Recognizing Excellence
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine held its 2023 Cummings Appreciation Lunch and Excellence Awards on May 17, where 18 members of the faculty and staff were honored.
Dean Alastair Cribb thanked all faculty and staff for their contributions each day to help colleagues, students, patients, clients, animals, and the school. “Thank you for your teaching, your research, for taking care of those million little details, and for answering all those questions to make things go.”
Five-year Service Awards
Employees celebrating a five-year service anniversary between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 were:
- Karen Baldwin, lab technician, Cummings Diagnostic Lab
- Roxanne Fernandes Collins, administrative assistant, Infectious Disease & Global Health
- Denise Dayao, Cummings scientist II, Infectious Disease & Global Health
- Nicholas DePasquale, client services assistant, Foster Hospital
- Kate Jolly, veterinary technician I, Emergency & Critical Care
- William “Mike” Karlin, assistant professor, Clinical Sciences
- Alison Mangan, veterinary technician III, Foster Hospital
- Lynn Roy, student wellness advisor, Student Services
- Leslie Sharkey, chair, Clinical Sciences
Staff Excellence Awards were presented to a total of eight employees in four different categories (research, hospital/clinic/diagnostic staff, administrative staff, and managers/directors). The awards recognize outstanding staff who contribute in a positive and productive manner to the missions, work environment, sense of community, and/or culture of the School. This year’s recipients were:
Kady Marino, senior research technician, Clinical Sciences
Sharing information from the nomination, Cribb shared “Kady has become part of the fabric of life in Foster Hospital and very unassumingly but passionately helped many staff, faculty, and students complete their research and scholarly work.”
Theresa Flynn, administrative coordinator, Cummings Diagnostic Lab
Referring to Theresa, one nominator commented, “I was particularly in awe of her super human ability to handle communications. I found that my skills paled in the shadow of a real professional.”
Christine Curran, senior program coordinator, Infectious Disease & Global Health
Nominated by the V23 Class, they noted “Christine has been our greatest supporter and advocate … ensures all students feel well supported … she is the glue that holds the program together.”
Nancy Horniak, assistant director, clinical schedules/placement, Student Services
A long-time employee, dedicated to students as they progress through clinical rotations, “Nancy’s patience and understanding is on display as she fields hundreds of questions from students during one of the most nerve-racking transitions in their academic career,” Cribb shared.
Cynthia Malone, associate web developer, Communications and Marketing
Cynthia facilitated Cummings School’s move to a new website with a digital events calendar. Her nominator noted, “Cynthia’s patience with these projects has been masterful, as she kept multiple partners and stakeholders on track through several iterations.”
Denise Elwart, department manager, Comparative Pathobiology
Cribb shared that during her six months on campus, “Denise has brought fresh ideas and applied her expertise in accounting to reorganize financial documents and help with budget planning.”
Don Girouard, RBL operations manager, IDGH
Characterized by his nominator: “Without exaggeration, the reason the IDGH has national recognition for its research is that Don greases the wheels of that research … he makes things happen.”
Joshua Peters, assistant supervisor, vet techs, Foster Hospital
“Josh exemplifies the values of Cummings School in his commitment to learning, teaching, and professional growth,” according to his nominator. “He is committed to personal education … excited to try new things and has good suggestions for tweaking protocols.”
In the category of Faculty Community Leadership Awards, Dr. Emily McCobb, associate clinical professor and Shelter Medicine program director, was presented a Community Leadership award.
“Dr. McCobb continually demonstrates her commitment to building community at Cummings School and with our outside partners and stakeholders,” Cribb shared. “She has substantively advanced the field of community and shelter medicine, helping to expand shelter-focused services provided by the Lerner Clinic to rescue organizations and shelters in the region …
“Dr. McCobb serves as a role model by focusing her contributions in teaching, clinical work, and research around principles of service, equity, and social justice. She has guided Cummings School’s clinical outreach, bringing services to less-resourced populations, raising issues of access to care, and providing incredible learning opportunities to students.”