The Regent Staff Awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary staff members, honoring excellence in the following categories: Contribution to the Institution; Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment; Effectiveness and Efficiency; Public Service to the University or the Greater Community; and Inclusion, Multiculturalism, & Social Justice.
Institutional staff nominating committees make recommendations to the institutional presidents, who review nominations and supporting material and forward recommendations to USM Chancellor. The Regents Staff Review Committee makes the final recommendations.
Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University System of Maryland Foundation.
Juli Brush
2021
Horn Point Laboratory
Juli Brush became known for her high level of commitment to UMCES, her positive impact on the work environment, and her collaborative approach.She has created partnerships that have helped the Horn Point Laboratory improve efficiency. Additionally, she goes above and beyond her official duties, working on a variety of UMCES committees. Included in this work is her service as Chair of the Staff Council and as an active member of the Mental Health Council. Juli is the go-to expert on all aspects of grants and contracts, shared governance, leadership, and relationship-building.
2020
Monica Gellene
Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
Monica Gellene, Associate Director of Administration at UMCES’ Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, recieved the Staff Award for Exceptional Contribution to the Institution and/or Unit to Which the Person Belongs. She has been called ambitious, committed, self-motivated, and driven to succeed, and among the highest rank of administrators. She was lauded for her efficiency with essential tasks, her enthusiasm for taking on new projects, and her focus on professional development for herself and others in her department.
In recent years, Gellene established a sustainability committee at IMET with the goal of reducing plastic and other waste. Since this initiative was started, IMET has eliminated 90% of plastic consumption , no new plastic has been purchased, and events and meetings are plastic-free. She has also organized ongoing sustainability seminars to educate IMET and the general public on sustainability issues.
2020
Amy Griffin
Amy Griffin has made graduate students her first priority in all of her work since being hired as the Assistant to the UMCES Vice President for Education in 2014. In addition to fulfilling her roles in the accreditation and reaffirmation of accreditation processes, she has become the unofficial student services officer for UMCES. Words used to describe her include an integral component of the UMCES community, dedication, enthusiasm, initiative, trusted advisor, and student advocate. She works diligently to address as many student concerns, questions, and inquiries as she can, going above and beyond to make sure she finds the correct answers and policies. She has instigated several student-centric events and she has revamped the student orientation and on-boarding process at UMCES and created an UMCES-wide student newsletter to keep students up-to-date.