Recognition

Employee Engagement Employee Engagement

Our team provides recognition opportunities for our UNCW employees. We celebrate employees at our annual NC State Service Award banquet. We recognize outstanding accomplishments by our staff during the Staff Awards for Excellence reception. We also host recognition socials throughout the year to give our employees time to relax and socialize. Each year, we hold an ice cream social for the official State of NC Employee Appreciation Day. Employees can recognize their colleagues through the Soaring Seahawks program.

Fall Ice Cream and Cobbler Social

It's that time of year again! Join us for a delightful ice cream treat served by our executive leadership, deans, and Chancellor!

10/17/25 From 1-3 p.m. We will have 2 locations

CMS
Warwick Center

10/17/25 From 6-7 p.m. We will have 1 location

Warwick Center

10/23/25 From 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. We have 1 location

DC Virgo

This event is open to all faculty and staff. Take a break and enjoy some ice cream with our campus community!

Staff Award for Excellence

The Staff Award for Excellence program is designed to acknowledge and express appreciation for outstanding accomplishments that do not fall entirely within the scope of normal duties but are in the nature of a major contribution reflecting credit on the person and State service.

The meritorious service or accomplishment is so singularly outstanding that special recognition is justified. Employees are nominated for the award by other state employees including their supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates.

Congrats to our 2025 UNCW Staff Award for Excellence Winner:

The Seven Award for Excellence Categories:

Customer Service - Provided exceptional service that left the customer fully satisfied with their experience. Exceeded expectations to meet the needs of the customer. Added value to the customer experience.
Efficiency and Innovation - Improved the efficiency of state government services. Established new and/or improved methods, practices, plans or designs resulting in innovation, savings and/or efficiencies. This is an ideal area to nominate an employee who has thought of and implemented an employee suggestion that has proven successful.
Human Relations - Made outstanding contributions toward enhancing the quality and morale of the workplace or creating a better public image of state government (such as positive personal interaction with other employees; public awareness; working on relations internally within an agency; or collaboration between different agencies).
Outstanding State Government Service - Exhibited unselfish devotion to duty far and above the normal requirements and contributed significantly to the advancement of state service to the citizens of North Carolina.
Public Service - Made outstanding contributions by participating in or implementing community and public service projects (such as volunteering with various non-profit organizations).
Safety and Heroism - Demonstrated outstanding judgment or courage in an emergency, voluntarily risking his/her life or exhibited meritorious action to prevent injury, loss of life or prevented damage to or loss of property.
Spirit of North Carolina - Exemplified the state motto "To be, rather than to seem." Mentored others in the pursuit of excellence. Served as an ambassador for the State of North Carolina. This special award is reserved for exceptional circumstances and for accomplishments and achievements of the highest caliber.

Congratulations to our 2025 Staff Award for Excellence Nominees:

Customer Service

Fredrika Aldish – ITS, Consulting Services Support-CCTS
Emily Calder – Registrar's Office
Christopher Cea – Distance Education
Tracie Chadwick – Biology and Marine Biology
Anna Ouchchy – Graduate School
Zack Shail – Innovation and Commercialization
Nicholas Troutman – Architectural and Construction Services

Efficiency & Innovation

Michael Donahue – Maintenance and Operations
UNCW Web App Development Team (Danielle Ferrell, Phillip Kukla, Jonathan Graves, Whitney Yenner) – ITS, Enterprise Systems Support

Human Relations

Kimberly Orick – Watson College of Education
Tania Smith – Collaboration for Assault Response and Education (CARE)

Outstanding State Government Service

Susanne Dieppa – Cameron School of Business
Patricia “Patti” Golka – Postal Services

Public Service

Kimberly Harris – Graduate School

Staff Service Awards

The success of State government in providing services to meet the needs of North Carolina and its citizens is dependent on the efforts of State employees like you! To express its appreciation to valued employees, the State sponsors the annual Staff Service Awards to recognize SHRA and EHRA (non-faculty/non-SAAO) employees' total state service in increments of five years through retirement.

Excellence in Service, North Carolina’s employee service awards program, celebrates length-of-service milestones of employee service to state government. The program is a partnership between the Office of State Human Resources; Correction Enterprises in the Department of Public Safety; and the Museum of History in the Department of Cultural Resources.

The Service Awards program:

Offers products made primarily in North Carolina or, at a minimum, made in the USA;
Celebrates North Carolina’s heritage, culture, symbols and craftsmen;
Offers unique products that, for the most part, cannot be purchased; and
Creates efficiencies by operating the program within state government.

The Excellence in Service recognizes employees when they achieve career status and again at five years, ten years, and thereafter in five-year increments. The service awards, themselves, are unique items crafted especially for the Employee Service Awards program. Most of the items are made by inmates in the Department of Public Safety through Correction Enterprises, while others are handmade by North Carolina artisans.

When Will I Be Recognized?

When you are eligible for a Staff Service Award, you will receive instructions to select the award of your choice, as well as an invitation to the annual Staff Service Awards Luncheon. Service Award recipients are determined within the fiscal calendar (July 1 to June 30 of each year). For example, if you were hired in September of 2018, you will be invited to the 2024 Staff Service Awards Luncheon.

Soaring Seahawk

We see examples of the exceptional service and dedication to excellence demonstrated by our employees every day. Soaring Seahawk is a way to recognize those employees who have taken their UNCW service to the next level.

What Is a Soaring Seahawk?

A "Soaring Seahawk" is a personalized message of appreciation shared with a UNCW employee (or group of employees) who has gone above and beyond in their support of the university. Soaring Seahawk recipients receive an email with a copy of the nomination message, a special thank you from the HR team, and a customized certificate recognizing their contributions. Nominators have the option of letting the recipient know who submitted the Soaring Seahawk or to remain anonymous.

Who Can Receive a Soaring Seahawk?

Have you received outstanding service from a UNCW employee and want to send a special thank you? Do you know someone who went above and beyond in their job to help you or benefit campus? UNCW's Soaring Seahawk program is a means for recognizing exceptional service by any UNCW employee. Everyone can participate!

How Do I Nominate Someone For a Soaring Seahawk?

Complete the Soaring Seahawk Nomination Form - be sure to follow our guidelines for submitting a strong nomination. Nominations can be submitted by individuals or groups. The Soaring Seahawk committee meets once a month to review submissions and award Soaring Seahawks to nominees.

DIY Recognition

Do It Yourself Recognition

Below, we've highlighted some of our favorite recognition programs that YOU can launch for your own department, team or unit. These DIY recognition ideas are free, easy, and a great way to start having a positive impact on the culture in which you work.

E-Praise Cards

A quick and easy way to give someone a pat on the back, e-praise cards are a great option for peer-to-peer recognition. One of our favorite providers of free e-praise cards is Baudville.

Check out their selection

Microsoft Teams Badges

Praise can be given virtually through Microsoft Teams with badges such as Creative, Problem solver, and Team player.

Find out how

Shout Outs

Shout Outs are where team members can post or write encouraging words, motivational quotes, and positive messages about one another!

Shout Outs can be given virtually! For example, through a departmental team within Microsoft Teams, on a cork board or white board that you hold up during your next Zoom meeting, or as a screen share during your next virtual staff meeting if you would like to create a PowerPoint slide or other form of visual to supplement your Shout Out!

Thank You Cards

If you have some spare thank you cards, you can send one to a colleague through snail mail.

Questions? Contact Us!

Mary Sullivan, Senior Employee Engagement and Onboarding Specialist
Phone: 910.962.3161
sullivanma@uncw.edu

Melissa Cox, Learning & Onboarding Specialist
Phone: 910.962.2274
coxml@uncw.edu

Katelyn Malone, Engagement & Learning Specialist
Phone: 910.962.3249
malonek@uncw.edu