Engineering Shoutouts
Know an everyday hero who ought to be recognized? VCU Engineering has more than its share of good people doing great things. Let us help you shine a light on someone who quietly went the extra mile, did more than they had to or went above and beyond for the Ram Engineer family. Give a staff or faculty member a Shoutout by filling out this simple form. We’ll take it from there, making sure this person’s awesomeness gets the recognition it deserves!
Kelly Spence, 5/1/2022 - Recognized by Kendra Gerlach
Stepping in to help the MarComm team layout the Capstone program, in the absence of a graphic designer. This is a large project requiring many, many hours of work. Kelly was kind enough to fill in the gaps and join our team to help us get this over the finish line. We were so grateful!
Marc Jenkins, 1/26/2022 - Recognized by Jenilee Stanley-Shanks
During a regularly scheduled virtual outreach session of the Engineering in Vision program, we had a lot of issues with the K-12 students joining. Marc was scheduled to be a part of the event along with some community partners. We decided to cancel when we realized that no students were joining the call. About 15 minutes later we got word that 2 middle school classrooms could join late. I reached out to the community partners and Marc to see if they could get back on the call. Marc was the only one able to get back on, and he carried the event on his own. His flexibility and professionalism allowed us to reach about 25 middle school students and introduce them to sound engineering. Marc is an excellent team member, and I truly appreciate his collaborative nature and kindness!
Julian Bobb, 12/13/2021 - Recognized by Sierra Cloud
During a presentation for a professional development class, the instructor and I learned of a student who had not yet been able to complete an end-of-the-year assignment due to a lack of connection and networking. He was required to interview a faculty member, graduate student, post doc, or someone in an Engineering role at VCU College of Engineering. Unfortunately, he made attempts on LinkedIn to no avail. I have had several conversations with Dr. Bobb about helping students and how covid has impacted them throughout the last year and a half. He has always had wonderful insight into how life has changed for the students and he is always willing to be a resource to them and their growth. I instantly thought of him and asked if he would be willing to meet with the student for the interview. He quickly responded with times he would be available and was able to help the student accomplish this task. Covid limited our in-person networking and made making relationships, personal and professional, very difficult. I am so proud of the willingness to help and the time spent by Dr. Bobb to overcome this obstacle for the student.
Lindsey Rivers, 10/28/2021 - Recognized by Henry Donahue, Ph.D.
On October 28, 2021 a student in EGRB 101 (Biomedical Engineering Practicum), as part of a class assignment, was observing a surgery in a VCU Health operating room. The student lost consciousness and was transported to the emergency room. Lindsey Rivers, a VCU Biomedical Engineering graduate student and TA for this class, was contacted by VCU Health staff and immediately went to the ER to comfort the student. Lindsey stayed with the student for several hours until the student's mother arrived. Nobody asked Lindsey to display this act of kindness that surely comforted the student at a very scary time. The student and the student's parents were very appreciative. Lindsey's kindness and empathy reflect very positively on VCU and the College of Engineering.
Allison Singer, 10/15/2021 - Recognized by Gregory Triplett, Ph.D.
Allison made a dream come true for so many students that lost their opportunity to attend prom in high school. We planned a Fall Ball for engineering students and it was a fantastic experience. Allison turned the ERB space into a magical wonderland and our students stayed until the very end. She worked wonders pulling this off. Big kudos to Allison and (other team members) for taking on this challenge and knocking it out of the park.
Marc Jenkins, 10/12/2021 - Recognized by Gregory Triplett, Ph.D.
Marc to the rescue. We had some teleconferencing issues during big meetings on several separate occasions and locations. Each time, Marc came quickly and took care of it. It wasn't what he did but the manner in which he did it. Big kudos to Marc for fast and excellent service.
Marc Jenkins, 9/27/2021 - Recognized by Kendra Gerlach
We recently hosted a press conference with Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. As always, it takes a team to pull off these events. Marc ran the audio/visuals in the new ERB multipurpose room - a very sophisticated set up in this new building - and everything went off without a hitch. I did not realize until later that Marc had given up a long-planned day off to be present and to make sure this event went well. That's the kind of teamwork and quiet dedication that makes Engineering strong. Thank you, Marc!
Karen Horner, 9/20/2021 - Recognized by Meredith Stockman
The beginning of the fall semester is extremely busy for our Human Resources Office. We are short 1 full time staff member and have had to ensure that all employees have been entered into the banner system timely and accurately. It has been cumbersome and time consuming.
Yesterday, I reached out to Karen to help us compare spreadsheets so we can audit ourselves and make sure we haven't missed other new hires. Karen worked with me to ensure she understood exactly what I needed, and she was able to provide me with a spreadsheet within 24 hours. This spreadsheet had exactly what I needed - MUCH faster than reviewing things manually. I am so grateful for her willingness to pitch in! We were able to breathe a sigh of relief after receiving the spreadsheet.