator described, “In her meetings with me and with her supervisor, Jason Brandon, she asks targeted questions to get a better understanding of what it is like for younger people who have entered the job market in the last 10 years.” 

• Zonghong Liu
  (Nominated By: Salim El Rouayheb - ECE)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Zonghong Liu consistently embodies the spirit of career & self-development. Their nominator described, “His enthusiasm for teaching extended beyond scheduled office hours—he made himself readily available to students, accommodating their requests for additional help and fostering an inclusive, supportive learning environment.” 

Winner: Adeyeni Adeleke
Nominated by: Janet O'Beirne – Rutgers Inn and Conference Center

Adeyeni Adeleke exemplifies the NACE competency of Communication through her commitment to excellence and growth. Adeyeni consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As her nominator noted, “Adeyeni demonstrates exceptional communication skills in her role as a front desk clerk at the Rutgers Inn, ensuring that every guest receives clear, helpful, and welcoming service.” They added, “Adeyeni’s communication extends beyond guest interactions—she collaborates seamlessly with fellow student workers across different shifts, fostering a strong sense of teamwork.” They concluded, “Her ability to convey details in a friendly and professional manner enhances the guest experience, making them feel informed and valued.”

Featured Communication Nominees:

• Erica Lodenquai
  (Nominated By: Len Garrison - SMLR Dean's Office)
  
  Erica Lodenquai has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in communication and their willingness to go above and beyond. In the words of the nominator, “Erica has done a great job streamlining communication by creating some uniformed coloring and brand image for our office promotional materials.” 

• Esther Agyare
  (Nominated By: Kayleigh Ford - Dance)
  
  Esther Agyare has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of communication, as noted by their nominator. In the words of the nominator, “Esther has proven herself to be an extremely hard worker, enthusiastic about telling the story of MGSA Dance, and willing to throw all of her creativity into specific assigned projects.” 

• Fatoumata Niangado
  (Nominated By: Julie Ann Glaz-Bopp - Education and Training)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Fatoumata Niangado consistently embodies the spirit of communication. Their nominator described, “Fatima is also excellent at working within our team, asking questions and making suggestions, as well as being open to constructive criticism.” 

• Isabelle Cohen
  (Nominated By: Susan Bennett - Career Exploration and Success)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Isabelle Cohen consistently embodies the spirit of communication. As the nominator shared, “In the final course evaluation, a student noted that Izzy “encouraged students to interact with others and work together to develop ideas or share ideas, facilitate learning, communication, and teamwork skills.” Izzy’s growth in the Communication competency, both in her instruction and in her engagement with students and colleagues, set her apart as an exemplary Peer Instructor.” 

• Jason D'Amato
  (Nominated By: Marley Doring - School of Communication and Informaiton/Center for Communication and Health Issues)
  
  Jason D'Amato has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in communication and their willingness to go above and beyond. According to their nominator, “Since August 2024, he has developed a relationship between The CORE radio station and the Center for Communication and Health Issues to spread messages about Collegiate Recovery with the purpose of normalizing college students living in recovery from substance use disorder.” 

• Jesenia Delgado
  (Nominated By: Edie Prescod - Douglass Residential College Office of the Dean)
  
  Jesenia Delgado has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of communication, as noted by their nominator. As the nominator shared, “One example where she demonstrated excellent communication skills is when she called a potential convocation speaker and after talking, they accepted the invitation to speak at the Douglass Convocation.” 

• Kristina Cvijanovic
  (Nominated By: Nicole Williams - University Registrar)
  
  Kristina Cvijanovic has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of communication, as noted by their nominator. According to their nominator, “I only met Kris when I began RU in January and her ability to communicate professionally has continued in impress me.” 

• Mason Springer-Lipton
  (Nominated By: Kamal Khan - ODASIS)
  
  Known for their impact in communication, Mason Springer-Lipton has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. As the nominator shared, “Throughout the process he was dedicated toward creating the best product: one that would celebrate ODASIS’s mission, the successes of diverse medical professionals, and would educate others on unique healthcare careers.” 

• Melanie Tan
  (Nominated By: Andrea Rydel - Honors College)
  
  Known for their impact in communication, Melanie Tan has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. As the nominator shared, “Melanie has worked with me for two years, with a significant focus on two mission-critical tasks: crafting concise content for our weekly opportunity email, and organizing and sourcing reputable content for our canvas site, providing resources to help our Honors College students thrive as scholars.” 

• Pinxuan (Alina) Yu
  (Nominated By: Erica J. Friedman, PhD - Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement)
  
  Known for their impact in communication, Pinxuan (Alina) Yu has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. According to their nominator, “Some major, new efforts she developed and contributed to are: • new graphics to communicate our mission and capacity-building opportunities on social media • a new initiative in which she brilliantly edits and adds captioning to video content from all of our programs to share with wider audiences; • email templates for outreach to campus partners; • a database kept updated with key campus stakeholders’ contact information; • a professionally filmed interview with the new TCC director.” 

• Yingchun Xu
  (Nominated By: David A. Love - Journalism and Media Studies)
  
  Yingchun Xu has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of communication, as noted by their nominator. One nominator noted, “In keeping with her cross-cultural competency and interdisciplinary approach, Yingchun is conducting an ethnography and fieldwork research project that examines the implications of digital algorithms on the Akha people, an indigenous group in Thailand and in China.”

Winner: Emily Ro
Nominated by: Zac Lomas – Student Centers & Activities

Emily Ro exemplifies the NACE competency of Critical Thinking through her commitment to excellence and growth. Emily consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As her nominator noted, “Her capacity to juggle complex tasks in a fast-paced setting highlights her refined critical thinking and decision-making abilities, ensuring the Busch Student Center runs smoothly and efficiently.” They added, “Emily Ro exemplifies the NACE competency of Critical Thinking through her role as an Area Manager at the Busch Student Center.” They concluded, “She has consistently honed her critical thinking skills in preparation for her future career in healthcare administration.”

Featured Critical Thinking Nominees:

• Andrew Lin
  (Nominated By: Natalia Jouan - AIS)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Andrew Lin consistently embodies the spirit of critical thinking. One nominator noted, “I have no doubt that Andrew will continue to excel in whatever he sets his mind to, and I highly recommend him for any opportunity that comes his way.” 

• Caroline Saunders
  (Nominated By: Lori L. Smith - Student Centers and Activities)
  
  Caroline Saunders has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of critical thinking, as noted by their nominator. As the nominator shared, “A main component of this review is to determine if the student organization mission statement, as written in their submitted constitution, is consistent with the University mission/goals, university non discrimination clauses, and is unique enough from existing organizations (over 800) to warrant institutional support.” 

• Demyana Gerges
  (Nominated By: Elaine Connors - Biomedical Engineering)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Demyana Gerges consistently embodies the spirit of critical thinking. One nominator noted, “Her insight to what was needed in order to bring up to date regarding current classes, electives and registration requirements was vital to completing.” 

• Isabel R. Holland
  (Nominated By: Peter Mickulas - Rutgers University Press)
  
  Isabel R. Holland has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of critical thinking, as noted by their nominator. Their nominator described, “Holland has worked here as an undergraduate intern, she has been willing to immerse herself in the tasks of running our editorial program and eager to learn about publishing as an industry.” 

• Michelle Golcer
  (Nominated By: Dan Bello - Digital Classroom Services)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Michelle Golcer consistently embodies the spirit of critical thinking. As the nominator shared, “However, she truly shines as a Help Desk Support Specialist, where her exceptional interpersonal skills keep situations calm and reassure faculty they are in capable hands.” 

• Rufus Muthusamy
  (Nominated By: Peter Shergalis - IPO- Material Services)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Rufus Muthusamy consistently embodies the spirit of critical thinking. As the nominator shared, “This young man exhibits a calm demeanor in face of rude customers, is always reliable and has been a steadying influence on the other student workers as many of our student employees have never worked before and don't understand what is required in a professional space.”

Winner: Jenna Juma
Nominated by: Christopher Manente – Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services

Jenna Juma exemplifies the NACE competency of Equity and Inclusion through her commitment to excellence and growth. Jenna consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As her nominator noted, “Juma has had a profound impact on the workplace culture of the RCAAS by centering her practice on decolonizing work environments and clinical services in a field where underrepresentation of racial and ethnic diversity can have a measurable impact on treatment outcomes.” They added, “As a Doctoral Research Assistant at the RCAAS, Jenna Juma has led the creation of ELEVATE (Empower Leaders, Enhance Voices, Advance True Equity), a staff advocacy group by and for RCAAS staff who belong to minority racial and ethnic groups.” They concluded, “Juma’s work satisfies the NACE ‘Equity and Inclusion’ competency.”

Featured Equity & Inclusion Nominees:

• Abhiram Kandukuri
  (Nominated By: Karolline Costa-Chen - SAS DLS ODASIS)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Abhiram Kandukuri consistently embodies the spirit of equity & inclusion. According to their nominator, “Here at ODASIS, we have a mission statement of increasing the number of minority students in STEM and pre-health careers, and we have been proud that Abhi has played a crucial role in their journey.” 

• Amna Khatana
  (Nominated By: Shelby Wardlaw - Writing Program/English Dept)
  
  Amna Khatana has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of equity & inclusion, as noted by their nominator. One nominator noted, “I focused on equity and inclusion because, as an EOF student, work/study student and first-generation college student, Amna is looking to increase opportunities for herself and others to receive more sustaining federal funds.”

Winner: Renee Procaccini
Nominated by: Daniel Espejel Blas – Student Centers and Activities

Renee Procaccini exemplifies the NACE competency of Leadership through her commitment to excellence and growth. Renee consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As her nominator noted, “Understanding the importance of professional development, she has organized impactful workshops, including professional headshot sessions at the Busch Student Center and a resume workshop featuring a Career Services representative.” They added, “Professionalism: Renee's leadership in fostering a collaborative and professional environment, as well as her ability to organize impactful events and workshops, demonstrates a strong work ethic.” They concluded, “Through her dedication, countless hours of work, and innovative strategies, she has transformed the Rutgers Zone into a thriving hub for students, fostering both professional and social growth.”

Featured Leadership Nominees:

• Carolina Ramos Bonilla
  (Nominated By: Mashaunda Johnson - MPS/ SEED2S)
  
  Carolina Ramos Bonilla has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in leadership and their willingness to go above and beyond. Their nominator described, “Carolina has played a pivotal role in a variety of projects, from website development and program cohort assistance to event coordination and Data Science department research and auditing.” 

• Jessie Garcia
  (Nominated By: LouAnne Greenwald - Zimmerli Art Museum)
  
  Jessie Garcia has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in leadership and their willingness to go above and beyond. As the nominator shared, “As a Master of Social Work student at Rutgers, she sees the value and application of using her bilingual language skills to not only support the Zimmerli’s goal to engage the local community but also to gain valuable hands-on experience that will support her research and area of specialization.” 

• Keiara Chapman- Cole
  (Nominated By: Jade Sanders - Learning Centers )
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Keiara Chapman- Cole consistently embodies the spirit of leadership. In the words of the nominator, “She has been a center supervisor for only a year and a half, but her presence is prominent, and she is often asked to train new employees so they can model her level of professionalism.” 

• Keisha Alexandre
  (Nominated By: Felicia Halligan - Psychology/Child Study/Child Development Center)
  
  Keisha Alexandre has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in leadership and their willingness to go above and beyond. One nominator noted, “In a full-time, lead teacher’s absence, Keisha has led daily circle time, art and music activities for ten 1 and 2-year-olds (veteran teachers can find these activities daunting for this age group).” 

• Kyra Stolarski
  (Nominated By: Rebecca Bastuga - Recreation)
  
  Kyra Stolarski has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in leadership and their willingness to go above and beyond. Their nominator described, “This process includes peer feedback, self-assessments, and regular performance evaluations, ensuring that our instructors receive the support they need to thrive in their roles and provide exceptional instruction to the children enrolled in the program.” 

• Meredith Proctor
  (Nominated By: Carolyn Nalewajko - CMSI)
  
  Meredith Proctor has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of leadership, as noted by their nominator. As the nominator shared, “When new student workers were hired, Meredith developed a student job manual (attached) detailing the responsibilities of the Communication assistant role, helping the new students make a smooth transition into their new role at the Center.” 

• Natalie Civadelic
  (Nominated By: Eileen Hallman - Career Exploration and Success)
  
  Natalie Civadelic has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of leadership, as noted by their nominator. According to their nominator, “She received high marks in all categories, but of particular interest for the leadership competency are her perfect marks for her students viewing her as a role model both at RU at large and specifically within her topic (journalism and media studies).” 

• Nathan Thach
  (Nominated By: RoseMarie DiStefano - Undergraduate Programs)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Nathan Thach consistently embodies the spirit of leadership. Their nominator described, “He is always finding creative ways to provide a platform for students to connect and engage with RBS.” 

• Rushd Syed
  (Nominated By: Jamie Liao - Computer Science)
  
  Rushd Syed has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in leadership and their willingness to go above and beyond. According to their nominator, “Rushd has grown tremendously this past year as he learned key leadership skills, such as getting team buy-in, making decisions, planning long term events, and communicating as a leader.” 

• Sara Hanafi
  (Nominated By: Heather Ngoma - Graduate School of Education)
  
  Sara Hanafi has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in leadership and their willingness to go above and beyond. As the nominator shared, “Sara not only produces an accurate report, she also identifies any problems that she notices in the data or process and brings them to the attention of the team to inform a smoother process or better data organization in the future.”

Winner: Nihar Biradar
Nominated by: Chris Mystkowski – University Finance and Administration/Systems Operations and Support

Nihar Biradar exemplifies the NACE competency of Professionalism through his commitment to excellence and growth. Nihar consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As his nominator noted, “He clearly articulated the potential improvement in a professional manner displaying his regular, tangible degree of enthusiasm that reflected both confidence in himself, his proposed solution and a drive to improve the process.” They added, “Later that day working collaboratively with another team member he successfully implemented the highly detailed solution that both improved stability and processing time.” They concluded, “Here are some ways in which Nihar regularly demonstrates professional work habits: regularly demonstrates a high standard of performance, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently, within schedule and beyond expectations.”

Featured Professionalism Nominees:

• Adrianna Titone
  (Nominated By: Lindsey Ludwinski - Student Health Insurance Office-Risk Management)
  
  Adrianna Titone has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of professionalism, as noted by their nominator. In the words of the nominator, “She has a special way of communicating and helping students stay calm when things don't seem to be going right.” 

• Anika Kapoor
  (Nominated By: Andrew Olsen - Voorhees Transportation Center)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Anika Kapoor consistently embodies the spirit of professionalism. As the nominator shared, “I think she will excel at whatever comes next in her career and she has added a great deal of value to VTC and continues to do so.” 

• Aysha Ponna 
  (Nominated By: Emily Fontaine - Center for Vector Biology Entomology Department)
  
  Known for their impact in professionalism, Aysha Ponna has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. One nominator noted, “One good example of her attention to detail, is recently while I was calculating the amount of reagents needed to extract tick DNA I made a small calculator error that Aysha picked up on right away, helping us to perform a successful experiment.” 

• Dhyanashri Raman
  (Nominated By: Rebecca Clapp - Learning Centers)
  
  Known for their impact in professionalism, Dhyanashri Raman has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. One nominator noted, “They have helped to support the Peer Leader Training Program by creating resources for students in our Pedagogy Course.” 

• Emily Trujillo
  (Nominated By: Dominik Zechner - German Studies)
  
  Known for their impact in professionalism, Emily Trujillo has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. One nominator noted, “The student has revised, copy-edited, proofread, and polished various scholarly publications including book-length studies; she has also organized roundtables for various publications and made stellar contributions to the critical discussion of faculty scholarship and research.” 

• Jafreisy Garcia
  (Nominated By: Louis Carlat - Thomas A. Edison Papers)
  
  Jafreisy Garcia has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in professionalism and their willingness to go above and beyond. As the nominator shared, “However, her personal commitments to excellence and taking responsibility within a team will serve her well in nearly any professional line she chooses to follow.” 

• Joanna Liput
  (Nominated By: Nikole Marchese - Career Exploration and Success)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Joanna Liput consistently embodies the spirit of professionalism. In the words of the nominator, “Even she didn’t have the answer the moment… she made the effort to find the information and send an email.” Another student noted how helpful Joanna was, “She was always open to share advice and stories, and genuinely made me feel mor prepared for my academic career going forward.” In the Fall of 2024, I had the privilege of supervising Joanna directly.” 

• Jonathan Julian
  (Nominated By: Evelyn Arana - Department of Medicine, Rutgers Cancer Institute)
  
  Jonathan Julian has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in professionalism and their willingness to go above and beyond. One nominator noted, “His hard work led to an abstract acceptance for an oral presentation at the American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) annual conference in Philadelphia (his presentation is scheduled for April 7, 2025)—an outstanding achievement for an undergraduate student.” 

• Karime Henriquez
  (Nominated By: Edward Tillman - Student Accounting Services)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Karime Henriquez consistently embodies the spirit of professionalism. One nominator noted, “Since joining our team, Karime has shown a strong desire for self-improvement, by actively seeking out training, mentorship, and feedback opportunities to enhance her skills and knowledge.” 

• Lia Vanshteyn
  (Nominated By: Chitra Ponnusamy - Food Science)
  
  Known for their impact in professionalism, LIA VANSHTEYN has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. In the words of the nominator, “Her leadership extends to founding the Rutgers Cheese Club, serving as Vice President of the Rutgers Food Science Club, and contributing to the George Street Co-Op and IFT Smart Snacks Development Team.” 

• Luke Newmann
  (Nominated By: Patricia Dooley Budsock - Psychiatry/317 George St Suite 105)
  
  Luke Newmann has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in professionalism and their willingness to go above and beyond. In the words of the nominator, “He also completed an internship with division faculty on a research project which required him to take on the role of field interviewer for a project aiming to understand the needs of unhoused individuals in New Jersey.” 

• Maryam Mendez
  (Nominated By: Heather Hommel - Recreation)
  
  Maryam Mendez has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in professionalism and their willingness to go above and beyond. Their nominator described, “This was the first time in my 13 years at the university that I found a student at that point in their university career ready to take on such high level of responsibility at such a young age.” 

• Michael Thomas-Kutchie
  (Nominated By: Joan Bankole-Jones - Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Michael Thomas-Kutchie consistently embodies the spirit of professionalism. One nominator noted, “As a member, he serves on the Campus Appeals Committee, a panel of students, faculty, and staff, who hears the appeals of student who have violated the Rutgers academic or conduct policy.” 

• Perptwa Khalil
  (Nominated By: Courtney Flak - Office of the Registrar )
  
  Perptwa Khalil has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of professionalism, as noted by their nominator. One nominator noted, “She is always willing to help, whether going downstairs to pick up forms from OneStop or bringing down documents for student pickup, further demonstrating her commitment to supporting the Registrar's Office.” 

• Raffi Nalbandian
  (Nominated By: Natalia Jouan - AIS)
  
  Raffi Nalbandian has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in professionalism and their willingness to go above and beyond. As the nominator shared, “Beyond his work ethic, Raffi is always willing to lend a helping hand to others, offering assistance with a positive attitude and a genuine desire to contribute.”

Winner: Qiyuan Tang
Nominated by: Susan Panacek – UFA-Procurement Services

Qiyuan Tang exemplifies the NACE competency of Teamwork through his commitment to excellence and growth. Qiyuan consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As his nominator noted, "His studies equip him with valuable skills in supplier management, cost analysis, and strategic sourcing, which directly enhance his ability to support procurement and vendor relationships." They added, "Qiyuan aka Tony is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Supply Chain, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning and growth in the field." They concluded, "He works seamlessly across all our groups to make sure end-users get the support they need, always going the extra mile to find solutions."

Featured Teamwork Nominees:

• Annie Zheng
  (Nominated By: Jennifer Guarino - MGSA - Music)
  
  Known for their impact in teamwork, Annie Zheng has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. Their nominator described, “I hope she can be recognized for all the work she does to advance Rutgers' mission and contribute to a supportive, efficient, and welcoming environment for students, faculty, and staff.” 

• Celeste Reed
  (Nominated By: Glenn S. Loyola - Livingston Dining Commons)
  
  Known for their impact in teamwork, Celeste Reed has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. As the nominator shared, “always, care with the company's goal and help everyone in need.” 

• Dylan Heller
  (Nominated By: Justin Healy - Rutgers IP&O - 911 Communications Center)
  
  Known for their impact in teamwork, Dylan Heller has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. Their nominator described, “Always ready to lend a hand, he reminds everyone why they chose this field in the first place, inspiring the entire team to strive for excellence while supporting each other every step of the way.” 

• Isabella Youngberg
  (Nominated By: Janet Lupo - Pharmacy Practice & Administration)
  
  Isabella Youngberg has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in teamwork and their willingness to go above and beyond. In the words of the nominator, “Some of the tedious work she has done: filing and storing away the (Janet to fill in) incoming and returning Post-Doctoral PharmD and MD Fellows; assist many of the Fellows at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Conference; designed and executed an organizational system creating and configuring endless pamphlets for conferences (ASHP, APHA, DIA, etc.), local conference, and pharmacy school visits across the country for 47 other fellows.” 

• Jenna Desimone
  (Nominated By: Erin Comollo - Department of Family and Community Health Sciences)
  
  Known for their impact in teamwork, Jenna Desimone has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. One nominator noted, “In all my experiences working with Jenna, she has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic, active and assertive communication, self-advocacy, and a passion for nutrition and research.” 

• Joyce Li
  (Nominated By: Howaida Wahby Eraky - English Department)
  
  Joyce Li has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of teamwork, as noted by their nominator. One nominator noted, “Joyce Li has been an integral part of our program, which serves international multilingual nonmatriculated students, excelling in teamwork while exemplifying professionalism, communication, and equity and inclusion.” 

• Kayley Gutierrez
  (Nominated By: Mashaunda Johnson - SAS - SEED2S)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Kayley Gutierrez consistently embodies the spirit of teamwork. According to their nominator, “Whether it’s assisting with program logistics, coordinating initiatives, or tackling new responsibilities, Kayley always approaches her work with professionalism and a problem-solving mindset.” 

• Kristina Cvijanovic
  (Nominated By: Olivia Mezzarina - Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs)
  
  Known for their impact in teamwork, Kristina Cvijanovic has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. In the words of the nominator, “Kris is a hard worker, juggling both her in-office duties and the academic expectations of her junior year of college with ease and a good attitude.” 

• Kristina Cvijanovic
  (Nominated By: Les Cole - University Registrar)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Kristina Cvijanovic consistently embodies the spirit of teamwork. In the words of the nominator, “Her hard work and attention to detail to ensure the catalog is accurate and efficient does not go unnoticed.” 

• Kristina Cvijanovic
  (Nominated By: Les Cole - Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs)
  
  Kristina Cvijanovic has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in teamwork and their willingness to go above and beyond. Their nominator described, “Kris is always very helpful and through while assisting reviewing information in our catalogs to ensure they are update and accurate.” 

• Lisbeth Sabala Polanco
  (Nominated By: Tracy Reid - RBHS- EOHSI )
  
  Lisbeth Sabala Polanco has demonstrated a unique ability to grow and succeed in the area of teamwork, as noted by their nominator. Their nominator described, “She is always ready to jump in and assist any of our staff members- from our physicians and nurses to our front desk and administrative professionals- and is highly valued as a member of our team.” 

• Priya Ramani
  (Nominated By: Susan Bennett - Career Exploration and Success)
  
  Known for their impact in teamwork, Priya Ramani has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. Their nominator described, “After spending her first days on the job supporting our 3-day student training, she provided daily assistance to 82 FIGS Peer Instructors (PIs) this fall, fulfilling supply requests and monitoring their progress on administrative tasks like course attendance and grading.” 

• Tikvah Shapiro
  (Nominated By: Sydnee Weinberg - Recreation)
  
  Tikvah Shapiro has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in teamwork and their willingness to go above and beyond. According to their nominator, “They are willing to go above and beyond to help out at events like RU Strong and monthly Bench Press Club tests.”

Winner: Sarah Ramos
Nominated by: Ed Smith – University Libraries / Central IT

Sarah Ramos exemplifies the NACE competency of Technology through her commitment to excellence and growth. Sarah consistently demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a desire to make a positive impact within the team and broader community. As her nominator noted, "Most recently, her Zoom Rooms training video and documentation will be used by the Libraries fac/staff on all campuses as we transition our conference rooms and teaching spaces to the new technology." They added, "In addition, Sarah developed training flyers for our fac/staff emphasizing the importance of using shared Box and OneDrive folders for institutional data storage using Canva." They concluded, "Sarah has displayed remarkable initiative and problem-solving skills by developing several PowerShell scripts that have significantly improved our operations."

Featured Technology Nominees:

• Abigail Rubino
  (Nominated By: Keith Mickolajczyk - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Abigail Rubino consistently embodies the spirit of technology. According to their nominator, “She learned this new technology on her own (no one in my lab had done it before, myself included), taking it from concept to tangible result via her own hard work and dedication.” 

• Adan Cohen
  (Nominated By: Richard Brown - Rutgers University Engineering Undergraduate Education )
  
  Whether in their day-to-day role or larger departmental initiatives, Adan Cohen consistently embodies the spirit of technology. According to their nominator, “All of these skills greatly improved the quality of each student's project and effectively communicated tips and suggestions that each student could use to improve their own technological skills.” 

• Adriana Nguyen
  (Nominated By: Alexandra Walczak - Division of Life Sciences)
  
  Known for their impact in technology, Adriana Nguyen has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. According to their nominator, “When we switched to a new platform this academic year, she piloted the new system and created step-by-step instructions for students to follow for a more straightforward first-day setup.” 

• Chelsea Sisule
  (Nominated By: Rebeca Santiago - Anatomical Association)
  
  Known for their impact in technology, Chelsea Sisule has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. Their nominator described, “• Although Chelsea’s experience with the NJ-Electronic Death Registration System is limited, she quickly became proficient in using this online software program provided by the State of New Jersey to print death certificates for each donor file of those donated to our program.” 

• Jannatul Mustari
  (Nominated By: Christine Spassione - DIMACS (The Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science))
  
  Known for their impact in technology, Jannatul Mustari has distinguished themselves through their contributions and drive. Their nominator described, “Jannatul Mustari, in her 3rd year with DIMACS as a Federal Work Study student, supports our center by assisting the Publicity Coordinator for DIMACS/CCICADA with: 1) Updating the weekly calendar with seminar titles and abstracts on web page/print/email; 2) Updating workshop webpage with abstracts for talks and distribute via web page/print/email; 3) Act as administrator to clear/discard the many admin requests for email lists; 4) Send email blasts; 5) Update links, fix errors, etc.” 

• Rishabh Narayanan
  (Nominated By: Zeeshan Ahmed - Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. )
  
  Rishabh Narayanan has made a meaningful impression through their commitment to excellence in technology and their willingness to go above and beyond. According to their nominator, “During technology development, he participated in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (AI/ML) pipeline for the novel biomarker discovery and disease prediction i.e., IntelliGenes, and bioinformatics application for variant discovery and disease annotation i.e., VAREANT.”