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President Hostetter speaking to honorees at the 2026 Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony

End-of-year celebration recognizes faculty, staff

Faculty, staff and administrators gathered in Anderson Center on April 30 for the annual end-of-year celebration recognizing achievements, milestones and retirements. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to celebrate some special honors and awards and service milestones, but the 鈥榯hank you鈥 is for every person in this room,鈥 said President Mayme Hostetter. 

Milestone years of service

Five years

Jessica Mueller

10 years

Meredith Gillies
Desiree Haggberg
Forest Seaberg-Wood
Stan Sandiford

15 years

Molly Doran
Kaia Sherburne

20 years

Katrina Kaiser
Joe Lewis

25 years

Molly Glewwe
Kris Norman
Craig Wagner

30 years

Kipp Manske
Yali You

Faculty tenure and promotions

Samantha Snyder Cakir, Catheryn Jennings and Rachel Tofteland-Trampe received  tenure and were promoted to associate professor effective Sept. 1, 2026.

Erik Asp, Paul Bogard, Sarah Greenman, Josh Gumiela and Angela Pelster-Wiebe were promoted to full professor effective Sept. 1, 2026. 

Trevor Maine and Urvashi Sandhir were promoted to senior lecturer effective Sept. 1, 2026.

Awards

Paula Mullineaux and Sarah McLarnan received the Advisor of the Year award.  This award recognizes two faculty for outstanding advising.

Molly Siebert received the Education Inclusion and Equity Award for Excellence in Research. This award is given to a professor in the School of Education and Leadership for excellence in research engaged with equity, inclusion and social justice.

Marcela Kostihova received the Agnes Hulburd Conger Prize. This award is given to acknowledge a professor whose scholarly work in the humanities, in the past year, has been most outstanding.

Sarah Greenman received the Burton and Ruth Grimes Teacher Award in memory and honor of Gordon B. Sanders. This award is the university鈥檚 highest teaching honor, recognizing a faculty member鈥檚 outstanding contributions to teaching and learning.

Austin Baab, Illiana Cantu Delgado and the entire 狼友社区 Public Safety team received the Teamwork and Success Award. This new award recognizes a person or a team that has used their unique expertise and experience to meet a challenge that 狼友社区 is facing.

Brian Johnson received the Cathy Wassberg Staff Excellence Award, formerly known as Presidential Staff Excellence Award. This award goes to a staff member who has gone significantly above and beyond their specific job duties and has demonstrated excellence in supporting 狼友社区鈥檚 mission. 

Bonnie Ploger and Cheryl Dooley received the John Wesley Trustee Award.  

Retirements

Ken Dehkes
Chris Hartman
Patti Joseph-Bloedow
Terry Metz
Gail Rutan
Stan Sandiford