Staff Make Students Count Award
The Staff Make Students Count Award
recognizes university staff who provide
outstanding service to students anywhere
in the University of Alaska system.
What is the purpose of this award?
To recognize staff who have provided outstanding service to students anywhere in the
UA system. Each recipient receives an award plaque, $1,000 and two domestic airline
vouchers. All nominees receive a certificate of nomination. The university president
will present the awards at a Board of Regents meeting.
Who is eligible and how do I apply?
All regular full-time permanent and part-time permanent exempt and non-exempt staff
employed by the University of Alaska are eligible to apply. Please note that faculty
and executive management are not eligible for this award. Service to students may
include service as part of the job or as volunteer service, either directly or indirectly
to current or prospective students. Please complete the nomination form and submit
it with a letter of nomination containing an explanation of the service provided to
students and three letters of endorsement from those knowledgeable of the contribution
made by the applicant/nominee.
Deadline to Apply is May 26, 2023
2022 Staff Make Student Count Awardees
The 2022 award recipients were
Kevin Lechtenberg - Associate Athletic Trainor - University of Alaska Anchorage
Minnie Lucy Naylor - Interim Director - UAF Chukchi Campus
Martin Carter - IS Consultant - UAS Juneau Campus
Dory Straight - Scholarship Officer - UA Foundation
2021 Staff Make Students Count Awardees
The 2021 award recipients were:
Allie Hartman – Student Organization Coordinator - University of Alaska Anchorage
Stacey Howdeshell – Pre-major advisor in the Academic Advising Center - University of Alaska Fairbanks
Cheryl Stromme – Academic Advisor - University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus
Steve Mullins – Emergency Planner & Continuity Director - University of Alaska System Office
Read more about the 2021 Awardees in the UA News.
2020 Staff Make Students Count Awardees
The 2020 award recipients were:
UAA - Caroline Venuti, the Learning Resource Center Coordinator and Writing Tutor on the Kachemak Bay Campus
of KPC, as well as the advisor for the KBC Student Association.
UAF - Carol Hoefler, the administrative assistant for the Art Department, where she assists both graduate
and undergraduate art students.
UAS - Louis Scott, the Title III Academic Advisor, who provides student advising and math tutoring on the Ketchikan campus.
Read more in the UA News.
2019 Winners
From left: Jim Johnsen, Michael Hostina, Denise Carl, Jennifer Lu, Kelly Foran
2018 Winners
From left: Rick Cauflield, Tim Flynn, Jim Johnsen, Wanda Wahl, Dan White, Shayla Sulser, Sam Gingerich
2017 Winners

From left: Josh Watts (SW), Ginny Redmond (UAF), and Auguste Stiehr (UAS)
2017 UAA winner Woody Woodgate and President Johnsen at the PWSC commencement.
2016 Winners
From left: Carolyn Pennington-Chapin, UAF; Ryan J. Hill, UAA; Buffy Kuiper, SW; Brenda Hurley, UAS
Read about this years winners in the April SW Voice.