EPICC Awards Winners

Excellence

• Kathryn Caggiano

  Kathryn Caggiano, professor of practice and associate dean for M.Eng. programs, was recognized for how she embodies integrity and upholds the highest ethical standards in her leadership. A recent achievement included creating a path forward for M.Eng. admissions to continue with minimal disruption in the days following a significant, impactful decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Jake Cornelius

  Jake Cornelius, the instructional technology specialist in Systems Engineering, was awarded for embracing ambiguity, innovation, and being excellent and outstanding in all aspects of his service.

• Qiaojuan Shi

  Qiaojuan Shi, research support specialist in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was selected for her commitment to producing distinctive results of exceptional quality and for leading by example, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability that motivates others to strive for the highest standards in their own work.

• Alan Zehnder

  Alan Zehnder, professor and senior associate dean for undergraduate programs, was recognized for demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusion and belonging throughout his career while rolling up his sleeves to do the important work he expects of his faculty colleagues.

Purpose

• Christopher Alabi

  Christopher Alabi, associate professor and director of graduate programs in the R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering was honored for his work to ensure the success of the school’s graduate program by transforming its milestones and requirements.

• Ben Cosgrove

  Ben Cosgrove, associate professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was selected for his ability to communicate research priorities convincingly and in a manner that values everyone’s contributions, creating a framework that will lead to more such efforts in the future.

• Allison Godwin

  Allison Godwin, the Dr. G. Stephen Irwin ’67, ’68 Professor of Engineering Education Research in the R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was awarded for fully embracing her purpose-driven mission of incorporating inclusive engineering education pedagogies in the classroom, promoting engineering workforce development, and understanding engineering identity development to increase successful outcomes for students who are underrepresented in the engineering field.

• Belinda Whisman

  Belinda Whisman, graduate student services coordinator in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was recognized for her commitment to supporting nearly 300 students with the same highly-quality customer service to each student as she did when she started with four Ph.D. students 20 years ago.

Innovation

• Rose Howard

  Rose Howard, assistant to the director for the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, won for applying new and more efficient systems to the school and her innovative contributions to college-wide initiatives.

• Hadas Ritz

  Hadas Ritz, senior lecturer for the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was cited for her bold and innovative transformation of  the engineering math sequence.

Community

•  José Martínez

  José Martínez, the Lee Teng-hui Professor and senior associate dean for academic affairs and diversity, won for how he embodies the core values on a daily basis through his thoughtful leadership, presence, compassion, curiosity, and highly collaborative spirit. His deep commitment to belonging and inclusion has fostered a stronger Cornell Engineering community.

• Leslie Meyerhoff

  Leslie Meyerhoff, director of administration in the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, was honored for her deep commitment treating others with respect and communicating in a way that shows she values the contributions of everyone in the school.

• Jen Micale

  Jen Micale, director of the M.Eng. program support services, won for building community and trust through serving and recognizing others and influencing  a positive, growth-oriented atmosphere on her team.

• Tony Roach

  Tony Roach, director of administration in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was recognized for his work in Cornell’s veteran community, including volunteering his time as house fellow for the Student Veteran House and providing mentorship to the residents.

Collaboration

• Alison Dollaway, Tobias Hanrath, Matt Paszek, Karen Prosser, Thom Quinn, James Tanaka and Qiuming Yu

  Alison Dollaway, Tobias Hanrath, Matt Paszek, Karen Prosser, Thom Quinn, James Tanaka and Qiuming Yu of the R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Safety Team, which includes faculty and staff from the school and the college facilities team, won for working tirelessly to enhance and transform the school’s safety standards, practices and culture.

• Dzenana Javor

  Dzenana Javor, lead finance in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was honored for being an invaluable collaborative resource, always ready to lend a hand or share her expertise, both in the school and with others throughout the college.

• Lara Estroff and Marjolein van der Meulen

  Lara Estroff, the Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor of Industrial Chemistry and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Marjolein van der Meulen, the Swanson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and associate vice provost for research and innovation, were recognized for their work to recognize, promote, and build upon the 140-year legacy of women in engineering at Cornell.

• Dawn Warren

  Dawn Warren, administrative assistant for Engineering Facilities Services, was honored for her cheerful and enthusiastic demeanor while effectively collaborating across many different people and units in support of the college’s mission.

Excellence

• Scott Coldren

  Scott Coldren, the assistant director of M.Eng./Ph.D. Programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), was recognized for often juggling multiple tasks associated with large enrollments in both the ECE M.Eng. and Ph.D. programs while also managing the work of the ECE undergraduate coordinator.

• Henry Lam

  Henry Lam, the assistant to the directors in Operations Research and Information Engineering, was awarded in recognition for consistently demonstrating outstanding leadership skills. He leads by example, inspiring colleagues to strive for excellence and continuously improve.

• Jan Lammerding

  Jan Lammerding, professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was selected for exemplifying the definition of excellence in academia and service. Prof. Lammerding has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, has been recognized by several prestigious awards and honors, has been elected as a Fellow of three societies.

• Megan Covey

  Megan Covey, college lead finance specialist, was recognized for being instrumental in keeping the college’s budget office running smoothly, especially when the director of the office needed unexpected time away in the midst of budget season. Covey often seeks to improve processes that impact all doing financial work throughout the college.

• Syl Kacapyr

  Syl Kacapyr, the associate director with the Office of Marketing and Communications, was awarded in recognition for consistently being the epitome of collaborative excellence. Under Kacapyr’s leadership, the college has maintained an average pace of a Cornell Chronicle story per day. The office has also significantly amped up multimedia production and social media management, both of which are in his portfolio.

Purpose

• Nozomi Nishimura and Chris Schaffer

  Nozomi Nishimura, an associate professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, and Chris Schaffer, a professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, won for the development of the Learning Where You Live course. The LWYL program offers small, pass/fail courses that are taught in the evenings in residence halls.

• Liane Fitzgerald, Ryan DeLany, Mary Glick, Benjamin Martin, and Allie Peechatka

  Liane Fitzgerald, Ryan DeLany, Mary Glick, Benjamin Martin, and Allie Peechatka of the Engineering Advising Team for making a meaningful impact by empowering Cornell Engineering undergraduates to make informed decisions about their academic goals. Their singular purpose to empower Cornell Engineering students to be their best engineer results in their positive impact on the entire community.

• Su Ghosh

  Su Ghosh, associate director in the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Development, received special recognition for leading the College’s Pre-Award Research Operations (PRO) team. Ghosh has shown dedication and purpose in ensuring that proposals get out and on time — stepping in on occasions when some of her staff may be overwhelmed or unfamiliar with a particular submission process.

Innovation

• Christa Downey, Melissa Bazley, Traci Nathans-Kelly and Julie Wright

  Christa Downey, Melissa Bazley, Traci Nathans-Kelly and Julie Wright, of the Career Center Conversations Podcast Team, for launching a podcast this past year that brings the stories of alumni to our students. The podcast is intended to celebrate excellence and innovation among engineers whose impact contributes to a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable world.

• Lois Pollack

  Lois Pollack, associate dean for research and graduate studies and the John Edson Sweet Professor of Engineering in Applied and Engineering Physics, won for recognizing a need for clearer systems within research groups for communications, establishing expectations, tracking progress, and identifying and addressing potential problems. This ground-breaking effort positively impacts the educational experiences and professional development, as well as the quality of community and belonging, for graduate and undergraduate students across the college.

Community

• Chris Lastovicka

  Chris Lastovicka, digital platform and strategy manager in the Office of Marketing and Communications, won for recognizing individuals with visual, cognitive or motor impairments require the assistance of screen readers and other technologies to access websites and emails. Lastovicka goes above and beyond what is necessary to satisfy accessibility requirements, and they maintain close ties to the university’s accessibility experts and others out in the world to ensure that Cornell Engineering is not only following current policies but anticipating future needs and standards.

• Jamol Pender

  Jamol Pender, an associate professor and associate director of graduate studies in Operations Research and Information Engineering, was honored for the way in which he builds and supports the community of ORIE. One of the things that alumni point to when they return to campus is the sense of community they experienced while here. And that’s where Pender comes in. He has become ORIE’s de facto social chair.

• Amber Alpizar

  Amber Alpizar, director of human resources, won for being a “poster child” for our Cornell Engineering core value of Community. It is in her DNA to foster diversity, caring, respect, growth and development. Her open demeanor, acceptance of difference, inherent curiosity, and authentically expressed joy all combine to make her a safe harbor for members of our community who struggle with acceptance and belonging.

Collaboration

• Trisica Munroe, Ashley Blank, Ashton Danko, Lataya Fann, Rose Howard, Lyn Park, Laurie Patten, Lisa Rogers, Leon Stoll, Kae-Lyn Wilson, and Chen Xin

  Trisica Munroe, Ashley Blank, Ashton Danko, Lataya Fann, Rose Howard, Lyn Park, Laurie Patten, Lisa Rogers, Leon Stoll, Kae-Lyn Wilson, and Chen Xin of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Administration Team, won for transforming the work culture that had been “not my job” into “let’s work together to do the best job possible”. Thorough the use of inclusive teamwork, coaching, and people being receptive to collaborating, MAE completed the financial year with order instead of chaos, becoming greater than the sum of its parts.

• Greg Fuchs

  Greg Fuchs, professor in Applied and Engineering Physics, was nominated by all of the staff of AEP, who extolled the virtues of his research, teaching, and demonstrating a commitment to his department, university and the greater community through numerous meaningful service activities and collegial partnerships.

• Jennifer Mimno and Matt Ulinski

  Jennifer Mimno, the program accreditation and recruitment coordinator for M.Eng. Programs, and Matt Ulinski, director of M.Eng. Programs in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, were recognized for working together, in partnership with faculty and staff groups within Engineering, as well as entities across the University continues to benefit all M.Eng. programs in the College.

• Miranda Swanson

  Miranda Swanson, associate dean for student services, was honored for being the first person to step forward and volunteer to do the hard work it takes to make change when there is an opportunity to have meaningful impact on students’ health and wellbeing, as well as their positive sense of belonging on campus. She approaches every grand challenge with a dedicated effort, a keen sense of awareness, an approach that brings key colleagues and partners together for insight, and a calm and collected demeanor that powerfully brings about progress.

Excellence

• Nelly Andarawis-Puri

  Nelly Andarawis-Puri, the Clare Boothe Luce Associate Professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was recognized for her founding of the Cornell Future Leaders in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (FLAME) Summer Program.

• Annie Eller

  Annie Eller, the assistant to the director of the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was awarded in recognition of her consistent contributions throughout the school, including her active participation in their diversity and inclusion efforts and her work with students and faculty to create a welcoming and respectful environment for all.

• Sue Shipman

  Sue Shipman, the associate director of human resources, was selected for a sustained level of high performance and commitment to excellence throughout her 12 years serving both Cornell Engineering and Cornell Bowers Computing and Information Science.

Purpose

• Jonathan T. Butcher and Ryan Sauvé

  Jonathan T. Butcher, a professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, and Ryan Sauvé, who previously served as the undergraduate program coordinator in the Meinig School and is now the assistant director of Engineering Learning Initiatives, won for the development and launch of the undergraduate major in biomedical engineering.

• Newton de Faria

  Newton de Faria, a professor of practice, in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was chosen based on his dedication to the school’s Master of Engineering program and his leadership in developing an M.D.-M.Eng. program in collaboration with colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine.

• Lisa Schneider-Bentley

  Lisa Schneider-Bentley, the director of Engineering Learning Initiatives, won for her steady work to make sure that her team and the students they serve are working at the highest levels of professionalism and with an eye to the highest purposes.

Innovation

• Todd Cullen, Dorah Abdullah, Mike Woodson and Scott Yoest

  Todd Cullen, Dorah Abdullah, Mike Woodson and Scott Yoest, members of the college’s information technology team, addressed an unmet technology-related research support need in a creative and efficient manner that has benefitted the entire campus and earned them an inaugural EPICC award.

• Heather Parente

  Heather Parente, the director of budget and finance, was recognized for her outstanding technical skills, her ability to pilot and socialize new models and tools with leaders and financial staff across the college ability, and her knack for rapidly comprehending and evaluating new concepts and issues and their interdependencies.

• Jeffrey D. Varner

  Jeffrey D. Varner, a professor in the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering of Professor, won for overseeing a revamp of their Ph.D. milestones and timelines during his two years as director of graduate studies.

Community

• Wendy Bakal

  Wendy Bakal, an executive assistant in the dean’s office, won for her critical support of Cornell Engineering’s Belonging at Cornell committee, and her warm communication and empathy for community members, especially in times of need.

• Julia Dshemuchadse

  Julia Dshemuchadse, an assistant professor in Materials Science and Engineering, was honored for the way in which she empowers and includes others, including frequently identifying opportunities for students to get involved outside of their direct research.

• Cheri Sigmund

  Cheri Sigmund, the assistant to the directors in Applied and Engineering Physics, won for her seemingly effortless manner of generating a strong sense of inclusion throughout her 28 years of service to Cornell.

Collaboration

• Scott Campbell, Beth Kunz, Dontavius Seaborn, Amanda Augustyn, Robyn Koren, Ginger Jung, Jami Joyner, Cindy Mosqueda, Nadine Porter and Chris Casler-Gonçalves

  Scott Campbell, Beth Kunz, Dontavius Seaborn, Amanda Augustyn, Robyn Koren, and Ginger Jung, members of the admissions team, Jami Joyner, Cindy Mosqueda, Nadine Porter and Chris Casler-Gonçalves in Diversity Programs in Engineering, won for modeling how collaboration between teams leads to excellence. The two offices have partnered for years on recruitment efforts, yield events, and support for students and their families as they transition from prospect, to admit, to matriculant.

• Claudia Fischbach-Teschl

  Claudia Fischbach-Teschl, the Stanley Bryer 1946 Professor of Biomedical Engineering, was honored for her numerous exceptional and sustained contributions to enhance collaborations not only within Cornell Engineering, but also across various colleges at Cornell, both in Ithaca and New York City.

• Jessie Hilliker

  Jessie Hilliker, the assistant to the directors in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), was recognized for her attention to detail, volunteerism, and collaboration with others as she works to ensure that any gaps in operations are addressed both within ECE and throughout the college more broadly.