Employee of the Year, Service Awards, and Teacher of the Year were among the many recognitions presented at the annual Faculty and Staff Awards Luncheon held this past week at the Georgia Center.

Anna Cash, Public Service Professional in Experience Programs, received Employee of the Year. A staff member at CoP for more than five years, Anna was recognized because she “…has been crucial to the success of our Division and has performed well above job expectations. She is extremely professional, dedicated, attentive to detail, resourceful, and always willing to help as needed,” read one of her nominations.

Other staff awards announced included Rookie of the Year, which was presented to Diana Kingery, an Administrative Associate at the extended campus in Savannah. One of her nominators said of Diana, who has been at CoP for almost two years, “Diana has been a phenomenal new contributor to the College’s and Department’s functions. She always remains positive and is constantly seeking out opportunities to assist wherever needed. She is amazing, and I regularly hear this echoed by faculty.”

Cicely Hemphill, Registrar, who has been employed at CoP for just over 12 years, received the Spirit of the College Award. One of her nominators shared, “Colleagues, staff, and students consistently praise her as the nicest person they know; she is always wearing a smile. Her effectiveness in her role, dedication to teamwork, and pride in her work contribute to the deep respect she enjoys from her peers.”

Deborah Martinez, Graduate Student Affairs Officer, was presented the Bright Idea Award for her efforts to assure well-being and care to support CoP’s graduate students, which includes a once-a-month social event that serves as a platform for students to interact in a safe and productive environment with faculty. She has been with the College for four-and-a-half years. One of her nominators said that Deborah “…is a strong advocate and champion for students at the College.”

Along with staff recognitions, faculty awards were announced. Highlighted in a previous issue of PharmDawg Weekly, these included: Dr. Randall Tackett, PharmD Teacher of the Year; Dr. Singh Rekhi, Graduate/Undergraduate/Certificate Teacher of the Year; and Dr. Susan Smith, Instructional Innovation and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award. Faculty promotions and tenure, also featured in a previous issue of the newsletter, included Dr. Trisha Branan, promoted to Clinical Professor; Dr. Rebecca Stone, promoted to Clinical Professor; and Dr. Lilian Sattler, promoted to Associate Professor and granted tenure.

Employees celebrating key years of service were presented a recognition certificate. Touting the most years was Dr. Warren Beach, PBS Associate Professor, who has worked at the College of Pharmacy for more than 35 years. Other recognitions included:

30 Years

• Dr. Catherine White

25 Years

• Dr. Cory Momany

20 Years

• Dr. Rusty May
• Kimberly Smith

15 Years

• Dr. Virginia Fleming

10 Years

• Dr. Ashley Chinchilla
• Patricia Holly
• Dr. Wided Najahi-Missaoui
• Dr. Gurvinder Singh Rekhi
• Gloria Strait
• Monica Williams
• Dr. Henry Young
• Dr. George Zheng

5 Years

• Anna Cash
• Dr. Neil Grimsey
• Dr. Devin Lavender
• Xiaqing (Ellen) Li
• Fang Liu
• Dr. Priya Narayanan
• Dean Kelly Smith