Nominations
Nominations are open for the 2025 IT Recognition Awards.
- Nominations are due by Sunday, April 27.
- Honorees will be announced at the IT Professionals Conference on May 29.
About the awards
We work with excellent people who do awesome things. It’s time we told their stories and recognized them for their amazingness.
Below are the award categories and descriptions for the annual IT Recognition Awards. Visit our guide to writing an effective IT recognition award nomination for more details, including the scoring rubric the awards committee uses to determine the honorees.
Ellen La Luzerne Community Builder Award
This award recognizes an IT professional or initiative that excels in bringing people together through active volunteerism and professional service to the broader IT community.
Rising Star Award
This award recognizes a rising IT community member whose record reflects ongoing and exceptional growth in contribution to the profession.
Unsung Hero
This award recognizes a member of the IT community who is responsive and proactive, making a real difference to their co-workers by designing or implementing excellent technical solutions. Yet their contributions may be overlooked or receive little formal recognition.
Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
This award recognizes and celebrates the exemplary leadership displayed by an IT staff member in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community.
Team Achievement Award
This award recognizes a single team of IT community members whose collective teamwork in creating or incorporating an information—or technical-based solution on one or more projects has significantly impacted the university.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognizes the continued contributions of a community member whose body of work throughout their career has significantly impacted the success of the university. Emeritus and retired staff are eligible for this award.
Transformational Achievement Award
This award recognizes an IT community member who made a significant impact in transforming the university through their efforts on a specific major IT project or initiative beyond community events. The Transformational Achievement Award differs from other awards in that it is to recognize a specific initiative, project, or service where creating or incorporating an information or technical solution was essential to success.
Past honorees
Congratulations to the 2024 IT Recognition Award Winners! The 5th annual awards were presented on May 30, 2024, as part of the IT Professionals Conference. Check back later for more information about this year’s honorees and to watch the awards ceremony.
- Ellen La Luzerne Award for Community Engagement
- Mehrnaz Ahmadi Joobaneh
Data, Academic Planning and Institutional Research - Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- Rob Kohlhepp
College of Engineering – Computer-Aided Engineering - Lifetime Achievement Award
- Greg Johll
Division of Extension — Educational Tech Support - Rising Star Award
- Amy Diestler
School of Medicine and Public Health - Team Achievement Award
- Hybrid Meeting Room Team
(Brad Graham, Chance Homme, Shawn Thiele and Bill Tishler)
Division of Information Technology - Transformational Achievement Award
- Tyler Schultz
School of Medicine and Public Health — Shared Services IT - Unsung Hero
- Paul Miller
College of Engineering – Interdisciplinary Professional Programs - Unsung Hero
- Jenna Klinner
Division of Information Technology – Web Platforms and Services - IT Connects Impact Award
- Jason Pursian
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences