The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Student Affairs hosted its annual End of Year Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 6, in the Hill Student Center Ballrooms, celebrating staff accomplishments, milestones and outstanding service across the division.

Nine different awards that were recognized: Outstanding Star (Support Professional), Outstanding Star (Professional), Outstanding Contributor to Higher Education, New Professional of the Year, Andy Marsch Legacy Award, Outstanding Student Affairs Partner, Program of the Year, Event of the Year and Department of the Year.

During the ceremony the following 2024–2025 Employee of the Month recipients were recognized:
May 2024 (Taylor Stewart – Student Health Services)
June 2024 (Damion White – UAB Career Center)
July 2024 (Ella Portwood – UAB Career Center)
August 2024 (Priyanka Wankhede – Marketing & Communications)
September 2024 (Bemnet Teshome - Off-Campus Student Engagement)
October 2024 (Savaria Phillips – Student Health Services)
November 2024 (Lauren Clark – Student Housing & Residence Life)
December 2024 (Vivica Parker – Student Engagement & Enrichment)
January 2025 (Jocelyn Dishmon – Office of VP for Student Affairs)
February 2025 (Tonya Pugh - Student Housing & Residence Life)
March 2025 (Ebonee Whitson – Student Assistance & Support)
April 2025 (Zach Till – University Recreation)

Recipients of the “Excellence in Action” Thank You Coin were also celebrated for exceeding expectations in performance and service. Honorees are Darien Garrison and Kaitie Horton from the Hill Student Center; Wesley Peterson, Naquela Kirk, Jessica Conger and Taylor Cust from Marketing & Communications.

Long-serving employees were acknowledged for their dedication, including Shiobhan Holmes of Student Services for 30 years of service. Other years of service milestone recognitions included:

• 15 Years: April Coleman (Student Counseling Services)
• 10 Years: Jennifer Griffin (Student Involvement & Leadership), Kelli Lasseter (Student Health Services), Nicole Metcalf (Student Health Services), and Angela Stowe (Student Counseling Services)
• 5 Years: Liz Quistorff (Community Standards and Student Accountability), Jalan Cunningham (Disability Support Services), Darien Garrison (Hill Student Center), Shelby Gillis (Student Housing and Residence Life), Wesley Peterson (Marketing and Communications), Nicole Compher (Student Counseling Services), Megan Mixon (Student Health Services), and Rebecca Kennedy (Student Health and Wellbeing)

Nine individual and departmental awards highlighted excellence in student affairs:

• Outstanding Star Administrative Support Professional: Jocelyn Dishmon, Administration and Fiscal Affairs
  
  
  
  Nominees: Stephanie Collins, Career Center; Nicole Compher, Student Counseling Services; and Elisa Wright, Disability Support Services
• Outstanding Star (Professional): Michael Norris, Student Housing and Dining Operations
  
  
  
  Nominees: Zach Till, University Recreation; Kaitlyn Freeman, University Recreation; Leslie Riley, Student Counseling Services; Monica Merriweather, Student Health Services; Allison Martin, University Recreation; Erica Johnson, Student Counseling Services; Alexandria Alley, Student Health Services; and Shawra Rainer, Community Standards and Student Accountability and Student Assistance and Support.
• Outstanding Contributor to Higher Education: Patricia A. R. Martinez, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Division Operations
  
  
  
  Nominees: Seneca Wilson, Director of University Recreation
• New Professional of the Year: Abby Taylor, Student Involvement and Leadership (Abby received her recognition virtually)
  
  
  
  Nominees: Meg Ruggiero, Student Involvement and Leadership; Priyanka Wankhede, Marketing and Communications; Hunter Lovett, Community Standards and Student Accountability; Kaitie Horton, Hill Student Center; Mary Anne Cooper, Housing and Residence Life; Caleb May, University Recreation; and Liz Quistorff, Community Standards and Student Accountability.
• Andy Marsch Legacy Award: Rachel Smith, Student Housing and Dining
  
  
• Outstanding Student Affairs Partner: Susan Thompson, Facilities and Design
  
  
• Program of the Year: First Blazers’ First-gen Programming, Student Involvement and Leadership
  
  
  
  Nominees: Student Involvement and Leadership – First Blazers’ First-gen Programming; Career Center – Career Fair Sensory Room; Disability Support Services – Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society
• Event of the Year: 10th Annual Wheelchair Flag Football Game, Disability Support Services
  
  
  
  Nominees: Friday Night Live Arts in Medicine hosted by UAB Special Programs; Connect Fest hosted by Student Involvement and Leadership; 2024 Memorial Gathering hosted by Student Housing and Residence Life, Hill Student Center, Off-Campus Student and Family Engagement, Disability Support Services, and Marketing and Communications; Friday Night Live Coffee Haus at the Courtyard Open Mic Night hosted by Student Housing and Residence Life, Hill Student Center, Marketing and Communications, and Campus Dining; UAB Computer Science Networking Event hosted by the Career Center
• Department of the Year: Student Involvement and Leadership
  
  
  
  Nominees: Marketing and Communications, University Recreation, Hill Student Center, Student Engagement and Enrichment, Student Housing and Residence Life

Congratulations to all this year’s nominees and winners.