Eligibility

All regular (.50-1.00 FTE) staff members in the College Arts and Sciences who have been employed within ASC for at least two years (which can be non-consecutive) are eligible to apply. The length of employment is calculated from the employee's date of hire by the College of Arts and Sciences until the application deadline. Eligible staff members can receive the grant once per academic year. 

Funding 

Funds are available to support up to $1,500 per person. Grants are to be used within one year of being awarded. 

Proposals for the following will NOT be considered:

• Professional development to address skills or equipment required by your current position (the department/unit should provide all required training/equipment)
• Activities that have taken place prior to the application deadline

Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received a Staff Professional Grant.

Criteria 

Successful applications should include:

• A detailed Professional Development Proposal that:
  • Demonstrates how funding will support the mission of the university (as defined by the Office of Academic Affairs) and the unit, as well as the applicant’s educational goals.
  • Provides a clear explanation of how the project/activity will provide short and long-term benefits to the university, the unit, and the applicant.
  • If the project or activity funded will include the acquisition of physical assets or the production of a product, the proposal should include an explanation of how the asset(s) and/or products will be handled by the university or the unit, both immediately and in the long-term.
• An Itemized Budget with expenses detailed and references to sources of estimate included. Budget items must be clearly and explicitly connected to the use of funds.
• A Letter of Support from your chair/director/dean that includes a statement of support for the proposal and approval for the allotted time to complete the activity/program to be considered university time.

2025 - 2026 Deadlines

April 22, 2026 Update: SAC is no longer accepting professional development grant applications for the 2025-2026 cycle. Please check back in Autumn 2026. 

For more information, please email Toni Calbert.5 and Stephanie Schumaker.22

Check out these videos featuring some of our previous grant winners:

Now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Outstanding Staff Award cycle!

To recognize staff members in the Arts and Sciences who have demonstrated sustained excellence in overall job performance and have improved or enhanced work life and services of faculty, staff, students, and/or the university.

Funding

Each award recipient will receive a one-time cash award. The amount of this reward is $1,500.

Eligibility

All regular (.50-1.00 FTE) staff members in the College of Arts and Sciences who have been employed within ASC for three or more years or have been employed by Ohio State for five or more years with at least one year within ASC, are eligible to be nominated. The length of employment is calculated from the employee's date of hire by the College of Arts and Sciences until the application deadline.

Criteria 

To nominate an outstanding staff member for this award, please submit two nomination letters to Rachel Sanabria by February 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm. While we do not have strict formatting requirements for letters, we recommend that letters are between 500-1000 words. Each nominator may choose to address different aspects of the outstanding staff nominee’s performance, but, overall, successful application packages generally speak in detail on the following considerations: 

• Supports positive culture: How does the nominee promote and contribute to a culture of inclusivity and positivity?
• Staff advocacy, mentorship, and role modeling: How does the nominee support their colleagues, direct reports (if applicable), or other constituents? Do they support advancement for those around them or proactively work to promote self-growth in a way that benefits their unit? Do they communicate information and share resources with their colleagues?
• Excellence in assigned job duties: What are the nominee’s expected job functions, and how has the nominee gone beyond expectations?  Have they improved their department’s or unit’s processes?
• Service: How does the nominee engage in service to their unit, the College, the University, their profession, or the greater Ohio State community? We recognize that service may take many forms, please explain what it means in your context. Examples could include, but are not limited to, committee service, professional organizations, or participation in other on-campus organizations outside the scope of their staff role.
• Evidence of sustained excellence: How has the nominee evolved within their role and raised the standard for themselves?
• Other standout qualities: Simply put, what else do you want us to know about this person?  

2026

• Addie Cheney (.45), Center for Career and Professional Success
• Babette Ciesowski (.1), Department of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies
• Brenda Dinan (.9), Student Affairs - Advising Manager
• Ashleigh Hardin (.241), Department of English
• Rachel Steele (.682), Student Affairs - Curriculum & Assessment Services
• Ashley Sweaney (.1), Department of Psychology - Advising

2025

• Jennifer Getson (.3), Department of History  
• Jenny Pfaff (.20), Department of EEOB
• Jeremy McKinney (.90), Department of Microbiology 
• Richard Meltz (.2), Department of International Studies
• Tamaki Yuri (.1), Department of EEOB
• Taralee Cyphers (.3), ASC University Press 

2024

• Alison Baker, Department of Psychology
• Julia Papke, Department of Linguistics
• Mark Anthony Arceno, Department of Comparative Studies
• Mike Bierschenk, Department of English
• Sarah Beaumont, Department of History
• Wayne Miller, Department of Anthropology

2023

• Jerrell Beckham, Department of African American and African Studies
• Ashley Bowerman, Department of History
• Chad Mahan, Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts
• Staci McKinniss, Department of Microbiology and CLSE
• Lisa Wareham, Department of Psychology
• Laura Whitaker, Department of Psychology

Honorable mentions: 

• Irene George, ASC Research Administration
• Megan Lobert, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
• Paige Piper, Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts
• David Snodgrass, Department of Molecular Genetics
• Walter Williams, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

2022

• Adam Andrews, Center for Life Science Education
• Tom Gallagher, Department of Molecular Genetics
• Rhonda Maynard, Department of History
• Liz McGinnis, Department of Psychology
• Andrew Newbold, Department of Art
• Brooke O'Leary, Department of Statistics
• Katie Stanutz, Department of English
• Gabrielle Stephens, Department of History of Art
• Gabe Tippery, Department of Design
• Athena Yiamouyiannis, Department of Mathematics

2019

• Charlene Brenner, STEAM Factory
• Shannon Hand, Department of Speech and Hearing Science
• Steve McCann, Department of History/Department of African American and African Studies/Melton Center for Jewish Studies
• MaryKatherine Ramsey, Department of English
• Joanna Spanos, ASC Honors
• Larysa Stepanova, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures

2018

• Lauren Barrett, Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures
• Melissa Beers, Department of Psychology
• William Husen, Department of Mathematics
• Tom Marker, ASC Technology Services
• Courtney Sanders, Department of Political Science
• Elizabeth Vu, Department of Comparative Studies

2017

• Sue Ellen Dehority, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology
• Kristina Dunlap, Department of Physics
• Lynaya Elliott, Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Elizabeth Freeman, Department of Anthropology
• Cassie Patterson, Center for Folklore Studies and University Folklore Archives
• Amy Schmidt, Department of Dance

2016 

• Damian Bowerman, Department of Theatre
• Nicole Cochran, Department of Psychology
• Julia McGory, Department of Linguistics
• Luciana Musetti, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
• Nick Spitulski, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Bernadette Vankeerbergen, Program Director Curriculum and Assessment, ASC Administration

2015

• Stephanie Fowler, Department of Psychology
• Michael Kaylor, Arts and Sciences Technology Services
• Tiffany Quattlebaum, Department of Psychology
• Karen Royce, ASC Advising and Academic Services and School of Earth Sciences
• Eddie Singleton, Department of English
• Kris Wethington, ASC Advising and Academic Services

2014

• Anne Collins, ASC Advising and Academic Services
• Diana De Vol Bevilacqua, Department of Mathematics
• Amy Kulesza, Center for Life Sciences Education
• Susan Pennington, Institute for Population Research
• Brian Smith, Department of Statistics
• Kirstina Ward, Department of History 

2013

• David Alden, Department of Mathematics
• Melinda Miracle Bogarty, Department of African American and African Studies
• Joan Leonard ,Department of Molecular Genetics
• Eric Mayer, Department of Theatre
• Elizabeth Miller, Department of Mathematics
• Pablo Tanguay, Department of English/ASC

2012

• James Bach, Department of History
• Carolyn Cox, Department of Dance
• Prudence Gill, Department of Art
• Dale Gnidovec, School of Earth Sciences
• Aurelia Kubayanda, Honors Program
• Marge Lynd, Department of Comparative Studies 

2011

• Cynthia Dassler, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology
• Jim DeGrand, Department of Geography
• Lisa Van Dyke, Department of Statistics
• Shelia Francis, Advising and Academic Services
• Therese O’Donnell-Leonard, Department of Chemistry
• Roy “Jack” Zuefle, Department of Mathematics

2009

• Rachel Barnes, Department of Theatre
• Jennifer Belisle, Advising and Academic Services & ASC Technology Services Office
• Paul Brower, Department of Statistics
• Doug Dangler, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
• Judith Ridgway Center for Life Sciences Education
• David Staley, Department of History

2008

• Stephanie Bernhardt, Department of History of Art
• Margaret Milliman-Wing, Department of Microbiology
• Matt Misicka, Center for Life Sciences Education
• John-David Slaughter, Department of Economics
• Joan Snowden, Honors Program

2007

• Kathy Edwards, The Ohio State University Press
• Jane Pletcher, ASC Advising and Academic Services
• Melinda Robinson, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
• So Yung Wilson, Department of Psychology
• Denise Witcher, Department of Mathematics

2006

• Diana Camella, Department of Political Science
• Kevin Dill, Department of Chemistry
• Kim Kovarik, Department of English
• Sylvia Meadows, Department of Psychology
• Peggy Strow, Center for Life Sciences Education
• Tom Watters, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

Considerations for Award

• Curriculum Vitaes
• Student Evaluation (SEI) Scores
• Interviews with Nominees
• Class Visits

Previous College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduate Associate Teaching Award recipients are not eligible for this award. A one-time award of $500 is provided annually.

For more information, please email rottersman.1@osu.edu.