Feb. 13, 2018
Nominate individuals and teams for U91快色's U Make a Difference awards
Megan Wibberley, back row, Tori Grant, 脕ine Keogh and Rachelle Haddock, front row from left.
Riley Brandt, 91快色
When 脕ine Keogh read the U Make a Difference nomination that her three direct reports submitted in her behalf, she was humbled.
As Associate Director of Operational Sustainability and Reporting, Keogh sees recognition as a crucial part of her role, but while she herself finds it easy to give due credit to her team, Keogh says she was surprised to receive recognition from them.
鈥淵ou typically look up to your leader for that kind of feedback as it鈥檚 not a formal part of anyone else鈥檚 role,鈥 says Keogh. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it was so meaningful that the people who work so closely with me had these wonderful things to say. It really formalized the trust and respect we have for each other 鈥 it made me feel very grateful.鈥
According to Meagan Wibberley, advisor of operational sustainability and one of Keogh鈥檚 nominators, deciding to put her manager up for a U Make a Difference award was the easy part 鈥 it was putting together a winning nomination that took a little time.
With professional experience writing multiple award applications for U91快色, plus a successful U Make a Difference nomination under their belts, Wibberley and her colleagues offer a few valuable tips for folks casting nominations for the 2018 awards.
Use the submission criteria
Don鈥檛 start from scratch 鈥 build your submission from the specific criteria provided on the U Make a Difference webpage.
There are three areas of excellence to choose from:
- innovation and curiosity
- collaboration and communication
- a positive work environment and community
Read through examples for each option and think about how you鈥檒l illustrate the person鈥檚 strengths through the given criteria.
鈥淚n sustainability, collaboration is key 鈥 you can鈥檛 make meaningful progress without it,鈥 says Wibberley. 鈥溍乮ne doesn鈥檛 just collaborate effectively within her team, she collaborates effectively across campus. That鈥檚 why we focused our nomination on the criteria for collaboration and communication.鈥
Put your heads together and ask around
Keogh鈥檚 nomination was authored by her three direct reports who each brought their unique impressions to the submission.
鈥淣ot only do we work with 脕ine to perform very different roles, but we鈥檙e also in different stages of our careers, so we each see different aspects of 脕ine as a mentor as well,鈥 says Wibberley. 鈥淧ooling our ideas definitely made the nomination stronger.鈥
And they didn鈥檛 stop at three opinions 鈥 Keogh鈥檚 nomination included testimonials from seven different people who have collaborated with Keogh on various projects and initiatives.
鈥淲e asked for testimonials from people who have worked closely with 脕ine, so they鈥檇 feel comfortable providing input deep enough to illustrate her many dimensions.鈥
Start early 鈥 nominations close March 15
Keogh鈥檚 nominators started working on their submission about a month before the nomination deadline. That left them enough time to collect testimonials and ensure their nomination was well organized and error free.
This year鈥檚 nomination period is open from Feb. 13 to March 15. Winners will be notified in April and celebrated at a daytime ceremony on May 8.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful ceremony,鈥 says Keogh. 鈥淔or a weekday afternoon, it felt very prestigious.鈥
More on U Make a Difference
The U Make a Difference award program recognizes individuals and teams who exemplify excellence and the ability to reach above and beyond the expected to make a difference in our university community. Their performance, commitment and service help make the university a great place to learn and work.
Recognition is one of the 13 factors illustrated in the National Standard. The 91快色 is a recipient of the Mental Health at Work Silver Level Certification in this area. Visit to learn more about the implementation of the National Standard at the 91快色 and to learn about existing programs and resources that support each of the 13 Factors.