NERCOMP is pleased to announce this year's recipients of the Katie Vale Memorial Scholarship, are Annabelle Halliday of Yale University and Jessica Ludders of the University of Maine Augusta.
The committee felt so passionately about Annabelle's and Jessica's submissions, that for the first time ever the award is being given to two deserving women. These are extraordinary measures for this year.
Annabelle Halliday of Yale University
Annabelle is a curious, driven, and resourceful member of the Yale IT community. She started on Yale's IT User Experience team nearly a year ago with little to no experience as a business analyst. In my more than 20 years of leading at Yale, I've never seen someone so committed to learning from and collaborating with her colleagues all while diving into a role that was so new to her, and doing it with grace. Throughout all of her work Annabelle seeks and embraces feedback. She expects it from her colleagues, managers and clients. If others disagree with her viewpoint or have a different approach, she’s always open to listening and hearing others' perspectives. And she takes and accepts feedback as a gift. People love working with Annabelle and she embodies the values of an emerging leader in IT: respectful, compassionate, empathetic, inclusive, and strategic. Her colleagues and other leaders around Yale think highly of her and the inquisitive nature she brings as a business analyst to every conversation and meeting. In such a short time, she's contributed to several significant IT projects at Yale that will have a profound impact on improving the digital experiences for Yale's faculty, students, and staff. (Text submitted by Taber Lightfoot of Yale University.)
Jessica Ludders of University of Maine Augusta
Jessica is a learning experience designer (LXD) at the University of Maine Augusta and an adjunct instructor. As an LXD, Jessica is dedicated to teaching and learning, going above and beyond to work with faculty, students, staff, and technology to develop quality online learning experiences. As an instructor, Jessica practices what she preaches, providing optimal learning experiences for her students and robust exemplars of course design and instruction to her role as learning experience designer. Regarding technology, Jessica “geeks out” on learning new strategies or technologies and shares what she learns with colleagues. She is constantly researching best practices and pursuing professional development for our learning management system and other platforms. Not only does she learn a new skill, she continues to learn until she becomes a teacher of that skill. When working with faculty, Jessica often says, “Hey, did you know you could do this?” as she introduces a new strategy or functionality. Her excitement about teaching and learning is contagious, and her passion inspires others to do better. Jessica is a true representation of mentorship and leadership in today’s higher education landscape. (Text submitted by Tina Daigle of University of Maine Augusta.)
Please join us in congratulating Jessica and Annabelle on this accomplishment.