March 14, 2025
November and December Staff Spotlight Award announced
Nicole Bedard, student success coach at K-State Olathe, and Rachel Stadel, undergraduate program specialist in animal sciences and industry, have been selected as the November recipients of the Staff Spotlight Award. Pamela Newman, procurement officer, Division of Facilities, and Darrian Wilson, custodial specialist, Division of Facilities, have been selected as the December recipients of the award. The award highlights staff members — university support staff and university professional staff — each month for their service to the K-State community.
Bedard’s nominator said, “Nicole has gone above and beyond to learn the new Slate CRM system. She has a unique role where she works in both the undergraduate instance and the graduate instance because she supports students and recruits students in both demographics. She has helped the entire K-State Olathe Student Services team learn CRM and improve our business processes to recruit and increase enrollment for all of K-State more effectively.”
Stadel’s nominator shared, “As the advisor for both the Cattlewomen and Sigma Alpha, she dedicates countless hours outside of work to attend meetings and take on new projects. Always eager to lend a hand, she also actively participates in weekend events. She leads the planning for Ag Day at ASI, manages student volunteers during ASI events and provides support at the student services office. Her commitment to these roles is truly exceptional.”
Newman’s nominator shared, “Getting parts used to be a pain. A few months ago, Pam told me that all they needed was a part number, and they'd figure it out so I could keep moving. The whole procurement team takes care of me, but Pam is awesome sauce. She is smart, kind and just the right amount ornery. She keeps me posted on status of orders. It's really wonderful, so I can share that information with our custodians and leadership, so they have understanding of delays, OR that procurement is kicking butt getting us the parts FAST. It makes me look good, so I'm not saying, 'it will get here when it gets her'. I can communicate timelines and have better service for our team."
Wilson’s nominator said, "While Darrian is not in a leadership role he has taken it upon himself to guide the custodial team, which is apparent in the respect I see given to him. In addition, Darrian has made himself a direct point of contact should there be custodial needs outside of their daily tasks. I greatly appreciate that he drops in to make sure trash is picked up, amongst other things. He greets me in the hallways, in the parking lot, or wherever we may cross paths and is genuinely a kind-hearted well-regarded gentleman."
Anyone can nominate eligible employees — student employees and faculty are not eligible for award. Nominees will be reviewed by a University Staff Leadership committee of university support staff and university professional staff representatives. Winners will be featured in K-State Today and will receive $100 from the president's office. Please submit your nominations by the first of each month.