June 16, 2025
On June 2, the School of Social Work hosted our End-of-Year Recognition Event, celebrating faculty and staff who received awards, reached career milestones, transitioned into new roles and more.
Below is a list of this year’s award recipients.
A heartfelt thank you to all the staff and faculty who helped make this ecosystem-themed celebration possible!
Washington State Awards:
- Elected to the WA State Academy of Sciences (August 2024) – Mike Spencer
- Selected for NIH mHealth Training Institute (May 2024) – Meghan Romanelli
- American Society on Aging Presidential Award – Wendy Lustbader
UW Awards
- Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award – J’May Rivara
- Nominee for UW Distinguished Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Jenn Maglalang
SSW Students’ Choice Teaching Awards
- BASW Program – Gino Aisenberg
- MSW Program – Kristin Tucker
- LeWayne Gilchrist SSW PhD Mentor Award – Clara Berridge
School of Social Work Awards
The Advancing Alder Award – Someone who has grown tremendously over the past year
- Sarah Brolliar
- Moo-Hyun Kim
- Poonam Lata
- Laura Orlando
The Canopy Mentor Award – Someone who mentors others generously
- Stacey De Fries
- J’May Rivara
- Mike Spencer
- David Takeuchi
The Synergy Seeder Award – For the best team players
- Jennae Carpio
- Kristian Jones
- Mikael Mulugeta
- Shyla Reed
The Flourishing Forest Award – Someone who has put in extra effort to cultivate community
- Shirley Chu
- Arden Hellman
- Chantal Reynolds
- Tamarie Willis
The Habitat Hero Award – Someone that sets new trends or implements new best practices
- Leslie Fouche
- Jenn Maglalang
- Lori Vanderwill
- Morgan Wells
The Catalyst of Growth Award – Someone who is always around to cheer others on
- Lisette Austin
- Nicole Guenther
- Charlotte Sanders
The Trailblazer Award – Person who is always willing to take a risk or take on special projects
- Devon Bushnell
- Lev Cunningham
- Sonia Duckworth
- Annie Kucklick
The Discerning Dolphin Award – Wise person with many stories and lessons to impart
- Vicki Anderson-Ellis
- Ariana Cantu
- Gail Colfax
- Madeline Galbraith
- Wendy Lustbader
The Evergreen Excellence Award – Awarded to those who are retiring this year
- Taryn Lindhorst (retired January 2025)
- Paula Nurius (retired October 2024)
- Haim Burstein (retired SDRG, April 2025)
- Sherling Roy (retired Alliance, September 2024)
Mary Grembowski Staff of the Year Award
Nominees – Shirley Chu, Nagem Donawa, Poonam Lata, Shyla Reed
Recipient – Danielle Woodward
SSW Endowed Staff Scholarship
Recipient – Shyla Reed