HUMAN RESOURCES

I just want to shine some light on two of my colleagues who do a lot of heavy lifting for our division. Each of them brings their own set of skills and talent to their respective roles, but what I most love about the both of them is that they are more than happy to step in and help out especially where teamwork is clutch. I appreciate Sean's incredible knowledge of the history of our division and the sneaky details we may miss in the operations processes we use daily. Lucy has become an essential member of our group, and I appreciate her fresh perspective and top notch organization skills. Both of these colleagues have taught me so much, from collaboration on projects to sharing tips and tricks of their own that I've adopted to do my own job in a better way. But beyond that, they are friends in the truest sense of the word, and that is what makes it a joy to come to work with them. Kudos to Sean and Lucy!”

Thank you for being you, Nancy! I first met Nancy Parlapiano in 2002 and have had the privilege of witnessing her journey to becoming the Executive Director of Graduate Medical Education. Over the years, she has consistently demonstrated kindness, thoughtfulness, and patience. Nancy is not only a wonderful leader in Graduate Medical Education but also a supportive and intentional colleague. Her interactions with peers and her team are always thoughtful and deliberate. Nancy truly is the heart of the Graduate Medical Education Team.”

Kim and Cory recently created a video about the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH). Kim and Cory brought enthusiasm to every stage of the process, from helping me work through an initial script outline, to filming five faculty interviews, to traversing Chicago for b-roll at Center on Halsted and PrideFest. Several ISGMH folks who worked with Kim and Cory during the filming mentioned to me how professional they were and how enjoyable they made the process. Plus, we are so pleased with the final video! Thank you!”

I want to express my overflowing gratitude to Haifei Wang, Director of Research Administration in the Department of Medical Social Sciences. Through ups and downs of our team in the grants management process, Haifei's stellar skills, calm manner and broad shoulders have seen us through impeccably. She always show up with generosity and grace! She knows so much! We trust her deeply. When the going gets rough, Haifei gets going! No where was this more evident than on a very stressful P50 submission. We are poised to receive it, and Haifei had a big hand in that. We are so appreciative of all she does to ensure a smooth, efficient and effective grants management process in MSS. SHOUT OUT! to our wonderful Haifei.”

As a recent addition to the Systems Team at Feinberg, Carlos has been instrumental in helping me acclimate. Our daily conversations and Zoom meetings, along with numerous screen shares, have greatly aided my learning process. Carlos's willingness to assist with every inquiry and his supportive attitude truly make him a standout colleague”

Morgan has demonstrated outstanding effort and commitment to the mission of the NUCATS Institute and the Center for Education & Career Development. Morgan’s attention to detail, creativity in problem-solving, and the extra mile she’s consistently goes have set a standard for excellence and provides inspiration to others. Morgan is always one step ahead – foreseeing obstacles and planning – to assure her colleagues that every project will meet its deliverables and deadlines. We are truly grateful to have Morgan in our NUCATS family and look forward to seeing her accomplish even more.”

Thank you, Caroline, for pitching in with extra help to move multiple IRB applications forward. You always contribute to making this an enjoyable and successful research team! This time, you went above and beyond to ensure our studies can launch ethically and efficiently, despite the staffing and procedural challenges we were facing. I am especially grateful for your ability to take initiative while also maintaining collaboration, your thoughtfulness and attention to detail, and your kind and clear communication. We are fortunate to have you in the PPHIG lab!”

I have known Kathy Mustea for some years, perhaps presenting at a meeting or reaching out to her for help on grants. However, in the last 1 1/2 years, I have been fortunate to fall under her team for advice on Training Grants. She is my go-to person for questions I have on T32s. Training grants are particularly different than any other grant, and it takes time to understand the intricacies. Currently, I oversee 5 T32s and an R25, and Kathy has been exceptionally helpful. She is knowledgeable, personable, approachable, patient, and humorous; sometimes I know the answer but still ask her because I might have pushbacks, and she smiles and says: "Give them the NIH recipe... that's all." She takes the time to explain processes, leads, and shares tools and policies to understand and become a better steward of the awards. I owe Kathy a lot of the knowledge I have on training grants. Despite her heavy workload and shortage of staff, she always finds time to talk and train people like me. This aspect of her as a leader in ASRSP cannot go unnoticed. I take the time today to say how much I appreciate people like Kathy who walk the extra mile to teach what she knows. There are no words to express my gratitude to a delightful colleague who is providing such a great contribution to Northwestern in guiding others to be better T32 managers. "Kathy, thank you for sharing your knowledge with me."”

I would like to express my gratitude to Tobey Yeates, Associate Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Since the onset of the pandemic when Tobey first took on the role of DCE, Tobey has hit the ground running and hasn't stopped. She is a thoughtful and supportive colleague who is a positive and progressive force for our team and program. Her contributions are not only plentiful, but abundant. For example, as Tobey manages the needs of students both on campus and of campus during clinical education, she enthusiastically teaches, is passionate about research that protects traditionally marginalized groups, and leads our diversity initiatives in our department which facilitates meaningful growth of our department. Thank you for your tireless efforts, positive energy, passion, and drive Tobey. I applaud you!”

In early June, Bridget and I started our positions on the same day at NUCATS. As newbies, we toured the office together, went through the rigmarole of setting up laptops, have grown into our roles, and have continued to chat in the office kitchen - updating one another on our parallel work journeys. We are on different teams that work together, so Bridget and I collaborate, and it's been great to accomplish projects with her. I will always remember that we started on the same day, and I look forward to the both of achieving professional milestones alongside each other, in 2023 and beyond. Thanks, Bridget, happy holiday to you and your family!”

I want to acknowledge what an amazing team leader Anna L Eiskamp has been for our finance team at CTU over the past couple of years. In addition, with all of the changes that the pandemic forced upon us, Anna has been always a great supporter, empathetic, encouraging, and a great leader. Thank you for all you do for our team, Anna!”

I am grateful to Esther for her excellent work in assisting with the hiring and onboarding process for our Osher Center summer interns. She was so helpful and easy to work with on this. I’ve especially appreciated her clear communication and quick, consistent follow-through. Her work is allowing our interns to maximize their learning experience this summer, which benefits both our trainees and their faculty mentors.”

I worked with Marla Block for a little over one year, sharing various administrative duties for the division of Infectious Diseases. I quickly became very fond of Marla, learning that she cares deeply about the well-being of her coworkers. She was the single biggest resource to me when I joined the staff, sharing her 7+ years of experience with NU and gracefully putting up with my multitude of questions. She dedicated a great deal of time in my first few months of employment with NU to provide thorough training which helped me be successful. Marla understands the importance of training for both the incoming staff member and the current employees. Without her training efforts, I would have struggled and been far less helpful to her and the rest of the division. In her work, Marla is incredibly thorough and meticulous. She takes her job very seriously without losing sight of the big picture. Because the administrative staff in the ID division is small, she regularly handles a heavy workload and prioritizes well. She is immensely respectful of other people’s work loads and always does what she can to help. Marla puts in effort to get to know her coworkers, remembering things about their lives and sharing things about her own life which naturally builds trust and fosters a respectful and congenial work environment. I will miss her enthusiasm and sense of humor. She has been with NU for upwards of seven years and I think it’s high time she was recognized and promoted. I wish her all the best and will miss working with her.”

I would like to recognize and thank Diamond for all of her help with processing requisitions for our unit during a time when we were without a financial assistant. Her help allowed our faculty and staff to continue doing their research! Thank you immensely!”

I first met Dennis Smith Jr. when he deployed my computer monitors a few days ago and was immediately impressed with his commitment to excellence as revealed through his cord management philosophy and practice. He took great care to bundle and route the cords so that they were unobtrusive and didn't upset the feng shui of my office. In talking to him, I learned that cord management is foundational to his approach to deploying computer technology. I appreciate colleagues who attend to details and take pride in the work they deliver. Thank you, Dennis! What could have been a tangled mess of cords is instead a work of art--a visible reminder and source of inspiration to strive for excellence in the details.”

I would like to acknowledge and send my greatest appreciation for Josue "Jay" who continually goes out of his way to help me and my division during our time of need for procurement assistance. He is always incredibly responsive with questions related to NUFinancials and the procurement process. Even though he has started a new role within Feinberg, he continually makes time to help his former colleagues (myself included). More importantly, he has such a wonderfully positive attitude that permeates through everything he touches. Thank you greatly, Jay!”

I just want to acknowledge what an amazing leader Tas Uting has been for the Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Division over the past couple years. With all of the changes that the pandemic forced upon us, she has been nothing but encouraging, empathetic, and fearless for all of us. She leads with determination and conviction, and somehow also remains down-to-earth and loyal to her team in the face of any challenge. I always smile when I see her in the office, and her quick wit, humor, and warmth are a breath of fresh air when the world feels too heavy. Thank you for all you do for us, Tas!”

Kevin and Allison are great colleagues - always willing to answer my all of my random questions and save me a lot of stress and time. They also covered for me while I was on maternity leave and I could have that special time with my family, while knowing my faculty were being supported. Allison has recently left the department but still is a great support to me. I am so grateful for them and for all they do! Thank you both!!!”