Each month, Auburn University recognizes as many as four employees with the Spirit of Excellence award. Employees are recognized from each of the following groups:

  • Service/Maintenance

  • Secretarial/Clerical

  • Technical

  • Administrative/Professional

Award Criteria

In order to be selected as a Spirit of Excellence Award winner, an employee must:

  • Be a regular Auburn University employee (excludes temporary employees, graduate and under graduate student employees, county agents and extension specialists, and tenure track and non-tenure track faculty) with the exception of research associates

  • Have at least one year continuous employment with Auburn University

  • Have a performance evaluation rating that meets or exceeds expectations at the time of nomination

Recipients must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Goes "beyond the call of duty” to improve service, quality, and the department’s or unit’s image

  • Exemplifies professionalism and dedication to excellent service by putting forth extra effort

  • Performs "outstanding contributions of significance"

  • Achieves specific or sustained accomplishments that exceed normal expectations

  • Initiates or brings a job to a successful conclusion

Nominating an Employee

Employees may be nominated for these awards by any regular Auburn University employee, including university faculty. Nominations are not limited to your immediate area of employment.

In order to nominate an employee, a nomination form must be completed and sent to the Spirit of Excellence Award Selection Committee, c/o University Human Resources: 1550 East Glenn Ave. Nominations must be received by the 15th of each month.

Please note that recipients will be selected from nominations submitted in the last 12 months. An employee who is not selected can be nominated again. 

 

Recent Recipients

January 2024

Recipient

Department

Kaylen Anderson

Admin - College of Pharmacy

Morgan Smith

Athletic Department Admin

Kelly Price

Computer Science and Software Engineering

 

December 2023

Recipient

Department

Brandon Gann

Contract Services (Facilities)

John Martin

Automotive Shop (Facilities)

Yvette Stone

Honors Program

Tyler Davidson

Information Systems Support

 

November 2023

Recipient

Department

Kimberly McCadden

Navy ROTC

Trenton Berry

Automotive Shop (Facilities)

Lindsey Johnson

Business and Finance HR

Kenneth Lindsey

Information Technology

 

October 2023

Recipient

Department

Katherine Lenkner

Property Management (Student Affairs)

Mikenna Babbs

Research Security Compliance 

Jessica Gammons

Clinical Sciences

 

September 2023

Recipient

Department

Sarah Beckum

School of Kinesiology

Jeffrey Dyal

Landscape Services

Perry Wood

Maintenance

Thomas Jon Bell

Office of Information Technology

 

August 2023

Recipient

Department

Teresa Jernigan

Cooperative Education

Courtney Martin

Tax Compliance

Joshua Jones

COSAM - IT

 

July 2023

Recipient

Department

Zandi Foss

ACES - Dale County

Elizabeth Campbell

Mechanical Engineering

Hayden Helms

Provost and VP Academic Affairs

Thomas Billingsley

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences

 

June 2023

Recipient

Department

Julie Rodiek

Auburn MRI Research Center

Jackie Bailey

Office of Information Technology

 

May 2023

Recipient

Department

Kecia Hill

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Branden Farmer

Industrial and Systems Engineering

James Johnson

Biosystems Engineering

 

April 2023

Recipient

Department

Brandy Tucker

University Human Resources

Brooke Bailey

Communications and Marketing

Daniel Nunes

Office of Information Technology

 

March 2023

Recipient

Department

Carla Story

College of Engineering

Janice Reese

Student Affairs (Property Management)

Amanda Hanks

College of Engineering

Janet Bandy

Libraries

 

February 2023

Recipient

Department

Nina Hollingsworth

Facilities (Access Control)

Brandon Hudson

Student Affairs (Property Management)

Ross Bearden

Student Affairs (Recreation and Wellness Center)

Philip Stephens

Office of Information Technology

 

January 2023

Recipient

Department

Teresa Westbrook

Office of Information Technology

Gwendolyn James

Student Affairs

Nicholas Head

Student Affairs

Carla Nelson

Engineering

Employees of the Year

Each monthly winner of the Spirit of Excellence Award will be eligible to receive the Employee of the Year Award.

The winners will be announced and recognized at the annual Employee Recognition Award ceremony.  An employee selected as a Spirit of Excellence Award winner cannot be nominated again prior to the annual university-wide Employee Recognition Award ceremony in the spring.

Last updated: 01/11/2024