Talon of the Month

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2025 Talon of the Month Award Recipients

March 2025 - Keith Gardner - Financial Aid Specialist

"Keith goes above and beyond by handling a variety of calls with a positive attitude, ensuring that the student experience is pleasant. Thank you for everything you do for our students."

February 2025 - Matt Harrison, Document Processing Specialist

"A big shoutout to Matt Harrison for printing, folding, stuffing, and mailing this year's W-2 forms! Not only did Matt handle the scramble of supply delays, replacement stock orders, localized printing, and secure file sharing; he also beat the IRS distribution deadline by 4 days! Way to go Matt. I am so glad to have you as a part of the year-end tax team."

January 2025 - Michelle Holland, Associate Registrar

"Michelle Holland really stepped up to the plate and helped in a MAJOR way to meet a deadline for FVT/GE. The final step of the process was some cleanup of student files and unfortunately, a few people had to request access to a system in order to tackle this list. Michelle gained access first and immediately jumped in to do the work. By the time I was able to gain access she had already completed most of the spreadsheet. She was then willing to stop her work and help me learn how to navigate the system and answer any and all questions I had. Michelle is truly an amazing coworker who is always willing to step in where she can to help. Thank you Michelle for all of your hard work!"

2024 Talon of the Month Award Recipients

December 2024 - Sara Phillips, Student Advisor

"It was only 9:20am when I was going to call one of my students to discuss their current academic standing, which needed some tough love.

This student had been hard to get a hold of and to my surprise I saw that she had already called in an hour earlier, and spoke with Sara.

Sara went above and beyond with not just answering her questions about her current schedule, but went back to discuss her past term and her standing and exactly what needed to happen from there.

Sara is so comprehensive, so I know she got all the knowledge, information, and “talk” that she needed to get."

November 2024 - Kendra Lagoski, Compliance Specialist

"Kendra has an eye for details that keeps us on the straight and narrow. Always helpful and thorough, she is essential to making our content the best that it can be. Thanks Kendra!"

October 2024 - Cody Case, Infrastructure Administrator II

"Thanks Cody Case for all of your help after my computer update! I appreciate your patience answering my questions and assistance with resolving issues. Thanks for all you do!"

September 2024 - Stacey Bottone, Faculty Manager

"Stacey has done an amazing job since joining the Code of Conduct committee. As the academic representative, she is usually tasked with a lot of follow-up emails to ensure the committee has all of the information they need from instructors to make a decision. She has also taken information and helpful tips back to the instructors to help better the process. All of this extra work is taken on with a smile! The help you provide to the committee is greatly appreciated!"

August 2024 - Heather Morris, Student Account Specialist

"Recognition of Heather's dedication to the Student Accounts team and this University is long overdue! She keeps our department running smoothly each and every day. She is a wealth of knowledge and experience and someone I hope to be like one day in my professional career. Heather is the first to jump in and help, and dedicates herself day in and day out to her role. I am proud to work on the Student Accounts team with Heather and will likely nominate her each month until she wins because I am nothing if not persistent. Thank you for all that you do Heather, we wouldn't be Student Accounts without you!"

July 2024 - Evan Setili, Help Desk Manager

"Evan consistently demonstrates kindness, expertise, and a customer-focused approach. While we are all UAG colleagues, I do believe that this is internal customer service at its best. Evan goes above and beyond to resolve technical issues promptly. Evan's communication, patience, and ability to explain technical concepts in an understandable manner make him an invaluable asset to the UAG team. Evan displays support for UAG colleagues with high standards of IT customer service, making him truly deserving of recognition"

June 2024 - Renea Smith-Moore, Evaluation Specialist

"In less than a year, Renea has made a remarkable impact. Despite the challenges our team has encountered during her tenure, she continues to excel.

Her positivity is infectious, and we are incredibly grateful to have her on board, especially when navigating the complexities of DPA's. Thank you, Renea, for your dedication and hard work!"

May 2024 - Alec Tillery, Senior Student Advisor

"Listening to some of Alec's interactions with his students, he is always professional and asks open-ended questions to help guide the conversation. He does a great job making every interaction count and he finds ways to motivate his students when needed. Thank you Alec, for putting your heart into every interaction! I know it makes a huge difference with out students! Keep being AMAZING!"

April 2024 - Christina McBroom, Senior Student Advisor

Recipient of Summer Graduation Student Service Award

"Christina McBroom was ever present and helpful in quickly finding and delivering answers to my questions, calming my stresses and constantly reassuring me that I can and am doing a great job. There was never a moment, day or night, weekday or weekend when I could not get the help I needed...and quickly too. She is very knowledgeable and energetic and exudes very infectious positivity. She always reaches out to check on me but not in a way that is bothersome or invasive, and she motivates me when I get discouraged or stressed." Christoph Y., BBA in Business Administration

March 2024 - Tyler Isbell, Educational Technology Specialist

"Tyler is an invaluable asset to the Instructional Design team, possessing a rare combination of creativity, expertise, and dedication. With his exceptional problem-solving skills and keen attention to detail, Tyler consistently delivers innovative solutions that enhance the effectiveness of our team. Moreover, Tyler's collaborative nature fosters a dynamic work environment, where ideas flourish and projects thrive. His passion for learning and commitment to excellence make him an indispensable member of our team, driving our collective success forward with every project he undertakes. Simply put, Tyler's contributions elevate the standard of our work and inspire us all to reach new heights."

February 2024 - Aaron Weddle, Web Developer II

"I had an urgent request (on a Friday afternoon!) to get the Career Site updated with new links and info for candidates to have access to accurate information now that we are officially "the University of Arkansas Grantham" employer. Aaron took this request and was able to get the site updated before the weekend when candidates would likely be browsing the site. Our urgent request happened to fall at the same time Aaron was staging some critical changes to the website for the catalog and the tuition increase. Even with this critical release, Aaron graciously took the time to get our changes in last minute! Thank you so much for your dedication and willingness to work with HR to ensure a great website experience for potential candidates!"

January 2024 - Ryan Yeager, Senior Manager, Student Advising

"Everyone on the Yeagermeister team is nominating Ryan Yeager for Talon of the Month. The best word to describe him in "exceptional." He's an excellent listener, motivator, leader...He pushes us to be the best possible versions of ourselves, both professionally and personally. I have worked with Ryan for 10 years here at the university and I would say he is the sole reason I've continued to love my job as much as I do. Thank you, Ryan, for continuing to lead the ship! We all love and appreciate you!"