This year's award presentation was virtual. Guests tuned in on Wednesday, June 16th at 5:00pm via Zoom to watch as we honored this year's four Kendall Service Award winners. A recording of the live presentation can be found below.
2021 Kendall Service Award Winners
Former USM Regent and USG Board of Advisors member Cliff Kendall and his wife Camille have generously established annual awards that recognize faculty, program leaders, and staff who have provided outstanding support to students, as well as staff who have demonstrated exemplary service to the USG community. New to this year, is a fourth award, for "Outstanding Service to the USG Community.
Congratulations to this year's four esteemed Kendall Service Award winners for 2021:
Outstanding Program Leadership
Chelsea Moyer
UMBC Program Administration
Chelsea Moyer’s nominations for Outstanding Academic Program Leadership come from students as well as UMBC faculty and her administrative peers. Chelsea earns high marks for maintaining UMBC’s substantial and diverse suite of academic programs at USG.
She is a leader who tirelessly manages and actively participates in the Raptor-to-Retriever program to facilitate the successful transition of students from Montgomery College (MC). Chelsea has also orchestrated the expansion of UMBC’s presence at USG, undertaking the extensive planning necessary to support the new Transitional Life Science Technology (TLST) and Computer Science programs.
In addition to all her work on new and existing programs, Chelsea still found time for direct student interaction. She earns praise from her peers for quickly responding to the tumultuous changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping a gentle but confident hand on the rudder as she steered both students and faculty alike through uncharted waters. She arranged Black Lives Matter (BLM) student experience focus groups to let students, faculty and staff honestly examine how issues of equity and access affect UMBC students at USG. And she personally assists students in navigating tricky issues surrounding residency, tuition, and financial aid, with one student nominator crediting Chelsea directly with rescuing the start of the most recent semester when the student’s financial aid nearly fell through.
As one of the nominators succinctly puts it, Chelsea “epitomizes a respected, distinguished, and passionate leader to students, faculty, and staff.”
Excellence in Teaching
Jeanette Hoover
UMBC
Social Work Program
Professor Jeannette Hoover received six nominations for the Excellence in Teaching Award, all from students in the UMBC Social Work program at USG. There were several common themes among the nominations — the most consistent were supported by such adjectives as caring, fun, creative and supportive.
It was evident by reading the nominations, that Professor Hoover has a passion for teaching and for her students, and that her approach to teaching is very outcome-focused. In one nomination, the nominee stated, “She has forever left her mark in my life, and I will forever cherish it.” Another, in addressing Professor Hoover directly, similarly wrote, “You have made a difference in my career and learning, thank you!” Professor Hoover adapted well to the virtual environment and continued to demonstrate innovation in relaying material in both a fun and effective manner.
The nominations made clear that Professor Hoover is a strong leader and mentor. She exhibits passion for her role in the education of others, and demonstrates caring about their future. Professor Hoover clearly “goes the extra mile,” as one nominee put it succinctly.
In sum, Professor Hoover easily meets the requirements of the award as supported by the six nominations she received. She demonstrates commitment to student success through fostering high academic achievement. She engages students in active participation in learning and achieving their academic goals. And she advances the educational and career goals of students.
Outstanding Service to Students
Jennifer Riehl
The Universities at Shady Grove
Center for Student Engagement and Financial Resources
Jennifer (Jen) Riehl received seven nominations for the Outstanding Service to Students award from USG and partner staff members, as well as students. Nominators made salient Jen's consistent support towards student growth through mentorship and the improvement of programs and initiatives that affect students. It is evident through the nominations that Jen's mission is to provide students at USG with the best service possible. The following are just a few direct comments from students and staff at USG that support her nomination:
“She is always advocating for us and for other communities, trying to fulfill their needs and let others know that they always have an option when they are unable to see one.”
- Student
“Jen’s notable work this year also includes the way that she invested in the successful continuation of the USG Ambassador Program and was able to recruit, virtually onboard and find creative ways for the Ambassadors to build their leadership skills while being an asset to USG through their creation of a virtual tour, the development of the Ambassador Instagram page, and opportunities for prospective students to connect directly with USG Ambassadors.”
- Staff
“When I think of the Kendall awards, excellence in customer service and selfless giving, I know that Jen embodies the Kendall spirit in all she does for USG. She's a great mentor to our students, is so helpful to prospective students, always is more than generous with her time.”
- Staff
Outstanding Service to the USG Community
Charles Carter
The Universities at Shady Grove
Facilities Management
Charles (Chuck) Carter received seven nominations for the Outstanding Service to USG award.
As was made clear in all of his nominations, Chuck’s service to USG goes far beyond just being great at his job. As his nominator Brian Woods said, “Chuck makes sure everyone on the facilities team has his support day in and day out.” Chuck taught Brian a lot of what he knows about the intricacies of USG’s campus, and has helped him understand the skills needed to be a plumber.
Chuck frequently works outside the scope of his job. As Larry Isenburg said in his nomination, “Chuck frequently stays late to work on his P-card—a task outside of his job description.”
Chuck is also quite generous, as Melissa Marquez stated in her nomination. “Chuck has helped students fix their cars in the garage when they have broken down. And, he provides support to her department, Conference and Events, no matter the time, Chuck is always there and can always be depended on.
Our nominations committee would like to add that along with Chuck being a dependable employee known for his giving nature, Chuck should be celebrated for coming in to work every day during the pandemic. Because of Chuck and the other facilities staff, the USG campus will be ready to go from the day we step back on campus. That is the meaning of service to USG, and this is why Chuck is deserves this award this year.
