Chancellor Philip DiStefano has announced the recipients of the 2023 Employee of the Year awards. The annual awards are presented to CU Boulder staff in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the operations and success of the university. Staff are nominated by their colleagues for their extraordinary service, inspired leadership and outstanding job performance.
This year鈥檚 winners represent diversity in job unit and years of service but all share incredible dedication to the to the students, faculty and staff of CU and all have made a lasting impact. Congratulations to the 2023 award recipients: Charles Eagan, Deb Renshaw, Rojana Savoye and Hannah Wilks.
Charles Eagan
Eagan is a senior academic advisor for the听Department of Psychology and Neuroscience听in the College of Arts and Sciences. He has hosted close to 900 meetings with students in the last year, well above the department average. Eagan provides a place of comfort for his students and handles difficult conversations with care and compassion. He provides guidance and mentorship not only to his students but to his fellow staff as well.
In addition to his role as an academic advisor, Eagan is a leader across campus and has served as chair and then ex officio chair of the Campus Advising Council, where he launched the Buff Buddies mentoring program for advisors and coaches across campus. Additionally, he plans and executes events for Academic Advising and Coaching, is involved in mentorship programs with young students who identify as LGBTQ+ and serves on multiple task forces to support advisor and student wellbeing.
One nominator said the following: 鈥淐harles never fails to bring kindness and positivity, and to show dedication to helping others, including colleagues, in a way that far exceeds expectations of his role.鈥�
Deb Renshaw
Renshaw serves as a senior undergraduate academic advisor in the听College of Engineering and Applied Science. Renshaw鈥檚 role encompasses various aspects related to undergraduate education including class scheduling, promoting student success, handling course petitions, providing advising support and offering guidance in a broad range of areas pertinent to undergraduate studies.
Renshaw has led transformative change in advising, student support and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.听Dedication to the well-being and success of all students and support of all colleagues have made Renshaw a guiding presence in the college.
As one nominator wrote: 鈥淒eb鈥檚 commitment to excellence, thoughtfulness in decision-making, and tireless work ethic have left an enduring mark on our department鈥檚 operations and the educational experiences of our students.鈥�
Renshaw is actively involved in the Academic Coaching Program, serves on the College of Engineering Staff Council and has presented at many events across engineering. Renshaw鈥檚 commitment to service goes well beyond CU and has actively contributed to both local and global communities through tireless charitable work with organizations such as the American Diabetes Foundation, Boulder Mountain Fire Benefit, the Humane Society and Maui wildfire relief.
Rojana Savoye
Savoye is the senior house manager for the听College of Music, serving as the front-of-house manager for all College of Music and CU Presents events at Macky Auditorium, Grusin Music Hall, the Music Theatre and other venues in Imig. In her role, Savoye is often the first face to welcome patrons to an event. She provides a safe event environment, troubleshoots problems and consistently goes above and beyond her job requirements to ensure everyone鈥檚 experience on campus is a positive one. 听
Savoye hires, trains and manages all front-of-house usher staff, which are typically roles filled by CU students. She creates a safe work environment for all identities, teaches students how to be good employees, how to take responsibility and provides them with life skills they can take beyond graduation. Savoye welcomes thousands of event guests to campus every year and does so with kindness and patience.
As one of Savoye鈥檚 nominators shared: 鈥淗er job on campus is already very specialized, but her unique approach and unflappable character puts her well above any other house manager I've worked with. I consider her one of the few truly irreplaceable people on our campus.鈥�
Hannah Wilks
Wilks is the director of service learning and basic needs and the director of the听Volunteer Resource Center听within the Division of Student Affairs. In her role, Wilks supports those seeking assistance accessing essential resources and coordinates and leads volunteerism efforts across campus. Hannah not only has passion for her work but is constantly engaging others to advocate and impact change. She is a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion and cares deeply for the community around her. 听听
Under Wilks鈥� leadership, the听Basic Needs Center听distributed more than 236,000 pounds of food to create 197,430 meals for our campus community in the 2022鈥�23 academic year. The center also received $27,000 in grant funding to grow the footprint of their food assistance program and received over 8,000 visits to the pantry. Additionally, while leading the Volunteer Resource Center, Wilks has helped to develop many student leaders who have provided support to countless campus events.
As shared by one of her nominators: 鈥淗annah鈥檚 rich leadership across CU Boulder, her passion for supporting and serving underserved and marginalized students, and her care and commitment to supervision truly set her apart.鈥�
