The third annual SHRS Dean’s Staff Excellence Awards were announced by Interim Dean David C. Beck during the State of the School on April 10. The awards recognize SHRS staff members for their dedication and exemplary contributions that uplift the mission and values of SHRS and the Pitt community.
“The SHRS Dean’s Staff Excellence Awards are an opportunity to recognize the people whose daily work gives life to our mission,” said Interim Dean David C. Beck. “Excellence at SHRS is defined by more than our major milestones and visible achievements. It is reflected in the dedication, leadership, innovation and care demonstrated every day across our School, often in ways that happen quietly but make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others. This year’s honorees represent some of the very best of SHRS, and their contributions continue to strengthen the culture, character and momentum of our School.”
Commitment to Advancing Access and Opportunity Award
The Commitment to Advancing Access and Opportunity Award was presented to Samantha “Sam” Mozden, community engagement manager, Office of Equity, Diversity Inclusion and Community Engagement (OEDICE) and the SHRS Wellness Pavilion, for her contribution to SHRS initiatives and working to create a culture of inclusion for the SHRS community.
“Sam is the epitome of an empathic and compassionate advocate and ally for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). She consistently and authentically shows up as someone who genuinely cares about SHRS and its people while also helping to advance and embed EDI initiatives into SHRS. Sam is a valued member of the team, and her contributions to SHRS should not go unnoticed because she helps to make SHRS a better place.”
— Anastasia McMillan, Senior Director of Strategic Programs and Services, Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement
“Sam has been an extraordinary staff member within OEDICE. She has organized interprofessional opportunities to address the equitable health care needs of the community of Homewood by creating the Community Engagement Center on the road, which has been so successful and has served well over 500 senior citizens. In addition to that, she has been instrumental in our office’s goal of launching and maintaining the SHRS Wellness Pavilion Clinic. She has consistently provided equitable and diverse opportunities with the community members that she works with, and she is inclusive, providing interprofessional opportunities for SHRS faculty, staff and students to successfully work together.”
— Nancy Gauvin, Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, Assistant Professor
“I am honored to receive the Commitment to Advancing Access and Opportunity award. This recognition motivates me to keep working hard to support the needs of our students and to serve the Homewood community and the broader Pittsburgh area. I tend to put my head down and do the work, so it feels especially meaningful to be recognized!”
— Sam Mozden
Debora L. Miller Award for Leadership and Operations
The Debora L. Miller Award for Leadership and Operations Award was presented to Kellie Beach, director of student services and registrar, SHRS Student Affairs, for her significant contributions to SHRS strategic initiatives through problem-solving, leadership or passionate commitment.
“Kellie is incredibly hardworking and dedicated to SHRS and the success of our community. She goes above and beyond to assist students, faculty and staff. She is extremely organized and productive and can often be found working late to meet deadlines. She answers calls and emails promptly to ensure needs are met, and she has an amazing attention to detail, ability to multi-task and communicate across all levels of SHRS.
Examples of her excellence are how she plans, organizes and runs the SHRS graduation ceremonies every year, how she manages student information pertaining to academic progress and graduation certification, and how she continually takes on new projects that create efficiency and improve processes. New projects include streamlining the leave of absence process, creating graduate academic advisement reports, creating a Tableau dashboard for the Dean’s List, and bringing departments onboard to Perceptive Content. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award and recognition.”
— Jessica Maguire, Executive Director of Student Affairs, Ombudsperson
“I am honored to receive the Debora L. Miller Award for Leadership and Operations. Over the past 14 years, I have been dedicated to providing the highest level of support to faculty, staff and students, and having that commitment recognized by my peers and SHRS leadership is truly meaningful.”
— Kellie Beach
Exceptional Service Award
Greg Smith, director of space management and planning, Dean’s Office, was presented with the Exceptional Service Award for going above and beyond to support the mission and vision of SHRS.
“Greg has been invaluable in preparing for the move. He remains calm and pleasant in the face of a lot of stress, and he has a “can do” attitude that makes the faculty and staff in my department feel confident that the new building will be optimally functional. He is open to suggestions and thinks through problems to find the best (not easiest) solution. His leadership is making the preparations for the move as seamless as possible.”
— Ann Vinski, Department and Financial Administrator, Department of Health Information Management
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have led the school into our new home at Fifth and Halket. To be able to step into this project just over a year ago, work with so many outstanding colleagues and now see students, faculty, staff and our campus community enjoy it every day makes it all worthwhile. I also want to acknowledge the teams I worked with at Bakery Square, Bridgeside Point, Rivertech and the SSW Box Office in improving those spaces for our communities there. Finally, I appreciate Interim Dean Beck’s trust in me to steward the Fifth and Halket project into reality, and I look forward to continuing to serve our SHRS community for years to come!”
— Greg Smith
Research and Scholarly Activity Mission Administration Award
Minmei Shih, research scientist, Department of Occupational Therapy, was presented with the Research and Scholarly Activity Mission Administration Award for her work advancing the school’s research efforts.
“Minmei Shih has been a staff member in the Department of Occupational Therapy since 2020, but her engagement in and dedication to SHRS spans more than two decades. Mei fully embodies the SHRS mission of advancing health, rehabilitation and reintegration service delivery through teaching, research and professional service. She has demonstrated this through her leadership in academic and health system partnerships, student training and supervision, clinical trial management and research operations.”
— Laura Waterstram, Director of Research Operations, Department of Occupational Therapy
“Turning innovative ideas into meaningful research products is never a solo effort—it takes a village. Working alongside creative researchers and their teams, and seeing their genuine dedication to people, continually humbles me. I am thankful for the opportunities my work provides to learn, collaborate and grow.”
— Minmei Shih
Student Impact Award
Samantha “Sammie” Olsen, academic programs administrator, Department of Health Information Management, was presented with the Student Impact Award in recognition for helping SHRS students to succeed and grow as individuals, contributing to their quality of life, demonstrating consistently excellent service, and promoting and supporting a culture of respect in our school.
“Sammie consistently demonstrates an extraordinary level of dedication to SHRS that extends well beyond the expectations of her position. She manages an exceptionally complex portfolio of responsibilities with remarkable accuracy, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to student success.
Beyond managing academic logistics, Sammie consistently goes above and beyond to support students and faculty alike. Notably, Sammie provides continuous support throughout the entire student lifecycle—from orientation through graduation—demonstrating a sustained and personal investment in each student’s success.
Sammie’s reliability, initiative and ownership of complex academic processes have made her an indispensable asset to SHRS. Her consistent pattern of excellence, professionalism and service reflects the highest standards of dedication and fully merits recognition through this staff award.”
— Bambang Parmanto, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Information Management
“I am incredibly grateful to receive the Student Impact Award! This award reflects my favorite part of my work: supporting our HI students as they begin their journey towards careers focused on innovating and improving our healthcare systems. Their dedication inspires me every day, and I have no doubt they will accomplish amazing things.
I also want to extend my gratitude to the HIM Faculty, my supervisor Ann Vinski, my coworker Bailey Cassidy, as well as Lori Kieffer and Kellie Beach from the SHRS Registrar Team for their support and guidance. It’s an honor to work alongside people who care so deeply about our students’ well-being and success.”
— Sammie Olsen
