Staff Awards
Our skilled and flexible staff is committed to research excellence. This page highlights their accolades, including the Awards for Excellence and the Pride of the Wolfpack Award.
Awards for Excellence
The NC State University Award for Excellence is the most prestigious honor bestowed upon nonfaculty employees. The awards, given annually, recognize both SHRA and nonfaculty EHRA employees for accomplishments and contributions that go above and beyond normal job responsibilities.
ORI nominates several outstanding employees each year. Of these nominees, one EHRA employee and one SHRA employee are recognized with a unit-level Award for Excellence. These unit-level awardees automatically get nominated for the university’s Awards for Excellence; those who win the NC State University Award for Excellence then also become eligible to win a Governor’s Award for Excellence, as well.
2026 Nominees and Recipients
SHRA
- Marlu Bolton, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology
- Mia Mitchell, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Patricia Mulligan, Genetic Engineering and Society
- Dave Shaw, NC Sea Grant (Award Recipient)
EHRA
- James Anheuser, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Lisa Callister, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Michelle Frick, Proposal Development Unit
- Eric Herbst, NC Sea Grant
- Sarah Kinlaw, University Attending Veterinarian
- Amanda Krentzel, Proposal Development Unit
- Martina Krzywicki, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services
- Katlyn May, Center for Human Health and the Environment
- Aleem Mohammed, Institute for Transportation Research and Education (Award Recipient)
- Carla Monroe, Proposal Development Unit
- June Morton, Integrated Support Service Center
- Lauri Salovaara, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- John Slankas, Laboratory for Analytic Sciences
- Erika Wagner, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Kyle Wodzicki, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
Previous Recipients
2025
SHRA
- Sofia Colon, (OROC)
- Dan DiNicola, (NCSG)
- Michico James, (CHHE)
- Jiyoung Park, (OROC), (Award Recipient)
EHRA
- Bradley Aycock, (ORC-OTL)
- Alexander Clark, (ISSC)
- Patrick Crowley, (OROC-PDU)
- Jenny Dissen, (NCICS)
- John Fear, (NCSG)
- Kelsey Fuller, (OROC-PDU), (Award Recipient)
- Garrett Graham, (NCICS)
- Matt Hooker, (OROC-PDU)
- Katlyn May, (CHHE)
- Tanner Nelson, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Douglas Rao, (NCICS)
- Devesh Srivastava, (ORC-OTL)
- Kara Thio-Smith, (SPARCS)
- Saloni Vahia, (SPARCS)
2024
SHRA
- Jessica Brown, (PDU)
- Monique Burnette, (SPARCS), (Award Recipient)
- Michico (MJ) James, (CHHE)
- Debra Lynch, (SG)
- Abby Phillips, (ORC)
- Ciante Smith, (ISSC)
- Erika Wagner, (NCICS)
EHRA
- Evan Arnold, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Seth Coverdale, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Katharine Davison, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Vicky Earp, (RO&C)
- Kevin Hart, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Katherine Kershaw, (LAS)
- Frank Lopez, (SG), (Award Recipient)
- Carla Monroe, (PDU)
- Elizabeth Richerson, (LAS)
- Shoaib Samandar, (ITRE)
- Sarah Spiegler, (SG)
- Kaitlin Tucker, (WRRI)
- Denis Willett, (NCICS)
- Guangchuan Yang, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
2023
SHRA
- Mary Catherine Cole, (NSSRI / IBM Quantum Hub)
- Kim Dick, Research Operations & Communications (Award Recipient)
- Emily Keller, (LAS)
- Dawn Rodriguez-Ward, (GES)
EHRA
- Beth Yael Allen, (SPARCS)
- David Baltzegar, (GSL)
- Carter Church, (SPARCS)
- Ryan Hassett, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Ginny Moser, (ISSC) (Award Recipient)
- Barry Nash, (Sea Grant)
- Kihyun Pyo, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Matthew Schmidt, (LAS)
2022
SHRA
- Christian Capobianco, Office of Research Commercialization
- Kate Davison, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Hermine Kabbendjian, Integrated Support Service Center (Award Recipient)
EHRA
- Bradley Aycock, Office of Research Commercialization (Award Recipient)
- Michael Scott Baker, NC Sea Grant
- Jonathan Brannock, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Daniel Coble, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Chris Cunningham, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Greg Ferrara, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Frank Lopez, NC Sea Grant
- Christy Perrin, Water Resources Research Institute
- Saloni Vahia, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services
2021
SHRA
- Emily Callihan, Research Development Office
- Sasha Campbell, Office of Research Commercialization
- Lee Cannon, NC Sea Grant
- Miriam Hines, Vice Chancellor’s Office
- Sibyl Smith, Research Operations & Communications (Award Recipient)
EHRA
- Tracy Anderson, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Steve Bert, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Lorraine Cahill, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Sandra Canfield, NC Space Grant
- Sarah Champion, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Linda Copley, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Joy Davis, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Kevin Hart, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Katharine Johnson, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Jason Lamb, Office of Research Commercialization
- Anne Lesky, Office of Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance
- Angel Li, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Sara Mirabilio, NC Sea Grant
- Molly Puente, Proposal Development Unit
- Ken Roth, Laboratory for Analytic Sciences (Award Recipient)
- Scott Stevens, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (Award Recipient)
2020
SHRA
- Craig Baird, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Carmen Cargill, Office of Research Commercialization
- Chris Carnes, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Paula DeLong, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
- Anna Martin, Water Resources Research Institute
- Patti Mulligan, Genetic Engineering and Society (Award Recipient)
- Dave Shaw, NC Sea Grant
EHRA
- Daniel Findley, Institute for Transportation Research and Education (Award Recipient)
- Jane Harrison, NC Sea Grant
- Nicholas LeBlanc, Office of Research Commercialization (Award Recipient)
- James Martin, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
- Sarah Searcy, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
2019
SHRA
- Megan Bortner, Integrated Support Service Center
- Sasha Campbell, Office of Research Commercialization
- Margaret (Meg) Chester, PowerAmerica
- Laura Kroeger, Research Operations & Communications (Award Recipient)
- Julie Leibach, NC Sea Grant
- Andrea McCarrick, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
EHRA
- Jobi Cook, NC Space Grant
- Derek Gatlin, Proposal Development Unit
- Nicole McIntosh, Water Resources Research Institute
- James Rennie, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Spencer Rogers, NC Sea Grant (Award Recipient)
- Brooke Stewart-Garrod, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
- Andrew Thrasher, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
Pride of the Wolfpack Award
The Pride of the Wolfpack Award recognizes individual employees who demonstrate NC State University’s values and have made a special or unique contribution to their unit. Both SHRA and nonfaculty EHRA employees are eligible for the award. The award is given three times a year — in April, July and November. Employees can not receive the award more than once in the same calendar year.
2022 Recipients
- Emily Keller, Laboratory for Analytical Sciences
- Erin Hammer, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services
- Jiyoung Park, Research Operations and Communications
- Lorraine Cahill, Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE)
- Jeff Enders, Molecular Education, Technology and Research Innovation Center (METRIC)
- Brendan Kearns, Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE)
- Matt Simpson, Research Operations and Communications
- Kaitlin Tucker, Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI)
Previous Recipients
2021
- Amy Baker, Research Operations and Communications
- Christian Capobianco, Office of Research Commercialization
- Daniel Coble, Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE)
- Kim Dick, Research Operations and Communications
- Tracy Harden, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services
- Bruce Limon, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services
- Anna Martin, Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI)
- Nanci McInnes, Office of Research Commercialization
- Jamie Plummer, Nonwovens Institute
- Molly Puente, Proposal Development Unit
- Peter Thompson, Molecular Education, Technology and Research Innovation Center (METRIC)
- Brent Younce, Laboratory for Analytic Sciences