Congratulations to Obioma Akaigwe and Iris Schauerman for being nominated by Andrea Milo and Jessica Nardi for the USG Employee Recognition Spotlight Award.
Obioma Akaigwe, Dr. Stewart Edelstein, Iris Schauerman (left to right)
Description of Nomination (Andrea Milo): “I don’t think anyone can deny that USG’s efforts to address food insecurity have made a lasting impact on the USG Community. The Mobile Market has brought staff members out of their offices to share smiles and jokes with fellow volunteers and participants, it has created a shared experience among students, staff and faculty partners that elicits excitement about “hot” items that month, and as we see the long times and regular utilization of about 300 guests it has creates heightened awareness around the importance of food access within a community. Working hand in hand Grover Essentials also launched this year has been a critical resource for the over 170 individuals who have visited our pantry almost 700 times in 2 semesters. In addition to supplementing food and basic necessities, we have heard from students that through its existence they feel that USG cares about them. No one can argue that without Obii and Iris these two resources would not exist. Bringing two labor heavy initiatives to USG was no easy task and a number of processes, protocol and collaborations had to be made. Whether it is Obii meeting Capital Area Food Bank outside rain or shine each month to try to harness those unruly potatoes or Iris driving out to Manna Food Center each Friday afternoon to pick up crates of food that our students rely on – you see the passion and caring at its core. I hope that you will recognize these two USG Stars for their amazing hard work!”
(Jessica Nardi): “I would like to nominate Obii and Iris for their incredible work this past year in addressing food insecurity on campus. They have both gone above and beyond in addressing this issue by implementing the Mobile Market, Grover Essentials, and partnering with the HR department to do a food drive to supplement Grover Essentials. They are passionate about helping students in need and they have worked incredibly hard to support them. I applaud their efforts and look forward to seeing these programs continue to expand.”