Faculty and Staff Spotlight: 2023 Awardees
At the annual College of Arts and Sciences Convocation, the CAS Outstanding Faculty and Staff Awards are given out to one staff member and one faculty member. These awards were created as a way to highlight the incredible work that our faculty and staff do throughout the year, especially the impact they have on our students. Our faculty help our students in and out of the classroom, working to make sure that they achieve not only their academic goals, but their professional goals too. Our staff work alongside the faculty to promote the student experience, increase retention, and aid in the overall success of our students.
Each year, the award is centered around a theme, and members of the CAS team are nominated based on that theme. The theme for the 2023 CAS Outstanding Faculty and Staff awards was: "Engaging others to make a positive difference," the ultimate peer-to-peer appreciation award for:
- A staff member who has demonstrated the ability to go that extra step in being of assistance to others
- A faculty member who has been successful in engaging students in high impact activities which contributes to student success
The 2023 CAS Outstanding Staff Award was presented to Anita Franciosi, the Administrative and Academic Support Manager, for her outstanding contributions in going that extra mile.
Anita’s role as Administrative and Academic Support Manager for CAS includes serving as lead for all program support staff within the College. She has created a helpful and forward-thinking environment for the staff she supervises through training and mentoring and played an integral role in developing administrative consistency across the college. Anita demonstrates her commitment to UAA and CAS in every interaction. She is professional, positive, and always acts with integrity.
Nominators describe Anita as “amazing!” indicating that she “comes into the office with positive energy and a willingness to help others.” She has been heavily involved in the recruitment, retention and training of the program support staff. She understands complex processes and procedures and communicates those in an easy to understand way to her team to ensure that they succeed. If one of her team members needs help, she is there to guide and mentor them.
One of the letters of support sums up what makes Anita so exceptional, “She exemplifies the idea of being a “team player” and is always willing to step up and help faculty. She also understands that the mission of the college is student success and will do whatever possible to help students in the college.”
The 2023 CAS Outstanding Faculty Award was presented to Alanna DeRocchi, Term Instructor of Art, specializing in Ceramics, for her outstanding contributions in engaging students in high impact activities which contributes to student success.
Professor DeRocchi teaches ceramics courses for the Art department. She also mentors students in such areas as residency applications, and in support of their art installations for exhibition at local galleries and elsewhere. One student was awarded a scholarship to attend a workshop in Colorado, thanks in large part to Alanna’s mentorship. Her position at UAA also includes work as tech and maintenance support for the kilns, clay mixers, pottery machines, and other equipment in the department.
In the words of a person that nominated her, “Alanna has played a pivotal role in the academic successes of students in the UAA Fine Arts program. Not only has she mentored an impressive roster of ceramicists but her instruction leaves a positive impression on students of all majors. Across the board, I have heard the same comments from students, lamenting they’ve taken their last course with Alanna- promising to return to her class after graduating (and often doing just that!)”
A student commented that “her commitment to students is lifelong.”Another nominator said: “She does not hesitate to lend a hand and spends countless hours outside of class time mentoring and helping her students. It is clear that her students are her number one priority.” Finally, “she is not only inspiring her students to build the best ceramic work they can, but she also encourages her students to make a positive difference in the community.”
Congratulations to Anita and Alanna, and thank you for your continued dedication to engaging others to make a positive difference!