Humble Hero Staff Award

The Humble Hero Staff Award recognizes staff who quietly excel without seeking the spotlight. This may involve volunteering for events outside regular business hours and taking on additional roles.

a split frame photo of Lizzy Solovey (left) and Anne Bongermino (right) receiving their award certificates

2024 award winners Lizzy Solovey (left) and Anne Bongermino (right) at the 2024 Faculty & Staff Recognition Celebration. Photos by Greg Fiume.

The Humble Hero Staff Award is given to an exempt or non-exempt staff member who subtly makes a difference. This individual consistently provides outstanding service and goes above and beyond the scope of their role with no expectation of formal recognition. Examples might include but are not limited to: 

  • Taking on additional roles and responsibilities to enhance the unit’s reputation without seeking the spotlight
  • Volunteering to assist at events that occur before, during, and after business hours

Up to two awards will be given. Each award includes a cash prize of $250 and recognition at the Clark School’s Annual Faculty and Staff Recognition reception.

Deadline for 2023-24 nominations is Friday, April 5, 2024.

Any full-time or part-time, contingent or permanent, exempt or non-exempt staff member who deserves recognition and was not previously honored with a college-level award during the current academic year.

Complete the official nomination form and include a brief narrative describing the nominee’s contributions and why they deserve recognition. 

Nominations will be accepted from current Clark School faculty and staff members. 

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

 

Submit a Nomination

Meet Our 2024 Recipient: Anne Bongermino

During her last semester of graduate school, Anne Bongermino wanted to do something innovative to improve the Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE) program as part of her final project. This turned into the creation and implementation of the Assistant Lecturer training program which includes asynchronous and synchronous training, in addition to peer review. This training program has been an asset since being added to MAGE’s services. Additionally, Anne served as the point person for the MAGE staff as they implemented Monday.com, a new project management system, throughout the office. She volunteered to be one of two staff members to complete a Monday.com Training Certification in order to help train others. Overall, Anne serves as a behind-the-scenes force for MAGE.

Meet Our 2024 Recipient: Lizzy Solovey

Lizzy Solovey humbly works behind the scenes reviewing prospective student applications, writing Committee Letters for the Pre-Health Office, and collaborating with the National Association of College Employers to create career readiness rubrics at UMD. Lizzy also collaborated with the University Career Center to adapt their internship course to meet the unique needs of our engineering students. She serves as a mentor and coach to our students, and she continues to take on new tasks and executes them beyond expectations. Her dedication and her exceptional work ethic make her truly deserving of this award.


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