South Middlesex Times

Recipients of the Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards at Rutgers University were honored for their service to students and employees, their role in fostering a community, and their contributions beyond the university. The awards recognize both individuals and teams for excellence in various categories.

The ceremony took place at the Rutgers Club, where more than 50 members of the Rutgers community were acknowledged. President Jonathan Holloway encouraged nominations from faculty and staff earlier this year. "I’m deeply gratified to say that for the second straight year, we received a wide array of nominations putting forward truly wonderful Rutgers employees for recognition in the categories we established last year, plus an additional category recognizing lifetime contributions to the university," said Holloway during the event.

The Lifetime Contribution Award was given to Gloria Bonilla-Santiago from Rutgers-Camden's Department of Public Policy and Administration. Her work includes founding the Rutgers-Camden Community Leadership Center and LEAP Academy University Charter School. Rory “Cal” Maradonna was also recognized with this award for his nearly six decades of service at Rutgers University.

Hend El-Buri received the Gateway Award for Service to Students for her efforts in combating student food insecurity at Rutgers-Newark. The One Stop Student Services Center team was also honored for redefining student services across financial aid, registration, and admissions.

Kathleen Howell was awarded the Gateway Award for Service to Employees due to her work with Rutgers Cooperative Extension since 2015. Neela Patel received the Spirit Award for her leadership in enhancing student life through student centers and activities.

The Outstanding Service Award went to Emilia Iwu from Rutgers School of Nursing for her dedication to nursing research and advocacy in Nigeria. The Family & Community Health Sciences SNAP-Ed team was also recognized for improving health through nutrition education in New Jersey's underserved communities.

Helene Derisi was honored with the Pride of Rutgers Award for her impact on Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute operations. Gulam Rather and Devora Schiff from Radiation Oncology were acknowledged as well for their innovative handling system benefiting cancer research.