Northeastern announces winners of the revamped 2025 Staff Excellence Awards
The university singled out eight winners in four new categories, drawing from more than 160 nominations. Honorees included individuals and teams from across the global campus network.
The Northeastern University Staff Excellence Awards are back for 2025 — with revamped and expanded categories, a larger-than-ever pool of nominees and winners from across Northeastern’s 13 global campuses.
Out of an unprecedented 160 nominations, eight honorees were selected in four new award categories: “Innovation Across the Network,” “Driver of Community and Belonging,” “Model Mentor and Coach” and “Dream Team.” Winning individual staffers and teams represented the Boston, Charlotte, Seattle, Toronto, Silicon Valley, Miami, Vancouver, Portland and Arlington campuses.
The new categories, expanded from previous years, were designed to reflect Northeastern’s institutional definition of excellence, says Mika Morikawa-Zhou, the learning and employee engagement associate for the university’s Human Resources department.
“These awards are a testament to the accomplishments and dedication of staff who have made significant contributions to the Northeastern network,” Morikawa-Zhou adds. “So many staff do incredible work, and they are why the university continues to run the way it does. They deserve all the visibility and appreciation we can give them.”
After receiving nominations from colleagues, winners were selected by separate peer review teams for each award. Many honorees were cited for work within the confines of their roles that effected change across the university system and in surrounding communities. These included Joseph Cooke, a computational scientist in the provost’s office who received the highest number of nominations for the “Innovation” award; and Jada Jackson, a community engagement manager on the Charlotte campus who has fostered key partnerships within the city.
A number of teams were also singled out for working seamlessly from various campuses toward a shared mission. These included the graduate recruitment team and the team of TA hiring managers, respectively, for the Khoury College of Computer Sciences.
The full list of awards and winners is below:
Innovation Across the Network Award
Joseph Cooke – computational scientist, office of the provost (Boston)
From the selection team: Nomination letters paint a picture of Joseph as a transformative force, quietly revolutionizing operations and driving significant change from his role in a small department. His influence and the ripple effect of his efforts are remarkable and inspiring.
Khoury TA Hiring Managers
- Michael Jordan de Vera, director of graduate student services for online programs (Silicon Valley)
- Megan Clough Groshek, assistant director – undergraduate programs (Boston)
- Caley Presby, associate director – network operations (Portland)
- Austin Escalera, assistant director – graduate student services (Seattle)
- Sweeny Youkhane, assistant director – graduate student services (Silicon Valley)
- Mahya Payamshad, assistant director – graduate student services (Vancouver)
- Brinn Strenger, assistant director – graduate student services (Arlington)
- Darcy Andrade, network program administrator (Portland)
- Mackenzie Germain, faculty senior HR associate (Boston)
- Rayanne DeRosa, HR associate (Boston)
- Alexander Grob, associate director of software development (Boston)
From the selection team: This group seemed like a “well-oiled machine” that tackled problems and solved issues on a case-by-case basis across the network.
Driver of Community and Belonging Award
Jada Jackson — Community engagement manager (Charlotte)
From the selection team: Jada’s leadership in organizing Northeastern University’s Heart of Charlotte Awards has significantly elevated the event’s importance and visibility. [They are] also fostering strategic partnerships with Mecklenburg County Public Health and expanding community engagement through various initiatives, including the new on-campus Speech-Language Pathology Center.
Beyazmin Jimenez — Director of belonging and engagement, planning, real estate and facilities (Boston)
From the selection team: Beya excels in fostering belonging through staff retreats, mentorship programs, facilitating difficult conversations, and maintaining an open-door policy, earning high praise for her contributions to embedding a positive culture.
Model Mentor and Coach Award
Girlie Delacruz — Associate vice chancellor of teaching and learning, office of the chancellor (Boston)
From the selection team: A clear choice due to her transformative leadership, unwavering support and profound impact on colleagues.
Maricla Pirozzi — Director of multi-disciplinary graduate engineering programs, college of engineering (Boston)
From the selection team: Recognized for her strategic, goal-oriented approach, fostering cross-functional partnerships, accountability, and inclusivity, which has streamlined processes and elevated team development across global campuses.
Dream Team Award
The Toronto Operation Team
- Sam Clarke, associate director – strategic initiatives
- Kayla Saunders, operations coordinator
- Benjamin Braz Rasmussen, campus operations specialist
- Judith Fernandez, events specialist
- Noah Pizzirusso, IT support specialist
- Tamar Svadjian, administrative coordinator
- Nadya Ibrahim, campus operations assistant
- Andra Jasuleviciute, campus operations assistant
- Lisa Skrypnyk, campus operations assistant
- Liam Driscoll, campus operations assistant
- Adaire Stapleton, campus operations assistant
- Nathan Barnes, campus operations assistant
From the selection team: Commended for their innovative spirit, commitment to excellence and seamless collaboration, significantly advancing Northeastern’s success and creating lasting impact on the Toronto campus and within the Global Network.
Khoury College Graduate Recruitment Team
- Kimberly McCrimmon, director – recruitment marketing (Charlotte)
- Samol Ork, Director – recruitment operations (Silicon Valley)
- Chelsea Smith Sr., assistant director of recruitment marketing (Boston)
- Pamela Allen, regional director – Graduate Recruitment (Silicon Valley)
- Dom Rinaldi, graduate admissions counselor (Miami)
- Madison Barton, graduate admissions counselor (Arlington)
- Timothy Greer, graduate admissions counselor, (Seattle)
From the selection team: This team showcased exceptional leadership, strategic planning and collaborative spirit, exemplifying innovation, inclusivity, and significant contributions to graduate recruitment and diversity in computing.