Mark Berman Community Outreach 2023 Award Announced

Mark Berman Community Outreach Award Recipient:  Christine Fitzgerald

NERCOMP is pleased to announce Christine Fitzgerald of Tufts University as the recipient of this year's Mark Berman Community Outreach Award.

Christine approaches her role within Tufts Technology Services (TTS) with a broad lens seeing her responsibilities as extending well beyond the boundaries of her position to doing whatever is needed. She brings kindness and authenticity to everything she does. This kindness transforms others' ability to see beyond themselves and helps bridge gaps, and promotes understanding among diverse groups. This increases the desire in others to be collaborative and helps build that sense of community from within and with other groups 

Included in the values at the core of Christine’s professionalism is a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is evident, for example, in her accomplishment over the past year launching a Women in Technology at Tufts (WITT) employee resource group. WITT was born out of Christine’s collaborative spirit and willingness to think broadly and openly with colleagues about a forum that would benefit women in TTS. WITT charged out of the gate in January of 2022 with high numbers of participation by women across TTS’s directorates and has become a singular place for us to learn about, celebrate, and be inspired by the backstories and accomplishments of our women peers within TTS, and across the University, and throughout history.

Her good nature and intuitive communication style helps her meet people where they are, in life, and in situations. She does not hesitate to lend an empathetic ear, provide advice when it is asked for, and to build up confidence where she sees it is needed. Her everyday commitment to all the many hats she wears is, in itself, an example to all who look to her as a leader.

Please join all of us in NERCOMP as we congratulate Christine on receiving this important new award.