Kudos To You!

We invite you to “Give Kudos” to another individual or team that delivered an outstanding service experience to you. We are excited to be able to help recognize all the amazing work that happens at MTSU.  

Kudos Recipients as of May 2024

Michael Judd, Faculty
“Kudos for being the best AC anyone could ask for. I’ve struggled this school year academically and Michael has been there every step of the way to hold me accountable and vouch for me when possible. If I ever return to this position, it would be because not only do I love the job, I love and appreciate him.”

Tracey Huddleston, Faculty
“Dr. Huddleston goes above and beyond to make her students feel seen valued and honored! She goes out of her way to create a culture of support and community for the M. Ed Curriculum & Instruction program. I can’t thank her enough for all she does!”

Nikita Smith, Staff 
“I have worked at MTSU 31 years under 4 secretaries/ Administrative Assistants, and I can say that Nikita is the best by far. She is prompt, accurate, and friendly.  and gets work done in record time- and correctly. She has not been with us very long at all and is already proving to be an excellent hiring decision! I wish to recognize her for Kudos!”

Amy Phelps, Faculty
“Thank you for everything you have this semester. Because of you I now have a better understanding of various concepts in chemistry. Thank you for being an awesome professor.”

Paul Fantuzzi, Faculty
“Exceptional teaching wisdom, support, t and understanding. Dedicated to encouraging student success. I hold him in high regards. One of the best professors I encountered at MTSU!” 

Gennesis Cuevas, Student
“Gen helped create a whole new hiring process within the dept of Housing and Residential Life as it relates to RA re-hires. Gen realized that HRL needed a way to help RAs who were re-hired and would only be on campus for one semester still have the opportunity to be rehired and allow their replacement to be mentored during the RAs one semester on campus. This process helped solve the problem of potentially having to let go really phenomenal RAs who might not be rehired based on their availability AND created a process to help the replacement RA become acquainted with the area so the transition to the new RA would be less rocky. Community building is HUGE in housing, and for the replacement RA to be known throughout the first semester, it really builds those necessary relationships for student success. Thank you GEN!”

Jill Austin, Faculty
“Shout out to soon-to-be-retired colleague Dr. Jill Austin who is Professor of Management. Jill has been an unofficial mentor to me (and so many others) over the years. She is smart, kind, patient and so very wise. I wish Jill all the best in her retirement. MTSU will sure miss you!”

Laura Sosh-Lightsy, Staff
“Laura is INCREDIBLE! She has helped me grow professionally and personally while I’ve been here at MTSU. Laura has always been willing to take my phone calls, respond to my countless emails, and stop by her office for a quick visit. She has been a champion for my success and so many others as well. She truly cares about developing everyone she meets. Thank you Laura for all that you do and for who you are!!!”

Davina DeWitt, Student
“Davina helped to reinvigorate HRL’s former annual Best Day Ever event. Prior to COVID-19 this was an annual tradition. Since COVID-19, this event was dormant, and Davina, who was an RD and only knew HRL after COVID, thought it would be a great idea to create an event where the residents in the First-Year towers could celebrate a year well done. Best Day Ever happened in April ’23 and it was such a success that several other housing areas wanted to be part of the event. This past year, we collaborated with two additional campus collaborators and had over 50 students attend. Way to go DAVINAAAA!!!”

Allison McGoffin, Staff
“Allison McGoffin is an integral member of the Academic Affairs team. She works hard to make sure that processes go smoothly and that the Division stays informed. Moreover, she approaches her work with a high level of care and attention to detail, all while delivering excellent customer service. She treats others with kindness and is committed to equity and inclusion. She is a joy to work with and I honestly could not imagine doing my job without her.”

Patti Agnew, Staff
“Thanks to Patti Agnew in the College of Education Teacher Licensure Office for all the support that she constantly gives to our students in the Job-Embedded Teacher Preparation program! She is always quick to respond to the students’ needs. She helps new teachers to survive and grow by providing excellent service. She supports my efforts as a program coordinator with great resources, advice, and a super attitude. She rocks!”

Shelby Ragan, Faculty
“Thank you for always offering sound advice and using your own personal time to support your coworkers (like me) and others!”

Deborah Arnold, Staff
“Deborah is effective, efficient, and always so kind. She is a pleasure to work with.”

Dian White, Staff
“Ms. Dian is always kind and helpful with anything I have needed help within the Social Work Department. She consistently goes above and beyond to be sure that my questions get answered and that I have what I need. Although I don’t visit the Social Work Department very often, I look forward to a friendly chat with her each time I go. She deserves to be honored for all the hard work she puts forth to help students succeed!”

Cheri Burt, Staff
“Cheri goes above and beyond the call of duty to support the success of students and faculty in data science!”

Meredith Boardman, Staff
“I asked for more details surrounding an event discussed during our most recent Aerospace Safety Council. Meredith very quickly set up a meeting during which she and her Safety Analyst, Casey Davis, provided the event’s raw data, a visual recreation of the event using the data, and a great discussion about the event. Meredith is doing a great job in her role.”

Claudia Van Houte, Staff
“Claudia is executive assistant for faculty and undergraduate students in the History Department. She is also an MTSU alum. She has done a superb job in her first year at MTSU in managing all of the million different moving parts of such a large department. I have gotten very used to checking in with her about a task only to find out she is one or two steps ahead of me and the task is already done (and done right!). I am always impressed by her great attitude toward any challenge and her positive attitude toward everything and everyone. I know our student workers appreciate in particular. Heck, so do our faculty. So does everyone at Peck Hall. She’s a great person to work with. Being an executive assistant is not easy, and we ask a lot of things of them, probably too many things, and certainly, we expect them to master far too many different procedures and software packages. You have to be willing to embrace all this complexity to thrive in this environment and Claudia has done that. Our department is so lucky to have her on board.”

Heather Green, Faculty
“Heather is one of the hardest working people I know. She manages to keep MTeach going while staying engaged with her students, her co-workers AND has a very active social life outside of work. On top of it all she’s currently in classes herself! I don’t know how she manages it all, but I’m in awe every day. Especially since she does it all with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. Thank you for being such a great example of caring, but I’m in awe every day, especially since she does it all with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. Thank you for being such a great example of a caring, kind, hard-working leader. Heather!”

Bryan Schuder, Staff
“Bryan has been a crucial part of our department, consistently excelling in his role as lab manager. He ensures our computer labs are well-maintained and always available for use. Bryan’s proactive approach to improving teaching and research resources has greatly benefited both faculty and students. He’s resourceful always finding better ways to get things done efficiently. Additionally, he’s a reliable support system for our computer science students, assisting them with any hardware or software queries they may have. We deeply appreciate Bryan’s hard work and dedication, which have significantly contributed to the success of our department.”

Victoria Richardson, Staff
“I think of Victoria as the face of the History Department’s graduate program. She is often the first person that prospective students speak to when they’re considering our program. She is the one to direct them to all the resources they need to apply and to troubleshoot any issues in the process. She is the one to gently but persistently nudge them to finish their paperwork. When they arrive at MTSU she is a critical person in keeping them on track. She has so many spreadsheets on her computer to make sure everyone is on target to graduate, walk across that stage, and move into their careers. Graduate students constantly wander into our offices, and I hear Victoria patiently walking them through the steps of their degree, reassuring them and tirelessly preventing student panic. Victoria is so kind and supportive and does everything in her power to create a happy, healthy space for students to learn. If you know Victoria, you know that all the superlative adjectives in the world do not adequately describe her positive attitude. Ask any single graduate student in our program. Or any faculty member. She is amazing!”

Pam Middleton, Staff
“I simply would not be able to write the articles and books that I have at MTSU without Pam Middleton’s help.  As the Interlibrary Loan Librarian, she brings sources from across the country and around the world onto my desk so that I can explore the history of this state, nation, and world. She’s the best!”

Emilie Connors, Student
“Congratulations on your achievements! You are a superb member of our team!”

Angie King, Staff
“Great Job!”

Amie Donahue, Staff
“Great Job Amiga!!!!!”

Kahler Stone, Faculty
“Kudos for your overwhelming guidance, support, and encouragement throughout my time here at MTSU. You are amazing!”

Carter Smith, Faculty
“He’s been a wonderful professor who provides several opportunities for his students. He also supports his students beyond his class.”

Ginger Rowell, Faculty
“Very sweet and understanding Professor. She cares for her students and does her best to give us the best experience to learn online! Kudos to you Professor!”

Luke Kautzky, Staff
“Doing an awesome job with all you do!”

Heather Gibbs, Staff
“Heather’s kindness, her ability to take care of a group of eccentric and needy faculty, and her skill at organization are hugely worthy of commendation.  We are extremely lucky to have her in our department.”

Jonell Hinsey, Staff
“You provided great encouragement to me. You also made me smile and listened to my silly stories. I appreciate the time you took to celebrate the advisors and to connect with us.”

Darrell Callis Burkes, Staff
“Darrell is such a joy to work with as a colleague. His talent and skills are such an asset to the whole University and even more so to the College of Liberal Arts. As a proud alumnus, you can see the care that Darrell takes in his work to make his alma mater shine more brightly. He is one of the most creative people I know, and he has truly brought out of a more of my creativity through our work together. Collaborating with Darrell is one of the best parts of my job and I always look forward to our opportunities to work together. Darrell deserves all the kudos and so much more for being such an amazing alumnus, employee, and colleague.”

Ralph Williams, Faculty
“Dr. Williams offered to watch my son so I could present with my group. It was so kind and helpful! Michael lost his dad last year, and it’s so wonderful to know that no matter what, I can count on my professors at MTSU!”

Caroline Gerhart, Staff
“Caroline, thank you for always being such a dependable coworker! You show up every day willing to take on any and all tasks. You are the GLUE of our office and we could not get through the work week without you.”

Carol Cuff, Staff
“We love our student workers and Carol has been especially awesome this year keeping departments informed and on task.  She orchestrated the institution of a new platform Handshake for advertising our jobs and hiring student workers.  This is a huge improvement over the way this process had been done in the past.  She always takes time to answer our questions even if we asked them several times before Carol has made the whole process run smoothly and efficiently.  We appreciate all the hard work she has put into this process.  Way to go Carol!”

Sarah Bleiler-Baxter, Faculty
“Dr. BB was an excellent professor to me and everyone in the classroom. She takes time out of her busy day to help other students with class or their future! I feel much more prepared for the future ahead of me because of this individual.”

James Kentfield, Staff
“James just always gets the job done and always has facts/data to back up his decision-making process. I commend him for the consistent curve balls thrown at him and his shop to try and generate more ticket sales. James has transitioned us into the digital era of ticketing with the mobile platforms met with a lot of resistance from our fan base he kept pushing and we are better for it. James is also a great example of how you can work in this industry and still have a healthy work/life balance. He almost never misses one of his kid’s events, supports his family daily, and still keeps his shop operating at 100%. We all could take a lesson from that. So many things impact attendance numbers, but I know that ticket operations aren’t one of them, and he often takes the brunt of it. His hard work and dedication doesn’t go unnoticed, at least from my view.”

Debra Haber, Faculty
“Professor Haber is an outstanding educator and values student success above all else.”

Kim Godwin, Faculty
“Dr. Godwin is a whiz with D2L, and she is deeply patient when faculty (or students) reach out with questions on the functionality of the course shell.  We would be lost without her in the College of Education.  She has assisted with the development and/or creation of online content for several programs in the college.  What’s better than her technical skills with learning management systems?  Her passion for making content making learning accessible to all.  She is also very nice to animals.  So, she is an all-around fantastic person, and MTSU is lucky to have her, and the College of Education is proud to call her one of us!”

Zainab Suara, Faculty
“Thank you so much for your help this semester”

Brad McCrary, Faculty
“Open and accepting thinker, however,  able to chart a course and maintain foci when necessary. Creates an environment of self-learning / comprehension with a deeply intellectual approach.”

Bryanna Licciardi, Faculty
“Thank you for always being there when I need to problem-solve, brainstorm, troubleshoot, or just have emotions in the hallway in between classes! Your presence is invaluable!”

Maggie Waggener, Staff
“I want to express my deep gratitude to Maggie our exceptional executive assistant. Her tireless efforts in managing our official tasks have been nothing short of remarkable. From ensuring all paperwork is meticulously handled to guaranteeing timely payments for students, Maggie’s dedication is unmatched.  Additionally, she’s gone above and beyond by investing significant time and energy into preparing for our move amidst the KOM renovation. Maggie’s proactive attitude and unwavering commitment have been pivotal in ensuring a smooth transition. Her contributions are invaluable, and I couldn’t be more thankful for her hard work and dedication.”

Brittany Price, Faculty
“I want to give Dr Price Kudos for being such a great mentor and role model. Since Dr. Price has been with the Geoscience department, I believe she has made a huge difference in many students lives, including myself. She takes time to listen and engage with anyone who approaches her and goes above and beyond to help anyone who asks. Dr Price is a gem and deserves all the recognition for the amazing work she does! :)”

Kelly Williams, Faculty
“Dear Dr. Williams, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your invaluable support and guidance throughout my studies. Your expertise and dedication have significantly contributed to my academic growth and understanding of accounting. Your mentorship has been instrumental in shaping my educational journey, and I am truly grateful for your encouragement and insight. Thank you for your commitment to excellence in teaching and for inspiring me to strive for success.  Warm regards, Wenbin Fan”

“While enrolled in Dr. Williams’ Accounting Systems course, I was impressed by her dedication to reassuring the class of our intellect and ability to grasp complex concepts. Moreover, she frequently highlighted the societal value of accountants, as well as the return on investment provided by an accounting degree. Essentially, she provided us with powerful reminders of the purpose and value of our hard work as students and working professionals, which I found, and continue to find, to be very motivating. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Williams was always welcoming during office hours: happy to clarify course material and eager to provide personalized career guidance and encouragement. Even after the semester ended, Dr. Williams has proactively assisted me in pursuing professional opportunities. Ultimately, I continue to be greatly affected by the sincerity and generosity with which she spends her time. Thank you, Dr. Williams. I am deeply grateful for the time and effort you have spent preparing me for success. You have not only made me feel welcomed and more confident as an aspiring accountant, but you also make me proud to be a student at MTSU. Societies thrive because of dedicated individuals like you who first go above and beyond the norm, and then help others do the same.”

Stuart Bernstein, Faculty
“Thank you for being such a great professor! You made cognitive Psychology exciting and fun! I appreciate everything you have done for me while being a student in your classes and beyond that!”

David Trowbridge, Faculty
“Dr. Trowbridge has been by far the most impactful professor that I have had during my time at MTSU. He excels in making difficult topics not only easier to comprehend but engaging. It is clear when listening to him teach that he is passionate not only about the subject matter, but also student learning and success.  His instruction not only helped me to succeed during my time at MTSU but gave me skills that I am already employing in the professional world and has helped me to become a more politically informed person. His instruction has made my transition into the professional world much less straining, and he is one of the most caring and empathetic professors I have met. I feel very blessed to have been able to learn from him and I feel that he deserves recognition for his tremendous efforts to make each of his students feel supported and able to succeed.”

Jarett Decker, Faculty
“Throughout my time at MTSU, Professor Decker has offered invaluable support and ensured that I felt welcomed both as a student and as an aspiring accountant. When I began Professor Decker’s Principles of Accounting 1 course in 2022, it was my first semester at MTSU, and I was uncertain if I would continue my education, let alone if I could become an accountant. I planned to quietly come and go from campus, but fortunately, Professor Decker had other plans. During that semester, he often took the initiative to make friendly conversation, learn of my goals, and inform me of potential career paths in accounting. His professionalism, passion, and generosity with his time significantly influenced my decision to continue my education at MTSU, and to pursue a degree in accounting. Roughly two years later: I am two semesters from graduating, I am about to begin an internship, and Professor Decker continues to offer his guidance and support. Thank you, Professor Decker. You have had an incredibly positive and significant impact on my journey. Your genuine passion and dedication to foster both personal and professional growth in your students is truly remarkable. I am immensely grateful for your time and effort, and I am confident that your selfless service will impact many at MTSU and continue to ripple through society.”

Saeed Kamali, Faculty
“I love his teaching and care. I put all his energy into both things. He makes class fun and makes students know he is interested in their success, not just his role.”

Jennifer Rice, Staff
“It’s easy to give daily kudos to Jennifer about the great work she does in the College of Liberal Arts. She does well in her role because she stays well-informed about what is happening within CLA and across campus and has worked to build relationships with colleagues everywhere she can. People who I know in other offices tell me what a joy Jennifer is to work with and how much help she is to them. It’s one thing when your own team can easily brag on you, but to have that recognition from the campus community is a true compliment. But this week she deserves an extra special kudos.  On Friday, May 3, Jennifer graduated with her M.A. in Liberal Arts! She started the program during the pandemic and took advantage of her employee education benefit. This dedication to lifelong learning has set a great example for our colleagues who are considering taking classes and/or pursuing a degree from MTSU. Congrats to Jennifer on being an official MTSU alumna!”

Tara Perrin, Staff
“This academic year, I participated in the Online Faculty Mentoring (OFM) program, and Tara was my OFM mentor as this was the first year I had participated in this group. She was so helpful and worked with me to deliver three wonderful spring OFM sessions with the “Navigating the D2L Matrix” group. My colleagues were unable to continue in the group and she went over and above her role to help make the spring term very successful.  Thank you, Tara, for your dedication to the OFM program and to me!”

“I am designing an online course for the first time and had my second meeting with Tara Perrin yesterday. She took a lot of time with me (90 min) and provided an incredible amount of information that is her specialty and definitely not mine: course mapping, taxonomies for outcomes and objectives, interactive content, etc. The quality of this online course will be stunningly better than it would be without her assistance. Frankly, all courses–virtual and face-to-face–could greatly benefit from her guidance, particularly in course mapping. This is not something with which many instructors are familiar.”

“Tara helped me redesign an online course that is beautifully laid out and includes multiple H5P interactive components to keep the students interested and engaged while learning a unique topic. Her ideas and creativity will very much benefit our students taking this course, as well as my abilities to understand the innovations for online instruction.”

Carrie Matherly, Staff
“Carrie went above and beyond to complete the tough task of volunteerism and serving others while simultaneously completing coursework of her own. Not only did Carrie balance service and coursework but she also did a fantastic job in being super helpful to her classmates and co-GA assistants. Carrie demonstrated grit and perseverance as she set the tone for what hard work and service looks like. Her work went unnoticed, and she has earned skill and growth in what she has accomplished. Well done Carrie. You are an inspiration to me and others around you. I am always rooting for you and have enjoyed watching you grow. Keep Going!”

Danielle Swartz, Staff
“Throughout my time at MTSU, Danielle Swartz has often done more than required to ensure that I am equipped for success. Each semester, Ms. Swartz has happily met with me to optimize my schedule and ensure that I was on track. However, her assistance has gone beyond academic advising. When she learned that I recently moved to Tennessee, Ms. Swartz went out of her way to suggest local activities and ways to make new connections. Upon learning of my interest in gardening, she generously shared her knowledge, experiences, and even gave me some worms so that I could create a vermicompost system like she has. Thank you, Ms. Swartz. You have thoughtfully contributed to my progress, and I sincerely appreciate the time and effort that you have spent to ensure that I both succeed and feel welcome at MTSU.”

Suzi Richardson, Staff
“Mrs. Richardson is ALWAYS helpful to students when they have questions or need direction. She is like sunshine every day. She is always smiling and happy to help me.”

Jeri Ann Clark, Staff
“Jeri Ann and her team juggle many requests for data, reporting, dashboards, etc., but she always has a wonderful attitude and delivers excellent customer service” to her requesters. She explains technical processes so that we can understand them and adds a little humor, too. I enjoy working with her and am glad she’s at MTSU!”