2026 Citations of Excellence and Scholarship Recipients
Staff Assembly recognizes the 2025 Citations of Excellence and Scholarship recipients.
Citations of Excellence
Staff Assembly’s annual Citations for Excellence awards program provides recognition for individual staff and staff teams. Thanks to generous support from the Office of the Chancellor and Human Resources, Staff Assembly will award a total of $17,000 to staff members this year. See the full list of winners below, or download the list and nominations for each winner.
Read more about our 2026 award winners
Individual Awards
Innovation
Derrek Kelly, Financial Services Supervisor of Facilities Management Business Operations, Finance Operations and Administration, Business Partners
Honorable Mention
- BreAnda Northcutt, Director, Finance Opperations and Adminisration, Communications
- Will Arcement-Angel, Human Rresources, Academic Personnel & Graduate Program Supervisor, Blue Cluster
Research Support
- Kate Marusina, Director, Research Staff Workforce Development and Resources Innovation, Clinical and Translational Science Center
Supervision
Casey Raubach, Academic Personnel Supervisor, Plant Sciences
Honorable Mention
- Christine Yung, Accounting and Financial Reporting, Capital Asset & Financial Control Supervisor
Service
- Monica Fischer, Chief Administrative Officer, College of Letters of Science Blue Cluster
Teaching Coaching
- Erin Kent, Graduate Group Coordinator, Graduate Group in Immunology, Veterinary Scientist Training Program
Team Award - Campus & Community Contributions
L&S Advising Supervisors
- Anya Gibson, Undergraduate Advising Center Supervisor, Blue Administrative Cluster
- Arial Collatz, Undergraduate Program Supervisor, Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio Program, Cinema and Digital Media, Design
Malina Gilles-Doherty, Undergraduate Program Supervisor, Yellow Administrative Cluster
Team Honorable Mention
Team B
- Kian Nikzad, Academic Program Management Officer 3, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
- Wendy Mather, Blank Assistant 3, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
- Joseph Tauzer, Staff Research Associate 2, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
- Matthew Hoepfinger, Staff Research Associate 2, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
Staff Scholarships
Student Affairs Scholarship
- Rachel Bingham, Director, Student Success Pathways, Academic Assistance and Tutoring Center
- Jaritza Granillo, Assistant Director, Equestrian, Campus Recreation
- Leslie Kemp, Director, Basic Needs Department
UC Davis Staff Assembly Scholarship
- Stacey Brezing, Director, Health and Wellness, Employee Well-Being, Benefits and Employee Support Services
- Angelica Rolon, Research and Grant Program Officer, Genome Center
- Kimiko Kojima, Same Day Surgery Center Manager, Perioperative
- Syn Mateo, LVN Supervisor, C St Plastic Surgery Clinic
- Arra Jane Soriano, Associate Director of Workforce Programs & Innovation, Office of Medical Education
- Chandra Travis, Administrative Manager I, UC Davis Medical Group- Practice Management Group
UC Davis Health Staff Assembly Scholarship
- Tyara Walker, LVN Supervisor, Cardiolog
Kathleen Moore Endowment Scholarship
- Gayle Guest-Brown, Learning & Organizational Development
UC Margene E. Orzalli Endowment Scholarship
- Brianne Holden, Director, Quarter at Aggie Square, Undergraduate Education
UC Davis Latino Staff and Faculty Association Scholarship/ Staff Assembly Scholarship
- Martin Serrano, Program Manager, Talent Acquisition & Compensation, Talent Acquisition & Compensation Services
UC Davis Retiree’s Association Career Enhancement Award
- Arra Jane Soriano, Associate Director of Workforce Programs & Innovation, Office of Medical Education
UC Davis Latino Staff and Faculty Association Scholarship/ Margene E. Orzali Endowment
Scholarship
- Belen Alcantar, Program Coordinator, Women’s Resources and Research Center
Student Affairs Scholarship/ Larry N. Vanderhoef Staff Scholarship
- Lian Boos, Director, Center for Student Involvement
- Jose Roa, Career Advisor, Career Center
UC Davis Health Employee Rresource Group Scholarship/ Staff Assembly
- Katie McHenry, LVN Supervisor, Ambulatory Operations
UC Davis Health African American Faculty and Staff Association Scholarship (AAFSA) & Staff Assembly Scholarship
- Kandis Kaltenbach, Medical Assistant, Midtown Neurology Clinic
UC Davis Retirees’ Association Career Enhancement Award/ Student Affairs Scholarship/ Larry N. Vanderhoef Staff Scholarship
- Martin Tellez, Associate Director, Orientation, New Student Program
UC Davis Health ERG Scholarship/ Larry N. Vanderhoef Staff Scholarship
- Miles Thorne, Manager, Real Estate Development & Management, Facilities Planning and Development
Womxn in Technology
- Natalie Bold, Business System Analysis, Risk and Safety Solutions
Staff Dependent Scholarships
- Des Beach -Freshman, Parent/Guardian: Erin King, Artist Services Manager, Mondavi Center for Performing Arts
- Vanessa Zumstein -Junior, Parent/Guardian: Kristina Zumstein Laboratory Safety Professional, Safety Services