By Trinity Higgins
New Haven Promise Scholar
Yale School of Nursing (YSN) honored six outstanding community members at the inaugural staff awards ceremony on June 11. The celebration recognized staff in various disciplines for their commitment, dedication, and community contributions. The winners and excerpts from their nomination materials are included below.
Michael Gossett – Distributed Support Provider IT
Appreciation Award
This award expresses gratitude and appreciation for the recipient’s hard work, commitment, and positive impact in the workplace.
“Mike Gossett has the best workplace values of anyone in YSN. He is our resident morale booster with his Friday morning goodies stroll. His is always ready to jump in wherever he is needed, for IT needs or anything else.”
“Michael leads by example as both a subject matter expert who wants to help solve your problem and a positive presence within YSN. I am speculating, but I think sometimes if he’s not having a great day, he’ll make an extra effort to be a positive influence for the staff, students, and faculty at YSN. And then we’re all better off.”
Camila Capobianco - Senior Administrative Assistant, MSN
Commitment Award
This distinction recognizes an individual who consistently goes above and beyond in demonstrating unwavering support and dedication to the school and its community.
“Camila is the most dedicated, detail-oriented, compassionate admin assistant I have had the pleasure to work with. I truly do not feel I would be able to do my job without her. Since she has come to YSN, she has created a safe place for me to ask for help; she has been dedicated to helping students succeed; she has always been available to help me and the FNP students when we need it. Camila is extremely timely in her work, she puts 100 percent into all her work (and then some), and she makes sure I stay on track with commitments that she helps manage.”
Lisa Lombardo - Director of Admissions
Impact Award
This honor recognizes an individual whose exceptional work has yielded significant and positive outcomes for the school and/or the broader community.
“Lisa has revitalized our admission processes, increasing efficiency, effectiveness and ensuring high-quality customer service. Her attention to detail and organizational rigor ensures that our faculty are fully supported in their recruitment and application reading efforts. Her warm and welcoming demeanor, along with a truly empathetic approach, has enriched the experience our prospective students have, making them feel welcomed and valued throughout the application journey. She has contributed to a culture of collegiality, accountability and excellence in our unit, and her diligence and commitment serve as a positive example for all who work with.”
Nakia Black-Geter - MSN Division Program Manager
Impact Award
This award recognizes an individual whose exceptional work has yielded significant and positive outcomes for the school and/or the broader community.
“Nakia is a creative and resourceful problem solver who brings great experience to her role as MSN Program Manager and as a member of seemingly every committee at YSN. Sometimes during the fall semester, we would jointly attend three meetings on the same day! Nakia can advance a project through thoughtful reminders, direct inquiry, or some combination thereof: whatever it takes.”
Mike Regan - Program Manager for Annual Giving & Alumni Affairs
Leadership Award
This recognition is designed to celebrate outstanding leadership qualities and contributions from a staff member.
“In short, having Mike Regan as a member of the development team has been life changing for me. He is dedicated, communicative, efficient, hardworking, and beyond competent at all his duties. I cannot think of one example where Mike did not perform well beyond what I expected of him, and there are too many examples of when he did to count. He has been an integral member of efforts to redefine the alumni association and I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for us.”
Lauren Langford - Associate Director of Communications
Workplace Values Award
This honor recognizes someone who consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to upholding the values of YSN, with demonstrated excellence in multiple areas.
“It is hard to nominate Lauren for just one award. She is an incredible asset at YSN and deserves to be honored. Lauren so naturally exemplifies each of the YSN workplace values. Lauren is an excited person and never complains. She shows gratitude and appreciation to all. She remembers and respects everyone in and around our community. Lauren shows up and contributes without being asked. She never judges. Lauren represents YSN in the most positive way. Have you ever walked by her office door without smiling? Neither have I.”
Awards Selection Committee:
A group of volunteers from across the school helped determine the winners from a slew of worthy candidates.
- Danielle Ferranti – Events Manger
- Christelle Luchsinger – Program Manager – Online MSN
- Angie Quintero-Ares – Instructional Technology Specialist
- Sohani Sirdeshmukh – Program Manager, Office of Global Affairs and Planetary Health
- Rendé Wilson – Senior Administrative Assistant, Business Office