Staff Members Honored by UC Davis College of Engineering
Two staff members from the Department of Biomedical Engineering have received Outstanding Staff Awards from the College of Engineering.
The Outstanding Staff Award celebrates individuals who consistently perform above and beyond expectations with exceptional service, innovative approaches, community engagement and commitment to the college's community core values and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Jaime Allen
Graduate Program Coordinator
Jaime Allen has been essential to the success of the recently launched Master of Engineering in Medical Device Development, elevating it for the students, faculty and staff with outstanding support and exceptional initiative as a program coordinator.
From recruitment to weekly updates and coursework to career prep, Allen has provided effective and timely guidance. Students express gratitude for her ability to give thoughtful answers to every question they have, and faculty praise her careful coordination, which keeps things running smoothly.
Allen’s nominators note that she has devised a recruitment plan that has become a model for other engineering graduate programs. She has also forged a meaningful collaboration with the college’s communications team to create strategic, ongoing content that brings attention to the new degree.
Beyond her primary role, Allen has helped advance engineering graduate programs as a co-chair of the Graduate Studies Advisory Committee, part of UC Davis Graduate Studies, and as a member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s Health, Equity and Wellness Committee. As one faculty member has shared, Allen’s “dedication, positivity and tireless commitment have made a remarkable difference.”
Celia Flores
Academic Personnel Analyst
As an academic personnel analyst, nominators note that Celia Flores consistently goes above and beyond to support faculty and her peers.
She simplifies and streamlines complicated academic personnel reviews, such as merit raises and promotions, for faculty and committee members. Flores’ approach allows her to resolve issues early and ensure efficient and fair review processes.
Flores regularly demonstrates leadership and initiative to improve her own processes and those across the college. In collegewide meetings for academic personnel employees, she provides policy updates and encourages others to expand their skills. She recently received certification in Lean Six Sigma, a process improvement method for reducing operational waste, knowledge she has since shared to improve fellow academic personnel analysts.
She strives to foster a strong, interconnected network of academic personnel. She promotes consistency and collaboration between academic personnel employees, making it easier for colleagues to receive support. When new academic personnel join, she volunteers her time to assist with training and onboarding to ensure their success.
Through her integrity, initiative and supportive nature, Flores helps create an environment that builds trust and strengthens the college community.