STAFF REWARDS AND RECOGNITION
The MIT Rewards and Recognition Program comprises three distinct programs.
- The MIT Excellence Award Program, an annual Institute-wide award program.
- The Infinite Mile Award Program, an annual SHASS program that culminates in a ceremony held each May.
- The Appreciation Program, which allows the individual departments, sections, programs, and centers within SHASS to distribute gift certificates and other forms of appreciation for informal, spontaneous, and "on the spot" rewards to its employees.
The SHASS Rewards and Recognition Program (R&R) recognizes individuals and
teams for outstanding contributions to the organizations within SHASS and
for exceptional contributions that benefit the entire school and the Institute.
The intent of the program is to encourage broad-based recognition for exemplary
employees. Award recipients represent the best of SHASS employees and should
exemplify excellence and outstanding work performance. Nominees for each
award should exhibit some, but not necessarily all, of the criteria specified.
Employees under disciplinary action of any kind will be excluded from the
R&R Program during the award period that the disciplinary action is in effect.
Recent Recipients
2008 SHASS Infinite Mile Award
Announcement
2008 SHASS Infinite Mile Nomination
Form
SHASS REWARDS & RECOGNITION INFINITE MILE AWARDS PROGRAM
The purpose of the SHASS R&R Program is to recognize individuals (and teams, when appropriate) for exceptional contributions to the organizations within the School, as well as exceptional contributions which benefit the entire School and the Institute. The intent of the program is to encourage broad-based recognition for exemplary MIT employees. Award recipients are expected to represent the best of SHASS employees and should consistently exhibit excellent and outstanding work performance. Employees under disciplinary
action of any kind will be excluded from the R&R Program during the
award period that the disciplinary action is in effect.
Please note that nominees should exhibit some but not necessarily
all of the criteria for each award.
COMMUNITY BUILDER
A Community Builder is a bridge builder, someone willing to share his/her time and/or ideas for the greater good of the Department, Section, Program, or Center. This might be an employee who is a cohesive force within his/her office or across the Institute, someone who volunteers his/her time for departmental or Institute matters not normally included in the job description, or who demonstrates extraordinary resourcefulness when problems arise. A Community Builder could be one who devotes time and effort to promoting diversity within the Department, the School or the Institute. The nominee should have excellent interpersonal skills, an exceptional talent for collaboration resulting in better understanding, mutual cooperation, and a better work environment.
"GO-TO PERSON" AWARD
The "Go-to Person" is a highly visible achiever who consistently takes charge and follows through. The Go-to-Person is someone with a demonstrated capacity for leadership, someone who leads by example, and can be counted on to make things happen. Quite simply, this is the person you go to when a difficult job must get done.
INNOVATOR AWARD
The Innovator is the employee who thrives on change. He/she adapts easily to new organizational structures and/or new ways of doing work. The innovator is also a natural leader when it comes to helping colleagues adapt to such changes. He/she may be able to look at a task and envision a different way of reaching the goal, in a way that saves money, improves workflow, and/or gets faster results. He/she enjoys thinking about existing systems and ways to improve them, sometimes finding creative "go-arounds" when confronted with bureaucratic roadblocks in current processes. The innovator may also be the person who comes up with imaginative new ideas for program promotion and enhancement and is able to effectively communicate his/her ideas with colleagues and superiors.
POSITIVE ENERGY AWARD
The Positive Energy Award is intended to reward the employee who stays positive, upbeat, and cheerful regardless of the situation he/she is faced with while acting competently and in the best interest of the workplace, someone who positively influences those around him/her. In these times of change and stress, when it is hard not to feel down and negative, the Positive Energy Award winner will help to demonstrate that it is possible to face difficult situations with good humor and perspective.
UNSUNG HERO AWARD
The Unsung Hero is someone who invisibly carries out work essential for the smooth functioning of a community, who quietly puts the organization’s interests above his/her own interests, is willing to fill in when needed, does whatever it takes to get the job done and is a quiet but steady presence in the organization. The nominee should be someone who takes initiative without being prompted, is reliable, persevering, and results-oriented.
GREAT COMMUNICATOR AWARD
The Great Communicator Award is intended to reward those employees who have
an exceptional talent for communicating and collaboration, resulting in
better understanding, mutual cooperation, and a better work environment.
The nominee should be someone with the ability to seamlessly convey and
elicit information to large and small groups of people, whether this be
one on one, within his/her department, or across MIT, creating and building
consensus and working toward shared success. He/she should communicate in
ways that are inspiring, thereby creating a positive attitude that helps
others to do a better job.
More information
on MIT's Rewards and Recognition Program.
Recent Recipients of Staff Honors and Awards
Spring 2007
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Community Builder Award
Sarah Wolozin, Program Manager, Comparative Media Studies
Go-to-Person Award
Jeff Pearlin, Computer Support Assistant, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Innovator Award
Magdalena Rieb, Program Coordinator, SSP, Center for International Studies
Positive Energy Award
Jennifer Molina, Administrative Assistant, SHASS Dean's Office
Matthew O'Toole, Administrative Assistant, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies
Unsung Hero Award
Victor Belanger, Piano Technician, Music and Theater Arts
Jessica Colon, Senior Administrative Assistant, Economics
Shannon McCord, Administrative Assistant, Foreign Languages and Literatuares
Other Academic Awards
Continued outstanding service and innovative teaching.
Dagmar Jaeger, Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Mya Poe, Lecturer, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies
Charles Shadle, Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
Spring 2006
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Go-to-Person Award
John Lyons, Administrative Officer, Music and Theater Arts
Positive Energy Award
Theresa Benevento, Administrative Assistant, Economics
Christine Phillips, Administrative Assistant, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Douglas Purdy, Administrative Assistant, Comparative Media Studies
Unsung Hero Award
Danielle Mancini, Administrative Assistant, Program in Science, Technology, and Society
Brad Seawell, Communications Assistant, Literature
Clarise Snyder, Concert Director, Music and Theater Arts
Innovator Award
MISTI Coordinator Team - Sigrid Berka, Saro Derian, Sean Gilbert, Amy Kirkcaldy, Deepti Nijhawan, April Julich Perez, Daniela Reichert, Serenella Sferza
Other Academic Awards
Continued outstanding service and innovative teaching.
Ellen Crocker, Senior Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Sara Ellison, Senior Lecturer, Economics
Martin Marks, Senior Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
George Ruckert, Senior Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
Julian Wheatley, Senior Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Spring 2005
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Great Communicator Award
Susanne Martin, Administrative Officer, Program in Writing and Humanistic
Studies
Katherine Swan, Graduate Administrator, Economics
Go-to-Person Award
Mark Begley, Systems Administrator, Economics
Fuquan Gao, Systems Administrator, Political Science
Marie Senat-Andre, Financial Assistant, Center for International Studies
Positive Energy Award
Kristin Blank, Administrative Assistant, Music and Theater Arts
Unsung Hero Award
Jan Ellertsen, Administrative Officer, Literature
Lauren Fahey, Administrative Assistant, Economics
Amy Devin, Administrative Assistant, HASS Office
Dean's Community Builder Award
Kerrianne Ducharme, Personnel Coordinator, SHASS Dean's Office
Other Academic Awards
Continued outstanding service and innovative teaching.
Edward Barrett, Senior Lecturer, Program in Writing and Humanistic
Studies
David Deveau, Senior Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
Gilberte Furstenberg, Senior Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Douglas Morgenstern, Senior Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Pamela Wood, Senior Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
Spring 2004
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Dean's Community Builder Award
Deb Fairchild, Administrative Officer, Program in Science, Technology, and Society
Emily Meghan Morrow Howe, Program Coordinator, Women's Studies
Go-to-Person Award
Alterra Milone, Senior Administrative Assistant, Economics
Julie Saunders, Administrative Assistant, Literature
Dee Siddalls, Administrative Assistant, Center for International Studies
Positive Energy Award
Priscilla Cobb, Senior Administrative Assistant, Music and Theater Arts
Unsung Hero Award
Mabel Chin, Senior Administrative Assistant, History
Grace Mitchell, Administrative Assistant, Political Science
Andrea Wirth, Senior Administrative Assistant, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Other Academic Awards
Bernd Widdig, Associate Director, MISTI, Director MIT-Germany Program, Center for International Studies, for his outstanding educational contributions to the School and the Institute.
Philip Alexander, Research Associate, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, for researching and writing the history of our school at MIT.
Wyn Kelley, Senior Lecturer, Literature, for her extraordinary contributions to education and the new institute wide communication initiative.
Michael Ouellette, Senior Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts, for enrichment of the arts at MIT.
Spring 2003
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Dean's Community Builder Award
Chris Pomiecko, Program Administrator, Comparative Media Studies
Laurie Scheffler, Senior Administrative Assistant, Center for International Studies
Go-to Person Award
Paula Kreutzer, Financial Assistant, Political Science
Elizabeth (Liz) White, Administrative Assistant, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Positive Energy Award
Anthony Duggins, Computer Support Assistant, Center for International Studies
Susan Stapleton, Administrative Assistant, Comparative Media Studies
Unsung Hero Award
Nicholas (Nick) Altenbernd, Senior Administrative Assistant, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies
Martha Henry, Program Coordinator, Knight Science Fellowship Program
Sarah Merrow, Graduate Student Administrator, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies
Monica Wolf, Graduate Student Administrator, Political Science
Other Academic Awards
Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Service within SHASS
Rebecca Faery, Lecturer and Director of the First Year Writing Program, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies
Steven Ostrow, Lecturer, History
Outstanding Contributions to Service within SHASS
Kurt Fendt, Research Associate, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Belinda Yung, SRS Project Manager, Literature
Spring 2002
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Dean's Community Builder Award
Tobie Weiner, Undergraduate Administrator, Political Science
Go-to Person Award
Maya Jhangiani, Administrative Assistant, Writing and Humanistic Studies
Language Learning and Research Center (LLARC) Team, Foreign Languages and Literatures: Jeffrey Martin, Systems Programmer; Cliff Myers, Technical Assistant; Ruth Trometer, Director
Positive Energy Award
Robert J. Bain, Administrative Assistant, Comparative Media Studies
Maria DiMauro, Administrative Officer, History
Shannon Larkin, Administrative Assistant, Writing and Humanistic Studies
Unsung Hero Award
Linda Malouf, Administrative Assistant, SHASS Dean's Office
Rinaldi Team: Music and Theater Arts - Diane Brainerd, Assistant Costumer; William Fregosi, Technical Coordinator; Leslie Cocuzzo Held, Technical Instructor; Michael Katz, Technical Instructor; and Karen Perlow, Technical Assistant
Other Academic Awards
Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Service to SHASS
Jane Dunphy, Director of ELS (English Language Studies Program), Foreign Languages and Literatures
Margarita Groeger, Director of Spanish Language Studies, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Yoshimi Nagaya, Director of Spanish Language Studies, Foreign Languages and Literatures
William Cutter, Director of Choral Programs, Music and Theater Arts
Frederick Harris, Director of Wind Ensembles, Music and Theater Arts
Spring 2001
SHASS Infinite Mile Awards
Dean's Community Builder Award
Nancy Lowe, Administrative Officer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Michele Oshima, Program Coordinator, Women's Studies
Go-to Person Award
Mary Grenham, Administrative Officer, Linguistics and Philosophy
Debbie Meinbresse, Administrative Assistant, Science, Technology and Society
Innovator Award
Alex Chisholm, Development and Communications Officer, Comparative Media Studies
Unsung Hero Award
Pamela Clements, Administrative Secretary, Political Science
Foreign Languages and Literature Headquarters Team: Pamela Grimes, Administrative Assistant; Lili Kepuska, Administrative Assistant; Shannon McCord, Administrative Assistant; and Ellen Salvi, Administrative Assistant
