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2021 Years of Service Award recipients

Posted May 13, 2021

As we close out spring 2021 semester, we have many accomplishments of our colleagues to celebrate. Please take a moment to read about and celebrate these accomplishments.

One of Metropolitan State’s favorite spring traditions is the Employee Recognition Awards to honor those who have dedicated so many years to our university and students. Unfortunately, we are not yet able to gather in person. We hope to resume the recognition ceremony next spring. Below are the employees being recognized for milestone anniversaries.

5 Years of Service

  •             Kristin Burgess, Director of Accessibility Resources
  •             Abdelkrim Dafaoui, Professional Math Tutor, Center for Academic Excellence
  •             Jah Evans, Professional Math Tutor, Center for Academic Excellence
  •             Shelly Heller, Executive Assistant to the President
  •             Wilson Garland, Executive Director for the Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence
  •             Dominic Jennen,, IT Assistant, Center for Online Learning
  •             David Jones, Academic Advisor, Nursing
  •             Tamara Knapton, TRIO Advisor and Retention Specialist
  •             Darin Linse, Chief Information Security Officer, ITS
  •             Andrew Marz, OAS-Sr, Center for Online Learning
  •             Steve Reed, VP of Information Technology and Institutional Research (CIO)
  •             Sara Solland, Director of Service Management, ITS
  •             Terri Topness, Credentials Evaluator, Registrar’s Office

Resident Faculty (5 years):

  •             Erica Berte, Associate Professor, Management, Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Management, COM
  •             Lesli Blair, Associate Professor, School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, CCSPA
  •             Derrick Crim, Associate Professor, Human Services, CCSPA
  •             Reynold Galope, Associate Professor, Public and Nonprofit Leadership, CCSPA
  •             Andrew Johnson, Associate Professor, School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, CCSPA
  •             Jun Li, Assistant Professor, Management, Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Management, COM
  •             Rondedrick Sinville, Assistant Professor, Natural Sciences, COS
  •             Dalia Sulieman, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Cybersecurity, COS
  •             Daniel Woldeab, Associate Professor, Individualized and Interdisciplinary Study, CIS

10 Years of Service

  •             Elizabeth Fenske, Financial Aid Officer, Financial Aid
  •             Russell Fraenkel, Director of IT Career Pathways and Partnerships, IT Center of Excellence
  •             Melissa Heinz, IT Assistant, Center for Online Learning
  •             Karin Jax, Advisor, Human Services, CCSPA
  •             Cathy Johnson, Office Manager, COM
  •             Andrew McAvaney, Credentials Evaluator, Registrar’s Office
  •             Alice Moua, Research Analyst, Institutional Research
  •             Charles Tedder, Dean, CIS
  •             Mohammed Zafar, Gateway Student Services Associate

Resident Faculty (10 years):

  •             Andrew Carlson, Associate Professor, School of Communication, Writing and the Arts, CCSPA
  •             James Densley, Professor, School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, CCSPA
  •             Sarah Dimick Gray, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences, COS
  •             Matthew Filner, Professor, Social Science, CLA
  •             Katherine Johnson, Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics, COS
  •             Suzanne Nielsen, Assistant. Professor, School of Communication, Writing and the Arts, CCSPA
  •             Jose Santos, Associate Professor, Social Science, CLA

15 Years of Service

  •             Maureen Acosta, Director Corporate and Foundation Relations, University Advancement
  •             Bill Baldus, Director of the Career Center
  •             Diane DeRosier, Creative Services Supervisor, Marketing and Communications
  •             Debra Dornfeld, Advisor, Nursing
  •             Jericho Doron, Credentials Evaluator, Registrar’s Office
  •             Pa Her, Administrative Support, Campus Operations
  •             Tabitha Jones, Support Staff, CLA
  •             Nancy Kerr Henneberg, Circulation Technician, Library and Information Services
  •             Mark Newfield, Support Staff, COM
  •             Nattapol Pornsalnuwat, Business Intelligence Architect, ITS
  •             Barbara Savage, Academic Program Coordinator, COS

Resident Faculty (15 years)

  •             Ramin Daghigh, Professor, Natural Sciences, COS
  •             Frank Schweigert, Professor, Philosophy, CLA
  •             Glen Spielmans, Professor, Psychology, CCSPA
  •             Margaret Vaughan, Associate Professor, Ethnic and Religious Studies, CLA

20 Years of Service

  •             Philip Fuehrer, Assistant. Director of Student Leadership, SLLD
  •             Elizabeth Keeler, Circulation Technician, Library and Information Services
  •             Lue Yang, Network Administrator, ITS

Resident Faculty (20 years)

  •             Nadine Haley, Professor, School of Urban Education
  •             Cynthia Kaus, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics, COS
  •             Robert O’Connor, Associate Professor, Social Work, CCSPA
  •             John Schneider, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences, COS
  •             Paul Spies, Professor, School of Urban Education
  •             Mark Stasson, Professor, Psychology, CCSPA
  •             Michael Wilson, Professor, Accounting, COM

25 Years of Service

  •             Renee King, Lead Enrollment Processor, Admissions
  •             Baorong Li, Assessment and Academic Research Director, Placement Assessment

Resident Faculty (25 years)

  •             Sue Fitzgerald, Professor, Computer Science and Cybersecurity
  •             Samad Mortabit, Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
  •             Neal Thao, Associate Professor, Social Work, CCSPA
  •             Carolyn Whitson, Professor, Literature and Language, CLA

30 Years of Service

  •             Laura Jensen, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Financial Aid
  •             Lisa Ann McMahon, Administrative Assistant, School of Communication, Writing and the Arts, CCSPA

Resident Faculty (30 years)

  •             Monte Bute, Associate Professor, Social Science, CLA