Indiana University Bloomington will honor eight staff members during the annual Staff Merit Awards reception at 3 p.m. Feb. 25 at Presidents Hall in Franklin Hall.

Presented by the Office of the Chancellor, along with IU Human Resources, the awards honor staff members for their outstanding service to IU Bloomington. Anyone who plans to attend the ceremony is asked to RSVP by Feb. 18. Meet the winners:

Jeri Anderson

Jeri Anderson, who has worked at IU for more than 38 years, is the public services coordinator for the Business/SPEA Library. It hosts about 8,000 students daily, primarily from the Kelley School of Business and Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, so Anderson’s job requires attention to detail and great customer service.

Jeri Anderson. Indiana University photo “Jeri doesn’t just manage a wide range of responsibilities; she is the heartbeat of our space,” Gary Arave, the library’s research and instruction librarian and associate librarian, wrote in his nomination letter.

Anderson embraces new processes and technology, Arave said. She was instrumental in implementing an online booking system for study rooms and managing new digital signage, and she is learning a new system to manage student staff schedules online.

More importantly, he said, Anderson has made the library a welcoming haven, supports and values students and student workers, and provides stellar customer service.

Arave also noted her compassion. When some IU students died in an accident a few years ago, she looked up the books they had checked out and put a note in the system so their families wouldn’t be bothered with overdue notices or fines.

Matthew Broussard

For a little more than a year, Matthew Broussard has served as director of undergraduate academic advising at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.

Matthew Broussard. Indiana University photo He stepped into the position after a longtime director retired, inheriting a team facing uncertainty, Luddy School Assistant Dean of Student Services Stacey Arnold wrote in her nomination letter. However, she said, his impact on his staff, peers and students has been extraordinary.

“In just one year, Matt has guided his advising team from a place of uncertainty to one of confidence, collaboration and dedication,” Arnold said.

Broussard built a supportive and collaborative environment by meeting with staff individually, listening carefully and engaging in clear and transparent communication, Arnold said. He also sought creative staffing solutions and sometimes personally took on responsibilities to ease the burden on his team.

Broussard has also strengthened external partnerships, Arnold said, most notably with Ivy Tech Bloomington to expand transfer pathways for science, technology, engineering and mathematics students into Luddy.

Anna Bednarski, Luddy School associate director and student services generalist, noted in her letter how Broussard led the creation of Luddy’s undergraduate Stellic degree pathways, a new tool that helps students visualize and plan their academic journeys.

Kate Caldwell

As senior director of career services at the Maurer School of Law, Kate Caldwell is the primary advisor to nearly 200 students, providing them with career advice and helping them prepare for internships and jobs.

Kate Caldwell. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University Caldwell’s dedication and decision-making have earned the respect of colleagues.

“Ms. Caldwell is an excellent colleague to all of us in the Career Services Office and also an amazing mentor and advocate for our students,” Anne Newton McFadden, Maurer dean of students and associate dean of student services, wrote in her nomination letter.

Caldwell has assumed additional responsibilities when her office has been short-staffed. For example, she handled the On Campus Interview Program and dozens of time-sensitive clerkship applications, ensuring that more than 500 students had no interruption in services.

She became the primary point of contact for training new team members, developing and delivering formal training and serving as the go-to person for questions. Caldwell also hired, trained and supervises four student workers.

Caldwell has led efforts to use technology to maximize student success, McFadden said. For example, adaptations to Maurer’s career management software now allow students to apply for jobs, seek recommendation letters, track pro bono service hours and obtain permission to register for externship credit. Additional adaptations led to the launch of the Professional Network, where Maurer alumni can sign up to mentor students and students can seek networking.

Mike Grannan

Mike Grannan’s career with Indiana University Bloomington spans 41 years, including the past 28 with IU Recreational Sports, where he is director of risk management and facility projects.

Mike Grannan. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University Recreational Sports Executive Director Chris Arvin said in his nomination letter that he’s worked with Grannan for more than 20 years and considers him a friend, mentor, guide and trusted colleague.

“There is so much that I appreciate about Mike that I find it hard to condense it into one letter,” Arvin said. “But some of the qualities that come to mind first include belief, compassion, high standards and service to others.”

Grannan is quick to give credit and doesn’t seek it, Arvin said, and he also believes in people, sees their potential and is quick to offer encouragement.

“He has been a steadying presence for many on our team for a long time,” Arvin said.

Hannah Laughlin Armstrong, Recreational Sports associate director of operations, said in her letter of support that she’s grateful for Grannan’s leadership and mentorship of others. She noted several projects in which he played a key role over the last couple years, including the $55 million renovation of the School of Public Health-Bloomington and Bill Garrett Fieldhouse and a major renovation of the IU Tennis Center after a flood.

“He is an asset to the IU community and much admired by those around him,” Armstrong said.

Corinne Nicholson

For more than 40 years, Corrine Nicholson worked in food service, including over 14 in managerial positions. She’s currently the metabolic kitchen manager of the School of Public Health-Bloomington’s Nutrition and Exercise Research Center, a first-of-its-kind facility that supports nutrition and exercise science research.

Corinne Nicholson. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University The research kitchen is a resource for investigators to obtain food, beverages and supplement products for clinical studies, center co-directors Nana Gletsu Miller and Zachary Schlader said in their joint nomination letter.

“Nicholson’s management of the NERC research kitchen positively advances the mission of SPBH to promote health through research, teaching and community engagement,” Miller and Schlader wrote.

Kelli Ryckman, associate dean of research and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the School of Public Health-Bloomington, wrote in her letter that Nicholson was integral to the kitchen’s launch, advising on equipment purchases, building relationships with vendors, training staff and creating standard operating procedures.

Ryckman, Miller and Schlader also lauded Nicholson for successfully operating the kitchen when the school underwent renovations, and construction caused disruptions to the HVAC system, potable water and even a temporary shutdown.

“The high-quality services provided by the research kitchen are a testament to Mrs. Nicholson’s vast experience and experience in food service at IUB, which she has upgraded to fit the research setting,” Ryckman said.

Brian Richwine

Brian Richwine is a senior accessibility strategist for Assistive Technology and Accessibility Centers within University Information Technology Services. In his role, he improves digital accessibility for students, faculty and staff, and builds and maintains the accessibility infrastructure.

Brian Richwine. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University However, he’s more than a technical resource, said Anne Leftwich, UITS associate vice president for learning technologies.

“He continues to build our institution up and serves as a national authority whose work is essential to our mission of equitable access,” Leftwich said in her nomination letter. “Brian functions as a chief architect for inclusion, ensuring that major university initiatives uphold our commitment to equitable access.”

Richwine played a pivotal role with IU’s eText program, Leftwich said. He leveraged his technical knowledge to negotiate with publishers and platform providers, ensuring accessible eText delivery for students and faculty.

He also plays a key role in defining and enforcing IU’s web accessibility administrative practice, Leftwich said, which protects IU from legal and operational risk.

Richwine also designs solutions that directly benefit students, such as converting scientific and mathematical content into accessible formats and creating tactile graphics for visually impaired students.

“Brian Richwine’s contributions are both deeply specialized and incredibly broad-reaching,” Leftwich said. “He is integral to the university’s compliance, a pioneer in specialized student accommodation and a vital educator for the community.”

Steve Withem

Steve Withem’s title is director of facilities for the Maurer School of Law, but he is much more to the faculty, staff and students who interact with him.

Steve Withem. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University “Steve is an irreplaceable member of not only the Maurer School of Law community and the IU Bloomington community but our broader geographic community,” senior lecturer in law Joseph Tomain wrote in a nomination letter that included support from 14 other faculty members.

Tomain said that when a classroom was missing a tabletop lectern, Withem built one for Tomain to use.

And each semester, Withem hosts a barbecue lunch for faculty and staff.

“It is one of our favorite days at Maurer because it creates a wonderful opportunity to share a meal with a wide swath of our community,” Tomain said.

Paul Butler, Maurer assistant dean of finance and administration, said in his nomination letter that Withem organizes and runs barbecue sales that support local charities and fundraisers. He said Withem is good not only at maintenance and operations but at relationships.

“Steve does not hesitate to go above and beyond for us,” a letter by graduate student Richard Garza and supported by 25 other students said. “Steve has jump-started cars, shoveled them out of snow, replaced dead batteries or punctured tires, and even made or bought lunch for students just to offer companionship when they are feeling melancholy and longing for home.”

Elizabeth Wray

Elizabeth Wray is the head electrician for the Jacob School of Music’s Musical Arts Center. The role requires leadership and dedication to ensure the many operas, ballets and musical performances go off without a hitch.

Elizabeth Wray. Submitted photo “To say she might be the person seen least on the stage but most important to every single opera, ballet and concert is not hyperbole,” said Thomas Kernan, the Jacobs School’s Ted Jones Assistant Dean for Artistic Operations.

Kernan said that Wray consistently exhibits leadership, care, safety, ingenuity and devotion.

For starters, Wray doesn’t have other full-time theatrical electricians helping her, like a professional company would. She leads a team of part-time and student employees who she trains and supports.

Wray approaches long work days and extensive projects with an enduring care for those around her, on every single production, Kernan said. When a piece of equipment from the lighting stock in the Musical Arts Center began to spark over student musicians’ heads during a rehearsal, Wray immediately shut off the equipment.

It’s common for a director, choreographer or designer to want to rearrange equipment, scenery or props, Kernan said, and Wray is always willing to try.

“Her mind is so good at working through what is possible, and her spirit is so willing to try to find options to advance the most complex of projects,” Kernan said.

The Staff Merit Award winners were chosen by the Selection Committee: Darla Blazey, Wade Brown, Jessie Campbell, Leah Clausman, Courtland Crenshaw, Dedric Dennist Jr., Islam Gashi, Rebecca Mankowski and Scott Rugenstein.

Kirk Johannesen is an internal communications writer for the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.