Zicklin Staff Members Rewarded for Efficiency Improvements
October 31, 2023When you think of process innovation, you might imagine Henry Ford or Jeff Bezos, who changed the world by inventing more efficient ways of making cars and selling goods. But process innovation doesn’t have to be revolutionary to positively impact an organization. That’s why the Zicklin School introduced the Staff Process Innovation Awards in 2022: to reward staff members who often toil behind the scenes to help professors and students and keep operations running smoothly.
This year’s awards went to Jennifer Tavarez, an administrative coordinator in the Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems and Statistics; and Marlene Leekang, the executive director of the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship.
Jennifer Tavarez
Marlene Leekang
Jennifer was honored for her efforts in streamlining communications with department faculty and students, introducing more efficient ways of integrating new graduate assistants and adjunct instructors, and managing overall workflow. Marlene was recognized for her work developing and implementing the Baruch chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), for which she launched a pitch competition, created opportunities for networking and other activities, and served as faculty advisor. Each winner received a $5,000 stipend.
“Our staff members are the unsung heroes of the Zicklin School,” noted Marios Koufaris, interim associate dean for administration and finance and a member of the committee that decided on the awards. “Their work often takes place behind the scenes, but is every bit as important to maintaining the Zicklin School’s stellar reputation as that of our faculty.”