UMSI announces 2021 staff awards

The University of Michigan School of Information celebrated the merit, special qualities and positive force of two staff members in 2021. The annual recognitions went to Kelly Iott, who received the Outstanding Staff award, and Lauren Murphy, who received the Peer-to-Peer award.

The staff are recognized through a peer-nomination process with oversight from a committee of staff members who received the awards the previous year. Executive Director of Academic and Student Affairs Laura Elgas chaired this year’s selection committee. Carolyn VerBurg and Scott TenBrink, 2020 awards recipients, were also members. 

Outstanding Staff award 

The Outstanding Staff award is given to a UMSI staff member who contributes in an exceptional way to advancing UMSI’s mission. Kelly Iott, facility operations manager with UMSI Human Resources and Support Services, was chosen for the ways in which she went above and beyond the call of her role during this past pandemic year. 

“Kelly’s nominations provided great examples around her unusually strong commitment, noting that she declared herself an essential worker to help the school through the transition to remote work,” Elgas says. “Additionally, they highlighted the outstanding ways that Kelly effectively manages change, including the incredible amount of change and problem-solving required in Kelly's work generally.” 

The nomination materials also highlighted the ways that Kelly has helped the school transition to remote work and back again, describing her as a key collaborator who makes outstanding relationships with internal and external customers.

Kelly, who has been a UMSI staff member since 2015 and has worked at the University of Michigan since 1985, says she encountered many challenges during the pandemic, including quickly learning new technologies, determining accesses and lockdowns, monitoring accesses, shuffling furniture, finding and ordering PPE, keeping up with CDC guidelines, placing appropriate signage and coordinating cleaning with custodians. All of which was rewarding, she says, because of the required, and accomplished, quick turnaround time. 

“My favorite part of my role here at UMSI is working with great people,” Kelly says. “Helping others, getting a room organized, and bringing a smile to someone’s face is very rewarding to me.” 

Peer-to-Peer award 

The Peer-to-Peer award honors a staff member whose efforts are commendable in service to other staff or to the work environment at UMSI. Lauren Murphy, a senior instructional content specialist, has worked at the school since 2018 and was selected for her drive to inspire, support and motivate fellow colleagues.

“Lauren’s nominations noted that she created a positive work culture and climate, and that the tools that she has helped create or improve have been critical to the success of UMSI’s Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) program,” Elgas says. 

Lauren's nomination materials showed that she takes a thoughtful, proactive and positive approach to her work. Mentorship is one of her strengths, and there were multiple examples of that mentorship, support and encouragement.

“The most rewarding part of this past year was seeing the MADS students continuing their classes and watching as the first graduating class completed the program,” Lauren says. “I think my favorite part of my role is that I’m able to work on a variety of projects and tasks — each day there’s something different to do. As an added bonus, it also gives me the chance to work with many different people at UMSI, which is always a pleasure.” 

Regular UMSI staff members can submit nominations for staff awards. 

Find more information about the awards criteria and a list of past awardees here.