Six academic professionals were honored with 2016 Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence awards at a reception April 12.
Now in its 28th year, the program honors the accomplishments and contributions of academic professionals, who perform a range of vital functions for the campus community. They provide critical support for administration, research laboratories and educational programs, and offer important outreach programs throughout the state.
Recipients are selected for work, personal and professional contributions. Each award winner receives $2,000, a $1,000 increase in base salary and a $1,000 one-time budget increase for his or her department.
This year's honorees are:
Ave Maria Blackwell Alvarado, the director of the Educational Equity Programs in the Graduate College, has had a positive impact on student recruitment and progress at the U. of I. through her personal connections with students as well as the successful programs she has initiated.
At the time of her nomination, Alvarado was working on a Ph.D in educational policy and leadership after earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees at Illinois, demonstrating the power of an Illinois education.
Traditionally, graduate-level enrollment of ethnic and racial minorities, as well as women in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, has not properly reflected the demographics of contemporary society. Addressing this critical need, the Graduate College has taken the initiative to broaden participation in graduate education by offering resources and opportunities to students from historically underrepresented populations through its Educational Equity Programs.
“Ms. Alvarado’s wealth of experience is a fortunate windfall for the Graduate College,” said Assata Zerai, an associate dean for the college, who nominated Alvarado.
Alvarado has started many of the successful programs that recruit students to the U. of I., including Aspire, Community of Scholars and the Summer Pre-Doctoral Institute.
“Her vision and her ability to connect one-on-one with underrepresented minority students and prospective students in the graduate school at Illinois are unrivaled,” Zerai said.
In a letter of support for Alvarado, Wallace Southerland III, the associate dean of students and the director of the Office of Minority Student Affairs, said Alvarado has secured grant funding to promote recruitment and retention rates. Her work with the summer doctoral preparation program and the Summer Research Opportunity Program have provided students with “exposure, access and opportunity to students nationally and from the Illinois campus who may not otherwise have such opportunities.” These programs have resulted in more diverse students being admitted to campus doctoral programs, he said.
Her work has shown that “she is a staunch advocate for graduate students in general and graduate minority students in particular,” Southerland said. “Ave cares about people and what they are dealing with in their lives and in the workplace. She listens well and responds to people with respect and dignity.”
Alvarado has been at the university for 23 years, and she also is active outside the university. She is the statistician for the Martin Luther King Advocacy for Justice Committee, the chief executive officer for the Crimson Foundation Inc. and active in the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She also has served as a mentor for the Upward Bound College Preparatory Academy and as president of the U. of I. Black Alumni Association Urbana-Champaign Chapter.
“She has a clear and positive impact on the public,” Zerai said.
Dawn Aubrey, the associate director of housing for dining services for University Housing, has brought prestige to the U. of I. through her work in food service, said Michael Clark, a clerk in University Housing.
Clark, who nominated Aubrey, said her contributions of sustainability, innovation and fiscal responsibility have been huge.
“She genuinely cares about each of us (with whom she works) and is generous with her time and her knowledge,” Clark said.
Aubrey has integrated new waste-management measures into University Dining and has worked to collaborate with the U. of I. Sustainable Student Farm so customers can eat locally grown food.
“The dining and catering operations, under her leadership, work to create a positive experience for every resident and customer,” said Alma R. Sealine, the director of University Housing. “Ms. Aubrey has a particular interest in local, fresh and sustainable food services, which is apparent in her work.”
Under the leadership of Aubrey, Sealine said, the U. of I. dining and catering operations create positive experiences for every resident and customer.
Aubrey has been at the university for 10 years, and she also is the president of the National Association of College and University Food Services. The association consists of about 550 higher education institutions and promotes the highest quality food service on school, college and university campuses by providing members with educational and training opportunities.
In a support letter, Zia Ahmed, a past national president for the association and the senior director of dining services at Ohio State University, said Aubrey has been heavily involved in the association. Aubrey was nominated for president in 2016.
“I find her to be very knowledgeable, well-educated and an industry member who truly understands the larger picture in the college-university food service segment,” Ahmed said.
Aubrey also provides a platform to educate students outside the classroom, Ahmed said.
“Not only does Dawn educate students that proper nutrition is necessary for their overall well-being and critical for their academic success, but that it also provides them with opportunities to learn about the food systems, both as guests of the dining operation and as employees of Dining Services,” Ahmed said.
Tasha Thompson, the executive director of the GOALS Project (a teen parenting program), also wrote in support of Aubrey’s nomination. “Since the moment I met Ms. Aubrey, she has been a tremendous source of support and encouragement to our teen parenting program, The GOALS Project,” Thompson said. “The GOALS Project has benefited greatly from her active support and passion for giving and serving others.”
Thomas E. Betz, the directing attorney of Student Legal Services in the Office of the Dean of Students, has contributed immeasurably to the mission of Student Legal Services on campus.
“Student Legal Services has flourished under the outstanding leadership of Directing Attorney Thomas Betz, and for his enduring excellence I am honored to nominate him for this much deserved accolade,” said Domonic Cobb, an associate dean of students in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
In fiscal year 2015, there was a five-year high for the demand of student legal services, according to Cobb. Betz and his team continually provided excellent and effective legal services to U. of I. students. The Student Legal Services assessments have shown that 96.7 percent of the students who were consulted and advised indicated they were treated with courtesy and respect.
“As citizens in Champaign County, we all benefit from Tom’s legacy of fairness and collaboration,” Cobb said.
Betz has been the longest-serving director in the history of Student Legal Services at the U. of I., according to Cobb. Aside from being at the U. of I. for 30 years, he has worked within the community as well. Betz has served on the board of directors for the Champaign Urbana Tenant Union since 1986. He also served as an elected official on the Champaign County Board from 1996-2012.
“Tom Betz has always been extremely student-oriented, taking their issues and problems to heart and doing everything he can to help,” said Renée Romano, the vice chancellor for student affairs.
Betz has faced challenges related to legal complications with a shuttle service and the usual high volume of disreputable landlords, Romano said. He also has been faced with the difficulty of an increasing number of students with mental health issues.
As international student enrollment has grown at the university – reaching more than 10,000 last fall – so have the challenges of the legal services office. Romano said 49 percent of the students served by Student Legal Services are international students, who generally aren’t familiar with the legal system in the U.S.
“Tom deals with these situations and attitudes with patience, understanding and good humor. No matter how many cases he sees, he approaches each student as an individual, with an open mind, and works to untangle their difficult situation,” Romano said.
As the assistant dean for graduate student development and postdoctoral affairs in the Graduate College, Alexis L. Thompson can be found on any day listening to student concerns, organizing events, streamlining policies or welcoming new postdoctoral students to campus.
“Alexis Thompson has made a singular difference in the enhancement of graduate education nationwide,” said Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, the dean of the Graduate College, in his nomination of Thompson.
Thompson has been at the U. of I. for seven years.
“She is immensely talented, deeply knowledgeable and, most of all, tremendously dedicated to student success,” said Deba Dutta, the former dean of the Graduate College, in a letter of support for Thompson.
As the former assistant director of Graduate College Career Services, Thompson structured the office to engage graduate students early in their programs to get them thinking about possible careers, said Dutta.
Chodzko-Zajko said Thompson transformed how graduate students are prepared for life after attending the U. of I. He said she changed the college’s focus from a narrower career services model to one focused on career development from admission to graduation. The Career Development Office now offers a range of services to assist graduate students explore their strengths, discover career options and prepare themselves for the job market.
As the supervisor of the Thesis Office, Thompson also streamlined procedures for depositing theses and dissertations. She has spearheaded a change that allows departments to submit thesis approval and committee result forms electronically, instead of having thousands of printed forms delivered to the Graduate College.
“Alexis works tirelessly as assistant dean to make complicated processes run smoothly and to improve the lives of students, faculty and staff,” said Chodzko-Zajko. “In doing so, she enhances the Illinois experience and enriches the research and teaching that make the university great.”
As the former director of postdoctoral affairs, Thompson created a resource-packed website and developed a professional development certificate program that helped postdoctoral students make effective plans in a structured context.
“Thanks to her efforts, the United States now has a thriving and rapidly expanding organization that is drawing attention to the increasingly complex career-related needs of graduate students and is helping nurture a new generation of career services professionals,” Chodzko-Zajko said. “We at the University of Illinois are fortunate to have a staff member with the breadth of vision to help transform and lead a vibrant national organization, as well as the seemingly endless enthusiasm for improving the lives of graduate students.”
Charles Wallbaum, the director of computer and electronic services in the School of Chemical Sciences, has encouraged his staff to work on their skills and take on new responsibilities.
“Chuck’s management style is to create a positive and easygoing atmosphere. He is highly encouraging of his staff to expand their education and their experiences,” said Zaida Luthey-Schulten, a professor of chemistry, who nominated Wallbaum.
Wallbaum “created a world-class computational facility, which provides faculty and researchers with rapid access to computational clusters instead of the long wait times at heavily used national resources,” Luthey-Schulten said.
He led the design of the 2,000-square-foot data center facility, and he was instrumental in solving the problems of installing modern-performance computing equipment. He has helped faculty members at the School of Chemical Sciences in maintaining national acclaim and win prestigious awards, according to Luthey-Schulten.
Wallbaum, who has worked at the U. of I. for 12 years, wrote part of the $350,000 grant that was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Critical Resource Initiative Facility program. He also maintains the unique Scientific Software Programs portfolio of commercial software, which provides research groups with access to cutting-edge software for molecular modeling and drug design.
“Chuck brought a new level of communications to his position in the school. When he arrived here 12 years ago, he sought the advice of his peers on campus and forged relationships, which have proved long-lasting and fruitful,” Luthey-Schulten said. “Instead of reinventing the wheel, Chuck was able to take ideas from other units and blend them with his own ideas. Chuck’s management style is one of respect and encouragement for his co-workers. He has encouraged them to recognize the unique qualities they have and develop those qualities so they can take on new challenges.”
Luthey-Schulten said Wallbaum is one of the reasons that the School of Chemical Sciences has maintained its national stature of excellence.
Jonathan V. Sweedler, the director of the School of Chemical Sciences, said, “Chuck demonstrates excellent leadership in mentoring his team, encouraging each member to go beyond his comfort zone and keep pace with new technologies.”
Sweedler said Wallbaum’s ability to anticipate new directions in computing and electronics has significantly helped the faculty and their research missions.
“Our faculty are so impressed with Chuck’s leadership and knowledge that his reputation has spread beyond our campus,” Sweedler said.
While working as the disability health and wellness specialist for the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services and as the head coach of the women’s wheelchair basketball team, Stephanie Wheeler is the ultimate professional in the work she performs, especially with how she interacts with her athletes.
“She consistently advances the mission of the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, wheelchair athletics, her student-athletes and others through interactions within our unit and with her professional colleagues on campus,” said Patricia Malik, the interim director of the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services.
Wheeler manages the operations of her team, organizes training and coordinates travel schedules. She works with her student-athletes on their development on and off the court. She also teaches an online credit course on wheelchair basketball and works with students who have questions about disability and wellness on campus.
Malik said Wheeler consistently has student-athletes recognized by the National Wheelchair Basketball Association as Academic All-Americans and All-Americans. Last year, three of Wheeler’s student-athletes were selected to the top 18 of the USA High Performance Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team.
“Stephanie’s goal is to help the young women she coaches become self-confident, strong and caring. How she interacts and supports these women makes her a true model of what a coach should aspire to be,” Malik said. “In this way, she provides leadership and serves as an example for her athletes and all those she interacts with through her national and international involvements.”
Wheeler has been at the university for six years, and she has also been the head coach of the Senior Women’s National Team, USA, since 2013.
“At this time, Stephanie is considered the best wheelchair basketball coach in the world,” said Michael Frogley, the National Academy and High Performance director of Wheelchair Basketball Canada. “There is a saying in coaching that great coaching begins with great teaching. The ability that separates Stephanie from other coaches is she is the best teacher.”
In a letter of support for Wheeler, Frogley said because of Wheeler’s ability to teach, she consistently sends student-athletes to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
Wheeler does more than the basic requirements of her job.
“She adheres to the philosophies on which Dr. Tim Nugent founded the program at (the U. of I.) almost 70 years ago. She seeks to make the world a better and more inclusive place for all people by recognizing the ability in all people,” Frogley said.