About the Staff Award Winners
Individual Award Winners
Dr. Arthur Maxwell Taylor Excellence in Diversity Award — Staff
Mercedes Natividad de Frausto
View ProfileLawrence C. McBride Prize
Kenwyn Richards
Director of Academic Budget and Planning, Academic Budget and Planning
About
Kenwyn Richards started with University of Idaho in December of 2017. She began her U of I career with the Office of Sponsored Projects as a grant compliance accountant. Then she became the college fiscal and administrative director for the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS). After spending time in CLASS, she moved to the Provost Office where she is currently the director of academic budget and planning. Learning the financial ways of academia have proven to be a new and rewarding challenge for Kenwyn after spending 20 years in the construction industry, five years in manufacturing and two years in public accounting as a certified public accountant. She thoroughly enjoys her role at U of I and her time in higher education. She is honored to be a Vandal and appreciates all the wonderful colleagues she gets to work with on a daily basis. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her wife and their dogs (Penelope, Riley, Joey and Kody).
Dr. Arthur Maxwell Taylor Excellence in Diversity Award — Staff
Mercedes Natividad de Frausto
Associate Director, Student Support Programs
About
Mercedes Frausto was born in Huaraz-Peru. She came to the United States in 1995. She got her American Citizenship in 1998. She attended "Federico Villarreal University" in Lima-Peru in 1990, earning her bachelor's degree in health as a Radiologist Technologist. She worked at "Edgardo Rebagliati Hospital and the "Federico Villarreal University" in (Lima-Peru) as well. She lives with her husband, Jaime, and her wonderful daughter, Grace. Mercedes belongs to many organizations in this beautiful city. Just a few to mention: Mercedes is a past member of the Advisory Board III for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the past president of the Catholic Women's League. She believes all women should join and support each other to claim their rights. She demonstrates that by participating in the Mentoring Program for Athena. In 2021, Mercedes received the Athena Woman of the Year Award. She is an avid supporter of continuing to implement and evaluate comprehensive risk reduction and violence prevention programs and advocacy services for the entire Vandal family, with particular emphasis on underserved student populations. She ensures that the many diverse and underrepresented students feel a connection to campus in order for them to feel welcome. Mercedes is also an active member of UBUNTU and participates in the Women's mentoring initiatives. Mercedes believes that it doesn't matter whether you are a student with disabilities or coming from a low-income family as a first-generation student; you deserve to be provided with study-abroad opportunities. Currently, Mercedes is working at University of Idaho as the associate director for the TRIO Program and pursuing her Ph.D. in Adult/Organizational Learning and Leadership.
Advising Excellence Award — Staff
Sophie Becker
Lead Academic Advisory, University Advising Services
About
Sophie has been an academic advisor for CLASS since May of 2020, starting her advising career in her very own living room during Covid restrictions. Since then, she has found a specialty in advising undecided and exploratory students, finding joy in witnessing her students discover their dreams and accomplish their goals. She is a proud Vandal alum with a B.A. in English and graduating this May with an M.S. in Adult Organizational Learning and Leadership. She lives in Moscow with her husband, Ryer, who is a College of Natural Resources faculty, and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Annie.
Outstanding Employee Award: Non-Faculty Exempt
Jennifer Meekhof
Grants and Contracts Manager, College of Natural Resources
About
Work History:
- My journey with University of Idaho began in 2012 when I served as a fiscal tech and then grant administrator in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Since then I have held roles in the Offices of Sponsored Programs, including sponsored projects accounting and as the administrator of VERAS, our electronic research administration system. My current role is with the College of Natural Resources where I have the pleasure to serve as the Business Officer II — Grants and Contracts, administering all sponsored projects for the college.
Skill set and expertise:
- Accounting, mentoring and sponsored projects management
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration — Accounting from the College of Idaho
Goals:
- Help those around me be the best version of themselves
- Help CNR faculty submit their best proposals and manage their awarded projects well
- Learn something new every day
- Have fun along the way
Personal Interests:
- I am happiest when I am enjoying the vast natural resources our world offers, specifically hiking, snowshoeing, downhill skiing and cross country skiing
- When I can’t be outside, I will likely be reading a book or knitting
Outstanding Employee Award: Technical/Paraprofessional
Tammy R. Greenwalt
Business Specialist III, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
About
Tammy grew up in Moscow and has worked at University of Idaho for over 27 years. She worked as a cashier in the Student Accounts Department for 21 years, and has been a Business Specialist III in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences for the past 6 and a half years. She enjoys working with employees and students across the U of I campus. Tammy is married to her high school sweetheart, Craig. They are blessed to farm on the Palouse with their son, Matthew. Their daughter, Sarah, graduated from University of Idaho in December 2023 and is currently attending graduate school. When not working, Tammy enjoys spending time with family, gardening, scrapbooking, photographing and helping on the farm.
Outstanding Employee Award: Administrative Assistant
Alisa Goolsby
Assistant to the Dean, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
About
Alisa grew up in southern Idaho, but Moscow became her home in 1998 while attending University of Idaho. She loved it so much, she never left and now shares a home with her wife and 5-year-old son. Alisa joined the university as an employee in 2002, where she worked for the Center for Academic Advising and the Registrar’s Office until October 2006, when she joined the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) as a business operations analyst. For the last five years, she has been serving as the assistant to the dean, Sean Quinlan. Alisa finds her job challenging, but also fun, which makes showing up something she looks forward to. Alisa is very thankful to the faculty and staff in CLASS for being the best college on campus (she does fully recognize her bias – she is only slightly apologetic). She also wants to recognize and thank all staff across campus, since she truly believes “we are the bricks that make the building".
Outstanding Employee Award: Service/Maintenance
Jeff Squires
Generator Specialist, Facilities
About
Jeff Squires was a team cleaning specialist for 8 years at University of Idaho and just recently moved up to serve as the generator specialist within Facilities. Jeff uses his positive and can-do attitude to keep all the generators running so they will in turn, keep the lights on at University of Idaho during a power outage. In his free time, Jeff enjoys camping, fishing and exploring new trails on his 4-wheeler.
Outstanding Employee Award: Skilled Trade
Jacob Foulger
Plumbing Foreperson, Facilities
About
My family and I relocated to Moscow, Idaho in September of 2014 for a journeyman plumber position in Facilities, plumbing shop. Because my wife and I wanted to move to the Inland Northwest, landing the job with University of Idaho was a dream come true. I took over as a plumbing foreperson and supervisor of the shop toward the middle of 2020. The plumbing shop maintains and repairs all plumbing and mechanical systems in both general education and housing buildings as well as small projects involving remodel or upgrade type work. We maintain the swimming pools, nine pure water systems, gas, compressed air, steam and condensate, domestic and lab hot/cold water systems, sanitary and storm sewers, lab waste, grease traps, backflow preventers and all plumbing fixtures. Our shop has performed small construction projects ranging in price from several hundred dollars to over $70k. I’ve been a plumber for over twenty years starting out in commercial plumbing in the private sector and a few years working as for myself running a small plumbing business. I love mountain biking and riding my vintage road bike to work when the weather is nice.
Samir Shahat Abd El Fatah
Executive Director
About
Samir is a proud Vandal and has served the University of Idaho community since 2004. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master's of Science in Inorganic Chemistry from Helwan University in Cairo, Egypt, where he served as a faculty of chemistry for nine years. Eager to learn, discover and experience new cultures, he traveled to Japan where he finished his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry at Kumamoto University. Afterward, he came to U of I to do his postdoctoral work where he fell in love with Moscow and its people. After working for U of I for several years, he decided to get a second master’s in Environmental Science and Toxicology.
Having had a booth at the Moscow Farmers Market for 12 years, Samir enjoys cooking his cultural cuisine for his friends, family and community. “Seeing the joy and happiness in people’s eyes when they enjoy my food is very rewarding”. Also, when he and his wife are not enjoying the outdoors, they like to watch Premier League soccer on the weekends.
“The safety and wellbeing of our community members is paramount — this is our baseline at EHS”. Samir takes pride in partnering with the university community members to maintain a positive safety culture to make sure they finish work and go back to their homes and loved ones safe and healthy.
Jane Westervelt
Admin Financial Specialist, Safety Training System Administrator
About
Jane came to University of Idaho in 1997 and worked in several departments before settling into Environmental Health and Safety in 2001. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt and earned a second bachelor’s in psychology here at U of I. As office manager, Jane has a wide range of duties, from web site content maintenance and online safety training course production to ordering supplies and answering phones. “Even after all these years in EHS, I still get questions that haven’t come up before – everyone brings a unique perspective on safety issues”.
Outside of work, Jane is a non-stop maker and fiber artist. Frequently found spinning yarn for knitting or crocheting, other interests include stained glass, photography and tending to her many orchids. She derives much enjoyment in gifting her creations to others, as well as passing along her skills through teaching and giving demonstrations in a variety of venues.
Kelvin Daniels
Fire Safety Specialist
About
Kelvin is a University of Idaho alum with a family history at U of I; his parents’ first date was to an Idaho basketball game and both are also alumni. Fire and forests have always had an important place in his life and career. In the early 1990s, he worked for two seasons with the U of I logging crew. Prior to that, he fought wildland forest fires for nine seasons and was on the Wasatch and Sawtooth hotshot crews. Working in EHS since 2007, he says “the best thing about working in safety is getting to meet and work with other employees and students from all departments and colleges at University of Idaho”.
Kelvin enjoys cold weather and outdoor activities like hunting, telemark skiing, ice fishing, snowshoeing, logging and operating his portable sawmill in his spare time.
Mark Borth
Hazardous Materials Specialist
About
Mark moved to Moscow in 1983 from Minnesota to attend graduate school at University of Idaho. While finishing his Master of Science in Chemistry, he started working at the Analytical Sciences Lab in the College of Agriculture. After graduating in 1987, and a brief move to Montana, he returned to Moscow to marry his wife and raise three boys while working in Environmental Health and Safety. “One good thing about managing the hazardous waste program is working with great people at U of I,” Mark said.
Mark enjoys fishing, photography, camping and traveling and just spending time with family, especially his three grandchildren. Mark is also proud that he, his wife and all three children are Vandal Alums!
Drew Pemberton
Laboratory Safety Officer
About
Drew received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Taylor University in 2016 and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Washington State University in 2019. He has been with U of I since the Fall of 2020 and enjoys his time here. “One thing I really like about this job is that every day is different; there are always new challenges,” he says. Drew works with the different labs on campus to manage hazardous waste and ensure that it is properly disposed of in ways that protect the U of I community and the local environment.
Native Hoosiers, Drew and his wife enjoy living in the Palouse area. When he’s not working, he loves spending time with his wife and toddler cooking and gardening.
Andrew Eberle
Industrial Hygienist
About
Andrew has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Washington State University and gained several years of experience in the fertilizer and chemical industry prior to transitioning to Environmental Health and Safety at University of Idaho in 2021. His favorite part of working in EHS is having the opportunity to engage with every department on campus.
Andrew also enjoys volunteering as an EMT for Moscow Volunteer Fire Department and pheasant hunting with his pudelpointer.
Beau Babcock
Occupational Safety Specialist
About
Beau has been with University of Idaho since January of 2022, after graduating with a political science degree from Boise State University. Prior to moving to Idaho, Beau spent four years in the United States Army as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, the majority of which was in Germany. In addition to providing other occupational safety services, Beau works alongside State of Idaho building inspectors to conduct the annual building safety inspections here at U of I. “The best part of my job is the variety. Getting to learn about the unique buildings here on campus has been a rewarding experience and always full of unique surprises,” said Beau.
Outside of work Beau is an avid hiker and enjoys spending the weekends in the mountains.
Abigail Duke
Staff Education Award Recipient
About
Abby Duke has lived her whole life in Moscow and will graduate from Moscow High School in June. She plans to major in chemistry and history and looks forward to joining Greek Life. She also cannot wait to be a member of the Vandal Marching Band in the fall.
Kelsey Jensen
Staff Education Award Recipient
About
Kelsey Jensen is a senior at University of Idaho who is pursuing dual degrees in Psychology and Exercise Sport Health Science with a focus on pre-physical therapy. As a valued member of St. Joe’s rehabilitation department, she works alongside physical and occupational therapists providing invaluable support to patients on their road to recovery. Kelsey has aspirations of obtaining a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and aims to integrate her expertise in physical therapy with her passion for addressing emotional and mental health disorders in a hospital setting.
Helen Schumaker
Staff Education Award Recipient
About
Helen is a first year accounting student who grew up in Moscow. She is a member of the women's swim and dive team here at U of I. Helen is diligent in her school work and has earned a spot on the college of business and economics dean’s list. After graduating with her bachelors in accounting, she plans to pursue her masters. Eventually, she would like to become a CPA and live in the PNW.