KNOXVILLE – From transforming the way the University of Tennessee approaches diversity and inclusion to championing biomedical research, recipients of the 2020 President’s Awards embody excellence throughout the UT System.
UT President Randy Boyd selected six employees to honor this year.
“As the president of this University, one of my greatest honors is to see the incredibly impactful work our employees do every day,” Boyd said. “This year’s six deserving employees, and the thousands of employees across the System, are the reason this will be the greatest decade in the history of this University.”
President’s Awards are the highest honor a UT employee can receive from the University and are intended to spotlight success and inspire excellence. Honorees are selected each year from a Systemwide pool of candidates nominated by campus and institute leaders. Winners receive commemorative plaques and monetary awards of $3,000.
This year’s winners are:
Educate Honoree:
Richard Robinson
UT Martin
Robinson has led the radio station to a significant number of awards since he took helm in 2005. With 292 state and national recognitions in total, 76 of which were first place awards, the radio station remains a beacon of opportunity for students to gain professional experience. Several of the station’s top accolades include: the “Platinum Award” by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System for the past nine years; “Best College Radio Station in the Nation” in 2012 by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System and “Best College Radio Station in the South” from 2014-2017 by the Southeast Journalism Conference. Robinson delivers multiple professional development and broadcasting workshops each year while maintaining meaningful and long-lasting relationships with UT Martin students and faculty.
Discover Honoree:
Robert Williams
UT Health Science Center
Williams has been awarded 39 grants, including seven active and pending projects totaling more than $11.5 million. One of his most notable ongoing projects is to provide genome sequence data for thousands of Tennessee children.
Connect Honoree:
Karen Armsey
UT Institute of Agriculture
Her efforts led to a partnership between HABIT, the UT Law School and Court Appointed Special Advocates of East Tennessee to serve children who are involved in abuse and neglect court or custody cases. Armsey and her Great Pyrenees mix Shelby, known as the “Courthouse Treasure,” were the first volunteer team to take part in the free program. Today, HABIT is comprised of more than 800 members, 650 active volunteers and connects with more than 400,000 Tennesseans annually.
Support (Exempt) Honoree:
Ashlie Czyz
UT System Human Resources
Described as kind, responsive, thorough, professional and detail oriented, Czyz has been known to go above and beyond in her duties. She works to develop targeted recruitment strategies for the most well-qualified and diverse candidates while curating a strong network of professional contacts within the higher education community.
Support (Nonexempt) Honoree:
Davis Rash
UT Martin
His personal effort to learn more on the intricacies of the UT Martin HVAC system demonstrates his commitment to the success of the University and all those who call it home. Rash exemplifies the spirit of UT Martin and frequently lends a helping hand to other employees and campus visitors. In 1998, Rash completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration at UT Martin, while working full time.
Diversity Honoree:
Michael Alston
UT Health Science Center
Alston led the creation of the Diversity Certificate Program, a resource available to employees that is designed to enhance cultural competency and understanding of the latest research and best practices in the fields of diversity. Since its inception, more than 160 faculty and staff have completed the program. He also expanded diversity celebrations on campus and created programming for Black History, National Hispanic and LGBT awareness months. Alston is continuously expanding opportunities for faculty, staff and students to actively engage with the diversity and inclusion efforts at UTHSC and across the state.
More information about the President’s Awards can be found at: https://president.tennessee.edu/awards/