Newcomer of the Year Staff Award

The Newcomer of the Year Staff Award honors recent staff additions who quickly demonstrate a positive attitude, reliability, and alignment with the Clark School's values. They seamlessly integrate into the team and introduce innovative approaches that benefit students, faculty, and staff.

Submit a Nomination

2025 award winner DeAndre Jones (center) at the 2025 Faculty & Staff Recognition Celebration. Photo by Al Santos.

The Newcomer of the Year Staff Award recognizes a newer staff member who in a very short time has made a significant impact on their unit and/or the Clark School. Examples might include but are not limited to:

  • Demonstrating a positive disposition, dependability, and commitment to the Clark School’s ideals
  • Quickly becoming an integral member of the team, learning and improving the unit’s ways of working
  • Bringing new energy and ideas to the role that have made a noticeable impact on students, faculty, and staff

The award includes a cash prize of $500 and recognition at the Clark School’s Annual Faculty and Staff Recognition reception.

Any staff member, exempt or non-exempt, who has been employed in the Clark School for at least one year but less than two years is eligible for nomination.

Complete the official nomination form and include a narrative describing the nominee’s achievements and specific contributions. The narrative should provide specific examples as to how the nominee meets the eligibility criteria and what distinguishes and makes them deserving of this award.

Nominations will be accepted from current faculty and/or staff members. Narratives must be no more than one page (single spaced) or two pages (double spaced).

Selection of the winner will be determined by an appointed committee on the basis of the information supplied by the nominator. The winner, along with all nominees, will be announced and honored at the annual Faculty and Staff Recognition reception.

Submit a Nomination

Meet our 2026 Recipient: Mckenzie Turpin

McKenzie Turpin is an Engineer in the University of Maryland’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Research and Operations Center (UROC). She is recognized for identifying workflow gaps, proposing practical solutions, implementing improvements, and developing a project-tracking tool now used by UROC leadership, all of which have significantly improved the center’s operational efficiency. McKenzie has also made valuable contributions through mentoring summer interns and participating in outreach efforts. Congratulations to McKenzie Turpin on being selected as the 2026 winner of the Newcomer of the Year Staff Award!

 

Mckenzie Turpin, UAS Research and Operations Center

Past Recipients:

  • 2025: DeAndre Jones
  • 2024: Brian Schoem

 


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