ORI Recognizes Two Employees With Award for Excellence

The Office of Research and Innovation presented two NC State University employees with the Award for Excellence, the most prestigious honor bestowed upon nonfaculty personnel, on May 8. Jiyoung Park, a senior multimedia designer, won in the SHRA employee category, and Kelsey Fuller, a research proposal specialist, won in the EPS employee category. 

Both Park and Fuller were nominated for the award under the criteria of the Customer Service category, which recognizes employees who provide exceptional service that leaves customers fully satisfied with their experience — exceeding expectations to meet customers’ needs and adding value to the customer experience.

Jiyoung Park

Park joined the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) in 2022. A member of the marketing and communication team, Park’s position is also shared with the Proposal Development Unit (PDU). 

“She is cheerful, incredibly smart, and efficient in her time usage. She turns projects around quickly and juggles multiple assignments without missing a beat,” said Vicky Earp, director of marketing and Park’s supervisor, in her nomination letter. 

With an “extremely broad skill set,” Park primarily creates digital illustrations, videos and web graphics but also works on print projects, captures and edits photographs, and helps customers with branding and layout strategies as well. 

“Jiyoung’s work with faculty to create branding, videos, and graphics in support of grant proposals is where she creates the most goodwill for our office,” Earp said. “Jiyoung uses her experience and talent to work with faculty to determine their needs, even when they don’t know exactly what they need. The research is usually complex, but Jiyoung finds ways to visually convey the work in a way that audiences without extensive knowledge of the subject can understand.”

Park also receives consistent accolades from her peers in the PDU for her work with faculty. 

Assistant Vice Chancellor Pradip Praminik said that her work “illustrating our faculty’s research allows NC State to create proposals that stand out from our peers.”

Meanwhile, Matt Hooker, assistant director of the PDU said that she helps faculty efficiently convey complex ideas and relationships among project components — “which has added to the quality of several proposals.”

In 2024, Park created graphics for 26 grant proposals — for awards worth up to $30 million — including logos to support the Center for Human Health and the Environment’s bid for renewal funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which CHHE Director Sue Fenton specifically praised Park for. She also created a video that helped secure a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which NSF reviewers described as the best video of the program’s entire cohort.

Last fall, Park received special recognition for her design of a print-mail campaign to promote an interactive digital timeline she helped create, which highlights major milestones in NC State’s research history. Park’s print mailer took home Silver in the Direct Mail category of the 40th Annual Educational Advertising Awards.

“Her work is vital for promoting NC State’s research brand — and winning large-scale grants,” Earp said.

Kelsey Fuller

Fuller, who worked for NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences before joining the PDU, helps prepare multidisciplinary proposals for submission to various federal sponsors — including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and USDA, just to name a few.

“Throughout her time in the PDU, Kelsey has demonstrated exceptional performance well beyond her call of duty and has been instrumental in supporting our faculty, driving success, and embodying the values of the ORI and PDU,” said Pradip Pramanik, assistant director of the PDU and Fuller’s supervisor, in his nomination letter. “She consistently exceeds expectations and has made lasting contributions to the success of the PDU.”

With a “meticulous attention to detail” and the “ability to communicate complex ideas clearly,” Pramanik said that Fuller has “played a pivotal role in the successful development of several key proposals.”

Faculty members who’ve worked with Fuller echo Pramanik’s praise. 

“I have worked with many staff at NC State over the past 20 years, and Kelsey stands out,” said David Muddiman, the Jacob and Betty Belin Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, in his supporting nomination letter. 

Muddiman said she worked tirelessly to help his team complete an NIH proposal — keeping them energized and inspired by her own dedication and excitement, which became “contagious.” Fuller even worked weekends and well into the holiday season last December to help the team’s proposal reach the finish line. 

“Kelsey took the time to really understand the science,” Muddiman said. “She was never afraid to push us, and we all became better scientists, writers, and grew as a team through her.”

Justin Whitehill, an assistant professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, also credits Fuller with contributions that were critical to successfully securing nearly $7.5 million in USDA funding. Whitehill, whose lab leads the university’s Christmas Tree Genetics Program, said that this funding will accelerate genetic improvement efforts” for the Christmas tree industry — helping support and ensure its long-term success in North Carolina and access the nation.

“Given her expertise, outstanding work ethic, and overall dedication and proficiency in her current position, Kelsey is highly regarded amongst those who have had the pleasure of working with her,” Whitehill said. “Kelsey is a gem and should be recognized for her efforts.”

All Nominees

A total of 18 ORI employees, across several centers, institutes and offices, were nominated for this year’s Awards for Excellence. 

The nominees included:

• Bradley Aycock, Office of Research Commercialization 
• Alexander Clark, Integrated Support Services Center 
• Sofia Colon, Research Operations and Communications 
• Patrick Crowley, Proposal Development Unit 
• Dan DiNicola, North Carolina Sea Grant 
• Jenny Dissen, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies 
• John Fear, North Carolina Sea Grant 
• Kelsey Fuller, Proposal Development Unit 
• Garrett Graham, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
• Matt Hooker, Proposal Development Unit
• Michico James, Center for Human Health and the Environment 
• Katlyn May, Center for Human Health and the Environment 
• Tanner Nelson, Institute for Transportation Research and Education
• Jiyoung Park, Research Operations and Communications 
• Douglas Rao, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies 
• Devesh Srivastava, Office of Research Commercialization 
• Kara Thio-Smith, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services
• Saloni Vahia, Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services

NC State’s Awards for Excellence are 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. Employees can be nominated under the criteria of one of six categories: Customer Service, Efficiency and Innovation, Human Relations, Outstanding State Government Service, Public Service, Safety and Heroism, and Spirit of North Carolina.

As winners of the Awards for Excellence at the college/unit level, Park and Fuller are automatically nominated for the university-level awards — which will be presented next Tuesday, June 3, at the Stewart Theatre.