Incentives award recipients embody Michigan Engineering’s creativity, innovation and daring
Program celebrates those who went above and beyond to improve campus culture.
Michigan Engineering News
What does it mean to live by our community’s values? The staff and faculty selected for the 2019 incentives program are excellent examples.
This fall marked the second year of a Michigan Engineering 2020 strategic vision initiative that rewards and recognizes staff and faculty who have demonstrated creativity, innovation and daring in helping the College build its culture.
“Staff recipients have created new programs to support our values across the College, advanced our DEI efforts, and provided more opportunities for professional development. Our staff continue to step up and find ways to make our campus culture even better,” said Deborah Mero, the senior executive director of Resource Planning and Management.
“Now in its second year, the recipients of the 2019 faculty incentives have gone above and beyond in demonstrating Michigan Engineering values through their research, teaching, and service,” said Michael Wellman, associate dean for Academic Affairs and the Lynn A. Conway Collegiate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering.
Here are a few examples of this year’s faculty recipients:
Anouck Girard – Girard, an associate professor of aerospace engineering, has been nominated for her pre-K12 outreach efforts. Among other innovations, she has invented a Harry Potter Quidditch-inspired quadcopter game that has hosted 750 participants in two years, Wizarding-World-themed math curriculum for elementary schools, and invented a program for high school students – co-taught with CLASP – in which student-built rovers race through a pitfall-laced maze.
Joi Mondisa – To create a greater feeling of belonging, Mondisa advises and mentors the Black Industrial Engineers (BIndx) Program. Monthly, she meets with 30 IOE students to discuss student needs and concerns, and her project team will create a mentoring curriculum. They also plan to develop and instruct a half-day faculty workshop that features insights and tips about under-represented minority student-faculty mentoring programs. Mondisa is an assistant professor of industrial and operations engineering.
David Singer – Singer, an associate professor of naval architecture and marine engineering, championed the first major NAME curriculum overhaul since 2000, aiming to provide students with greater course offerings and more experiential learning opportunities. The feedback to the revamped curriculum has been very positive from students and industrial leaders on our advisory board.
Complete list of faculty recipients:
- Anouck Girard, associate professor of aerospace engineering
- Cindy Finelli, director of engineering education research and professor of electrical engineering and computer science
- David Dowling, professor of mechanical engineering
- Nancy Love, Borchardt and Glysson Collegiate Professor and professor of civil and environmental engineering
- Raj Nadakuditi, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science
- Wei Lu, professor of mechanical engineering
- Allison Steiner, professor of climate and space sciences and engineering
- Joi Mondisa, assistant professor of industrial and operations engineering
- Steve Yalisove, professor of materials science and engineering
- Mark Moldwin, Arthur F Thurnau Professor and professor of climate and space sciences and engineering
- Albert Shih, professor of mechanical engineering
- David Singer, associate professor of naval architecture and marine engineering
- Perry Samson, Arthur F Thurnau Professor and professor of climate and space sciences and engineering
- Angela Violi, professor of mechanical engineering
- Robin Fowler, Stephanie Sheffield, and Laura Alford, technical communication & NAME
The following are a few examples of this year’s staff recipients:
Stacie Edington – Aligned with Michigan Engineering’s Experiential Learning Framework Initiative, Edington has been a core team member in the redesign of ENGR110 through the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching’s foundational course initiative. With a focus on “Designing Your Engineering Experience,” the redesign effort for this large course aims to empower every Michigan Engineering undergraduate to pursue academic, professional, and personal experiences that leverage their strengths and ignite their passions.
Kirk Lawrence – In a year of organizational transition with many challenges, Lawrence resiliently continued to go above and beyond. As a member of multiple teams, he is always willing to do what is needed despite the diverse demands on his time. In particular, his dedication to finding solutions and making improvements, along with his attention to detail and technical expertise, ensures that online courses can be successfully delivered each term, including evaluating options to ensure American with Disabilities Act compliance.
Denise Edmund – Edmund actively lives the values of the Robotics Institute and the College of Engineering. She cares deeply for the students, and they care deeply for her. Students know they can come to Edmund to talk about anything, and she will go out of her way to make sure their needs are cared for. If she doesn’t know an answer, she makes sure the students are connected with the correct resources to get the answer. Edmund is always willing to pitch in and help, even when tasks aren’t strictly part of her job description. Her dedication to Collegiality and Collaboration helps make the Robotics staff such a strong team.
Complete list of staff recipients:
| Alyssa Bersine, ADGE | Debbie Eddy, CLaSP | Kirk Lawrence, ISD | April Hays, OSA |
| Joanne Navarre, ADR | Martha (Marti) Moon, CLaSP | Rachael Hamilton, ISD | David Betts, OSA |
| Karen Revill, ADUE | Shun Han, CLaSP | Don Lambert, IT | Jennifer Taylor, OSA |
| Megan Langille, ADUE | Linda Randolph, EECS | Jim Rennell, IT | Tiffany Porties, OSA |
| Nicholas Julius, ADUE | Chris Firlik, CSE | Rose Moya, IT | Chanda Doxie, RPM |
| Stacie Edington, ADUE | Cynthia Estell, CSE | Tom Knox, IT | Lisa Campbell, RPM |
| December Therrien, Advancement | Rose Sherry, CSE | Adam Mael, ME | Paul Gorny, RPM |
| Hannah McKenley, Advancement | Steve Crang, CSE | Caroline Soyars, ME | Jamie Moore, UMTRI |
| Jessica Jones, AERO | Barb Rice, ECE | Karen Durigon, ME | Jennifer Zakrajsek, UMTRI |
| Kimberly Johnson, AERO | Catharine June, ECE | Makenzie Wireman, ME | Mark Gilbert, UMTRI |
| Erik Keup, BME | Hayley Hanway, ECE | Nick Cantu, ME | Mary Lynn Buonarosa, UMTRI |
| Jennifer Rieger, BME | Jennifer Honeycutt, ECE | William Lim, ME | Mauriat Miranda, UMTRI |
| Rohit Maramraju, BME | John Feldkamp, ECE | Renee Hilgendorf, MSE | Sheila M Ebert-Hamilton, UMTRI |
| Levi Hutmacher, C&M | Kathy Austin, ECE | Todd Richardson, MSE | Zonda Ketola, UMTRI |
| Amy Shepherd, CEE | Laura Charlick, ERC-Biointerfaces | Warren Noone, NAME | |
| Steve Donajkowski, CEE | Brandon Woo, ERC-LNF | Fabian Naab, NERS | |
| Divya Patil Hangargekar, CFE | Shawn Wright, ERC-LNF | Jennifer Melms, NERS | |
| Connie Bacus, ChemE | Denise Edmund, ERC-Robotics | Suzanne Baker, NERS | |
| Huimin Ponchart, ChemE | Chris Konrad, IOE | Yvonne Morris, NEXUS | |
| Mary Beth Westin, ChemE | Teresa Maldonado, IOE | Zaimi Nordin, NEXUS |
The faculty and staff incentives program was piloted in the fall of 2018, and continues as a way to encourage and champion those who are dedicated to bettering the College. Learn more about Michigan Engineering’s 2020 Strategic Vision.