Excellence Starts With Our People

Auburn University's success is made possible by our outstanding employees who are dedicated to our mission and to our Auburn family.  

Auburn employees demonstrate daily dedication to our core values of integrity, respect, and commitment to excellence. The Spirit of Excellence program recognizes those individuals whose actions exemplify Auburn's values while having a significant and meaningful impact on our Auburn family. Recipients of this prestigious award are strengthening a culture where every employee is Empowered, Encouraged, Enabled, and Developed to their full potential. 

Each month, up to four employees are honored with the Spirit of Excellence award. Recipients are selected from the following categories: 1) Service/Maintenance, 2) Office Administration, 3) Technical, and 4) Administrative/Professional employee groups. These employees embody the values that make Auburn a special place to work, learn and thrive. 

Take a moment to meet our recipients and celebrate the outstanding work they do in support of Auburn's mission. Interested in recognizing a colleague? Learn more about the program and how to submit a nomination for a future Spirit of Excellence award.

 

By the Numbers

48
Recipients
Per Year
4
Employees
of the Year

Four employees are recognized each month. Then each spring, one annual Employee of the Year is selected from each award category and recognized at the Employee Recognition Program.

RECENT RECIPIENTS

JUNE 2026

Kimberly McCadden
Office Administration

Kimberly McCadden

Navy ROTC

🏆 Why Kim Was Nominated
Kimberly McCadden has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and versatility by successfully managing major university and military-affiliated events, overseeing complex financial operations, and serving as the primary academic advisor for her program. Through her commitment to student success, innovative initiatives, and ability to seamlessly balance multiple critical roles, she has strengthened alumni and community partnerships while making a lasting impact on the Auburn student experience.
Mark Carroll
Service/Maintenance

Mark Carroll

Automotive Shop

🏆 Why Mark Was Nominated
Mark Carroll consistently goes above and beyond to keep the Auburn University Raptor Center operating by providing exceptional support for vehicle maintenance and emergency roadside assistance, often coordinating solutions when staff are hours away from campus. His responsiveness, dedication, and commitment to minimizing downtime ensure the Center can continue its educational outreach mission with confidence, making him an invaluable partner and a true example of Auburn’s spirit of service.
Stuart Miller
Administrative/Professional

Stuart Miller

Office of Academic Insight

🏆 Why Stuart Was Nominated
Stuart Miller exemplifies Auburn’s commitment to excellence through his leadership involvement with Elevated Education Exchange, Achieve the Creed, and Connect the Creed, while providing data-driven insights that strengthen student success and educational innovation across campus. Known for his collaborative spirit, exceptional service, and unwavering positivity, Stuart builds meaningful connections, supports colleagues and students alike, and consistently elevates the Auburn experience through his dedication and leadership.
Bryant Ray
Technical/Paraprofessional

Bryant Ray

Office of Information Technology

🏆 Why Bryant Was Nominated
- Bryant Ray has played a critical role in strengthening Auburn’s cybersecurity posture by guiding the university’s successful transition to Microsoft Defender, enhancing incident response capabilities, and advancing innovative threat analysis solutions that improve the speed and effectiveness of security operations. Through exceptional technical expertise, reliability, and a willingness to serve in multiple capacities simultaneously, Bryant consistently delivers impactful results that help keep the Auburn community safe and secure.

MAY 2026

Rachel Juliana
Office Administration

Rachel Juliana

Pharmacy Administration

🏆 Why Rachel Was Nominated
Rachel Juliana has transformed the Harrison College of Pharmacy through her visionary leadership, exceptional organizational expertise, and unwavering commitment to creating meaningful experiences that strengthen operations, enhance employee engagement, and support leadership success. Her ability to foster a culture of belonging, recognition, and excellence has made a lasting impact on students, faculty, and staff, exemplifying the very spirit of service, collaboration, and excellence that this award celebrates.
John Askew
Service/Maintenance

John Askew

Electrical Distribution

🏆 Why John Was Nominated
John Askew is a dependable and dedicated member of Auburn University’s Utilities & Energy team whose commitment to maintaining safe and reliable electrical service helps keep classrooms, research facilities, residence halls, and campus operations running smoothly. Through his willingness to respond to outages, work overtime during critical situations, and provide a steady, positive presence under pressure, John consistently demonstrates excellence, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to serving the Auburn community.
Nicola Shubert
Administrative/Professional

Nicola Shubert

Biggio Center

🏆 Why Nicola Was Nominated
Nicola “Nikki” Shubert has elevated the Biggio Center’s impact through outstanding event planning, student leadership, and a commitment to creating distinctive learning experiences that strengthen Auburn’s culture of teaching and learning. Her attention to detail, servant leadership, and ability to foster belonging make her an invaluable contributor whose influence is felt across the university and beyond.
Heath Mosier
Technical/Paraprofessional

Heath Mosier

Ag Information Technology

🏆 Why Heath Was Nominated
Heath Mosier has had a transformative impact on CASIC by providing exceptional technology support, leading critical facility upgrades, and ensuring the reliability of systems that support presentations, trainings, lectures, and doctoral defenses. Through his responsiveness, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment to service, Heath has significantly improved productivity and workplace morale while setting a standard of excellence that reflects Auburn’s highest values.

APRIL 2026

Patrice Benson
Office Administration

Patrice Benson

Human Sciences Administration

🏆 Why Patrice Was Nominated
Patrice Benson has made an extraordinary impact on the Hunger Solutions Institute in just seven months, quickly mastering complex systems while streamlining administrative processes that improved efficiency, accountability, and service across the team. Through her professionalism, collaborative spirit, technical expertise, and commitment to excellence, Patrice has become a trusted resource and invaluable contributor whose positive influence continues to strengthen both HSI’s operations and culture.
David Floyd
Service/Maintenance

David Floyd

Facilities Maintenance Zone 2

🏆 Why David Was Nominated
David Floyd demonstrated exceptional dedication and responsiveness when a critical HVAC failure threatened to disrupt a day-long State Foresters Exam for 30 students and campus partners. By personally locating, transporting, and coordinating the installation of a 400-pound replacement motor within hours, David ensured the event continued as planned and exemplified Auburn’s commitment to outstanding service and problem-solving.
Candice Hamilton
Administrative/Professional

Candice Hamilton

College of Science and Mathematics

🏆 Why Candice Was Nominated
Candice Hamilton has transformed the student experience in Pre-Health Programs through her unwavering commitment to student success, providing exceptional advising, meticulous support for professional school applications, and personalized guidance that students consistently describe as life changing. Her leadership in expanding internship opportunities—from serving 10 students per semester to nearly 65—and her dedication to creating meaningful pathways to hands-on learning have had a lasting impact on hundreds of Auburn students as they pursue their professional goals.
Joshua Whiting
Technical/Paraprofessional

Joshua Whiting

Engineering Administration

🏆 Why Joshua Was Nominated
Joshua Whiting demonstrated extraordinary leadership and innovation by guiding the creation of a 960-square-foot Classified Manufacturing Environment for Department of Defense research, saving Auburn University nearly $900,000 while successfully meeting all project requirements within budget. Through his technical expertise, resourcefulness, and mentorship of 22 undergraduate research assistants, Joshua delivered a complex, one-of-a-kind facility that advances opportunities for Alabama manufacturers and exemplifies the highest standards of excellence and service.

FAQs

Auburn University employees are eligible to be nominated for a Spirit of Excellence award. Extension Agents and County Extension Directors are classified as Administrative and Professional (A&P) employees and are eligible for nomination.

The following employee groups are not eligible:

  • Temporary employees
  • Student employees (undergraduate and graduate)
  • Faculty members (tenure-track and non-tenure-track)

To be eligible, employees must also:

  • Have at least one year of continuous employment with Auburn University at the time of nomination.
  • Have a current performance evaluation rating of Meets Expectations or higher.

Nominees should consistently exceed expectations, deliver exceptional service and quality, and positively contribute to Auburn’s culture of excellence.

Spirit of Excellence nominations are open to everyone. Employees, students, alumni, parents, and community members are all welcome to nominate an Auburn employee.

Complete this nomination form. Be sure to answer this question thoroughly:

Please share why you believe this employee deserves to be a Spirit of Excellence recipient. In your response, describe and give examples of how they have consistently exceeded expectations, contributed to exceptional service, elevated quality, and/or positively impacted Auburn’s culture of excellence. 

Recipients will be selected from nominations submitted in the last 12 months. Nominations should be submitted by the 15th of each month to be eligible for the following month.

They receive a certificate and a gift from Employee Relations. They will also be recognized in Auburn News.

Each monthly winner of the Spirit of Excellence Award will be considered to receive one of four Employee of the Year awards. The winners will be announced and recognized at the annual Employee Recognition Award ceremony which is held in the spring.

Email univhr@auburn.edu.