Campus staff and student researchers at multiple universities earn recognition through academic honors and awards that honor scholarship management, public safety leadership, and scientific research achievements ahead of upcoming centennial celebrations.
Western Michigan University Names Make a Difference Award Recipients
Western Michigan University has named Victoria Hastings, Giulia Hayes, Chris Salvaggio, and Teri Wagner as the recipients of the 2025-26 Make a Difference Annual Award according to the university’s announcement. The honorees will be recognized at the Fall Awards Celebration held on Friday, Oct. 2. The event begins at 11 a.m. and features the Make a Difference recipients alongside those receiving the Distinguished Service, Distinguished Teaching, Emerging Scholar and Distinguished Faculty Scholar awards. WMU President Russ Kavalhuna praised the contributions of the campus staff.
“Western is at its best because of staff who share their talent and commitment to our University,” says WMU President Russ Kavalhuna.
Russ Kavalhuna, WMU President
President Kavalhuna added in the university’s statement, Our annual Make a Difference recipients go above and beyond to make the Western experience better for everyone, and I am excited to honor them for this well-deserved recognition.
Hastings serves as a police sergeant in the Department of Public Safety, where nominators highlighted her work organizing self-defense workshops, the annual Shop with a Hero event, and food drives supporting community needs. Hayes works as a scholarship specialist in Student Financial Aid, managing more than 300 different scholarship funds and supporting departments across campus. Supporters pointed out that Giulia delivers exceptional assistance to students and personnel alike, consistently addressing inquiries thoroughly while keeping the procedure stress-free. Salvaggio, administrative assistant senior in the School of Interdisciplinary Health Programs, was praised by one nominator who wrote that Chris has helped departments through many leadership and staff transitions within the department and through the college as well, while another added that working with Chris for 11 years never brought an unpleasant experience or day. Wagner serves as a custodian in Facilities Management’s Custodial Services division, recognized not only for maintaining clean, welcoming spaces but also for the positivity and kindness brought to campus every day. Nominators described Teri as one of the nicest and most pleasant people, always greeting others with pride in work that includes preparing classrooms, laboratories, and offices for special events and transitions.
Academic Support Center Honors Staff Retirement and Student Scholars
At the Academic Support Center, Madalena Mansinho has concluded a career as Math Coordinator detailed in the center’s newsletter after a journey that included pursuing K-12 education following a Masters in School Psychology from Long Island University, driven by a discontent that tugged at the psyche until realizing that the heart belonged to adults requiring the most support. Mansinho reflected on a 30-year tenure welcoming students through doors where the symphony of wheels turning, Expo markers squeaking, and muted laughter reminded her of purpose, noting the desire to help students realize that the center is not there to judge. Looking back at Day 1, Mansinho noted realizing the love for the work and planning to stay for decades, while retirement brings a transition to serving as an Adjunct Coordinator alongside hobbies like coding and traveling and putting oneself first.
The newsletter also announced the recipients of the Hirsch Scholarship, established by Lany Hirsch, one of the founders of the Academic Support Center, and family who generously donated thousands of dollars to be awarded in scholarships to WCC students who use the ASC. This year’s scholarship beneficiaries include Mary Abad, who expressed gratitude for being selected as a beneficiary student to focus on maintaining a GPA rather than college fees while continuing to use the ASC.
Women Chemists Committee Presents Fall 2026 National Awards
The Women Chemists Committee recognized national scholarship and research award winners during events held on Aug. 25 in Chicago reported by chemical and engineering news sources. WCC chair Indu Kheterpal and Committee on Chemists with Disabilities chair Partha Basu presented the 2026 Overcoming Challenges Award to Amaya Pablo, a graduate student at Northern Arizona University who is working toward a Master of Public Health degree focusing on Indigenous health.
Additional national recognitions included the WCC/Lilly Emerging Talent Award, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, and the WCC Merck Research Award, sponsored by Merck & Co., with winners presenting their research at a special poster session held Aug. 25 and a special symposium held Aug. 24 at ACS Fall 2026. Among the awardees were Hallee Boyd (Oregon State University), Emily Du (Princeton University), Karli Gaffrey (Colorado School of Mines), Golsa Gheibi (California Institute of Technology), Pegah Honarmand (University of California-Irvine), Virginia Jiang (Princeton University), Joyce Laboy Figueroa (University of Puerto Rico, Humacao), Julianne Oshiro (University of California, Los Angeles), Holly Weilbaker (University of Wisconsin–Madison), and Kerui Xu (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), along with Lucy Huffman (University of Rochester), Julia McAfee (University of Virginia), Komal Na (University of California, Santa Barbara), Sara Nixon (University of Texas at Austin), Nhu Quach (University of Minnesota), Laura Rodriguez (University of Maryland), Ana Serna Moyeda (University of Pennsylvania), and April Sweet Tapayan (Wayne State University). The organization also presented two 2026 ChemLuminary Awards at ACS Fall 2026 recognizing ACS local sections, with the Most Outstanding Local Section Women Chemists Committee Award presented to the East Central Illinois Section and the Best Local Section Women Chemists Event/Activity Award presented to the Indiana Section for holding events and establishing programs to engage, recognize, mentor, and promote research by and accomplishments of women chemists.