At your service

The U.S. Department of Labor's Chief Evaluation Office recently released the results of a survey that revealed that the median length of time that workers had been with their current employer was 4.1 years. 

Had a survey been conducted focused just on NYU Tandon employees, the results would probably have been much different, if the 2023 NYU Tandon Service Awards, overseen by the Office of Human Resources and held in early May, was any indication. 

Honoring 60 employees, with a collective 750 years of service, the annual event featured opening remarks by Dean Jelena Kovačević, who was celebrating her own five-year work anniversary and who said: “Counting up employees and years spent on a job tells only a very small part of the Tandon story. How many students have today’s honorees taught, guided, supported, and cared for? How many tasks both large and small went into keeping departments, labs, and offices running smoothly? How much dedication does it take to build a world-class engineering school like NYU Tandon? The answer, in each of those cases, is immeasurable.”

Instructor of Technology, Culture, and Society Donald Phillips had the distinction of being the longest-serving honoree, with, as Dean Jelena said, 50 full years of “ensuring that our students are well-rounded people with a grasp of topics outside of the technical.” Department Chair Johnathan Soffer elaborated on that in congratulating his colleague and good friend: he explained that Phillips, who has been the president of the New York Paleontological Society for a quarter-century, teaches such a variety of courses, encompassing topics like the history of aviation and the natural environment of New York, that when he once went on sabbatical it took a cadre of experts to step in to replace him. 

5 Years of Service

Eray Aydil

Carrie Bowling

Winslow Cavanaugh

Kate Danho

Nicholas A. Dizinno

Sita Dwarika

Jeff Epstein

Chen Feng

Scott Fitzgerald

Dan Goncalves

Elizabeth Henaff

Colby Hepner

Meghan Hicks

Michael Horodniceanu

Michele James

Jelena Kovacevic

Jay Leibowitz

Giuseppe Loianno

Thomas Mazzone

Kathleen McDermott

Benedetta Piantella

Andrew Rapin

Deanna Rayment

Elisa Riedo

Steven Ruiz

Julia Stoyanovich

KJ Stryhal

Edna Taska

Andre Taylor

Hasnain Waris

Jenelle Woodrup

10 Years of Service

Foued Aouchette

Jean-Alex Berthoumieux

John Paul Cleveland

Deangela Duff

Elizabeth Ensweiler

Samantha Jaser

Debbie Joachim

Eric Maiello

Kaan Ozbay

Sara-Lee Ramsawak

Mari Rich

Esther Taveras

Raquel Thompson

15 Years of Service

R. Luke Dubois

Tracy Figueroa

20 Years of Service

Sebastian Bellantuono

Evgeny Vulfson

25 Years of Service

Yi-Jen Chiang

Susana Garcia-Henriquez

Ramesh Karri

Nasir Memon

Fred Strauss

Torsten Suel

30 Years of Service

Iwao Teraoka

35 Years of Service

Farshad Khorrami

Mayra Ortiz

45 Years of Service

Stephen Arnold

Bruce Garetz

Besides awards for years of service, recognition was given for distinguished performance in the following areas:

Outstanding Customer Service: Rebecca Menzer 

Inspiration through Leadership: Eray Aydil 

Inclusive Excellence: Olivia O'Leary