Building Connections That Strengthen the University

Across UVA’s research administration community, Lauren Armstrong is known as the person colleagues turn to when the work is complex, the answer is unclear, or someone needs patient guidance from a trusted expert. One colleague summed up Lauren’s reputation simply: 

Simply put, Lauren is the linchpin of research administration in the School of Medicine—there is a reason that whenever you have a difficult question or unique situation without a clear-cut answer, people just say, “Ask Lauren” and we all know exactly who they are talking about.

As Assistant Director for the School of Medicine’s Office of Grants and Contracts, Lauren leads a team that supports proposal submission review and helps faculty and research administration staff navigate the complex processes required to secure research funding. Her role is demanding, fast-paced, and deadline-driven, but colleagues repeatedly note that Lauren brings steadiness, generosity, and a deep commitment to service into every part of her work. 

Her nomination describes her as “the backbone of the School of Medicine Office of Grants and Contracts” and notes that she is valued for “her integrity and ability to build a positive culture.” 

Lauren's commitment to supporting research and the people behind it has also been recognized beyond the School of Medicine. In 2025, she was named one of UVA's inaugural Hoos Research Champions, a program that celebrates individuals whose contributions strengthen and advance the University's research mission. 

Building Knowledge Across Grounds

Lauren’s bridge-building extends far beyond her own office. She has helped lead and support programs that connect research administrators across schools, departments, and units, including the Research Administration Improvement Team, the Research Administration Program for Training and Resources (RAPTR), the Research Administrator Mentoring Program University Partnership (RAMP-UP), monthly Research Administration Meetings, Huron training demonstrations, and UVA’s use of the Society of Research Administrators International LevelUP program.

These efforts respond to a clear need across the University. Lauren helped address gaps in training, onboarding, mentorship, and shared resources for research administrators, including developing practical supports such as Huron demonstrations, LevelUP discussion groups, RAPTR resources, and RAMP-UP mentorship opportunities. One colleague explained Lauren’s impact this way: 

Lauren Armstrong exemplifies the spirit of bridge-building at UVA. Through her leadership with the Community of Research Administrators, she facilitates a series of outstanding training and orientation sessions that bring together research administrators from across the University. Notably, participation in these sessions extends well beyond her home unit in the School of Medicine, reflecting her ability to engage and connect colleagues across institutional boundaries. She undertakes this work in addition to an already demanding portfolio, demonstrating both dedication and generosity with her time and expertise. 

Another colleague noted that Lauren’s work through RAPTR focuses especially on “onboarding and training new and early-career research administrators, given the current lack of training at the central level.” The same colleague wrote that Lauren “was one of the people who spearheaded the LevelUP license here at UVA, and developed the biweekly companion discussion group (and the discussion guide).”

Mentorship That Multiplies

What makes Lauren’s story especially personal is the way colleagues describe her influence on their own growth. Lauren is not only sharing information, she is helping people become more confident, capable, and connected in their work. One colleague wrote: 

Lauren B. Armstrong exemplifies what it means to be both a strong leader and a true team player. She consistently demonstrates a willingness to collaborate, teach, and mentor, while fostering growth in those around her—all while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Over the past three years, I have relied on her as a mentor, teacher, and steadfast supporter. She has deepened my understanding of Research Administration and has been instrumental in guiding me as I, in turn, support and develop newer administrators.

That mentorship impact is one of Lauren’s clearest bridge-building contributions. By supporting one colleague, she helps that colleague support others. By creating training and discussion groups, she helps individual knowledge become shared knowledge. By making herself available for questions, she helps people feel less isolated in a field that can be highly technical and deadline-driven.

Creating Community in a Complex Field

Research administration touches faculty, departments, schools, sponsors, central offices, and compliance processes across UVA. Lauren’s nominations show that she understands this work not only as a set of transactions, but as a community that depends on trust, communication, and shared learning.

Through monthly Research Administration Meetings, Huron demonstrations, LevelUP sessions, RAPTR, RAMP-UP, and cross-unit working groups, Lauren has helped create spaces where research administrators can ask questions, discuss challenges, and learn from one another. Her work has connected colleagues across the School of Medicine, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), the Office of the Vice President for Research, the School of Education and Human Development, SEAS, the University Medical Center, Procurement, and other units. One colleague wrote, 

Lauren Armstrong has always believed that when we move forward together toward a shared goal, the outcome will be better and more sustainable. She has worked tirelessly to develop training resources for research administrators across the institution and has collaborated with OSP countless times to create cohesive, institution-wide materials. Lauren is also a founding member of RAPTR, an initiative created specifically to break down silos and build community across the research administration workforce.

Leadership Grounded in Generosity

Lauren’s technical expertise is clear throughout the nominations. Colleagues describe her as knowledgeable, strategic, and essential to the success of UVA’s research administration work. But they also return again and again to the way Lauren treats people:

Even during her busiest moments, Lauren’s kindness and generosity stand out. She regularly makes time to connect—whether through Zoom meetings with faculty, team members, or colleagues—to bring clarity to complex and unique situations. Her commitment to supporting others is truly unmatched at UVA. Lauren embodies exactly what Hoos Building Bridges represents.

She builds bridges not only through programs and processes, but through the culture she creates around them. Her colleagues describe someone who is deeply skilled, widely respected, and consistently willing to help others grow.

Championing Others in Research Administration

Lauren’s bridge-building work reflects a sustained commitment to mentorship, collaboration, and practical impact. She has helped strengthen the systems, resources, and relationships that support research administration across UVA, while also creating a more welcoming and connected professional community for the people who do this work every day.

Her impact can be seen in the training resources she has helped build, the mentorship structures she has supported, the meetings and discussion groups she leads, and the colleagues who credit her guidance as essential to their own success. As one nominator wrote, “Lauren is an incredible champion of training, mentoring and keeping those around her informed in the ever changing landscape of grants administration.”

More than the programs themselves, Lauren’s success stems from her ability to make complex work feel more manageable, make colleagues feel supported, and make shared learning part of the culture of research administration at UVA.

Or, as one colleague put it: “Lauren Armstrong exemplifies the spirit of bridge-building at UVA.”

Throughout her career, Cynthia Douglass has built connections across teams, departments, and disciplines to help colleagues solve complex challenges and create practical solutions that improve the employee experience. Her nomination recognizes sustained, high-impact work connecting teams across the Academic Division and helping colleagues turn complex challenges into practical, lasting solutions.

Her bridge-building journey at UVA began during seven years of service on UVA Staff Senate, where she partnered with colleagues across Grounds to elevate staff perspectives and support institution-wide initiatives. Among those efforts was the flexwork project, which required extensive collaboration among staff, leadership, and operational teams across the Academic Division to help establish more consistent and flexible work practices across the University. Those experiences reinforced a belief that lasting change happens when people from different backgrounds, departments, and areas of expertise work together toward a common purpose.

Today, as a Senior Communications & Marketing Specialist in UVA Human Resources, Cynthia continues that work through her leadership in digital accessibility. Working closely with partners across Human Resources, Information Technology, communications teams, governance groups, and content owners throughout the Academic Division, Cynthia helped transform a complex challenge into a coordinated effort. Her work contributed to the development of tools, resources, and reporting systems that allow teams to identify accessibility barriers, prioritize improvements, and track progress in a transparent and meaningful way.

A Complex Challenge

When UVA began preparing for new digital accessibility requirements, one challenge quickly became clear: how do you track thousands of webpages, documents, training resources, videos, and job aids spread across multiple platforms and dozens of content owners?

For Cynthia, the answer wasn't simply creating a better report. It was creating a shared system that could build alignment around a common goal of creating a more inclusive digital experience for faculty, staff, students, and visitors alike.

Working with colleagues across the Academic Division, Cynthia helped transform a fragmented, reactive process into a coordinated effort grounded in accountability, transparency, and partnership.

Creating Visibility and Accountability

Together with colleague Christopher Birkl, she developed a tracking framework that evolved from an Excel-based solution into a robust Power BI Digital Accessibility Dashboard (PPT downloads automatically when clicked on) used to help web editors, managers, and content owners understand and remediate accessibility issues.

The dashboard consolidates information from websites, documents, videos, training materials, job aids, and learning systems, giving approximately 40 web editors and their leaders a clear view of their responsibilities and progress. The resulting system helps teams identify barriers, prioritize improvements, and measure success. Below is an example of the multi-tab Dashboard:

 

Building a Culture of Shared Ownership

Beyond the technology itself, Cynthia helped establish a culture of shared ownership by creating a centralized Digital Accessibility Hub (PDF) and ensuring resources, training materials, and reporting tools were available across HR and adaptable for broader use throughout the Academic Division.

What began as an accessibility initiative has become an example of how collaboration can drive lasting organizational change. By connecting people, processes, and information, Cynthia has helped create a more inclusive digital experience for employees and visitors alike. More importantly, she has helped build the relationships, shared accountability, and culture of collaboration needed to sustain that work over time.

One colleague wrote:

Cynthia's efforts have laid the groundwork for more efficient processes, stronger cross-unit relationships, and a more inclusive digital environment across the Academic Division. She helped connect people and perspectives, translate complex needs into usable solutions, and create infrastructure that supports ongoing partnership.

Effecting Lasting Change

Colleagues describe Cynthia's work as sustained and high impact, noting her ability to build trust across organizational boundaries and foster partnerships that create lasting results. Whether working with staff leaders, web editors, managers, technical experts, or content creators, she is known for building relationships grounded in respect, kindness, and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Colleagues value her ability to listen, bring diverse perspectives together, and create an environment where they feel supported while tackling complex challenges. 

More than the tools themselves, Cynthia's success stems from her ability to earn trust across organizational boundaries and help colleagues see their role in creating positive and sustainable change.

Her bridge-building work reflects a long-term commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and practical impact. From Staff Senate initiatives that connected staff voices with institutional priorities to digital accessibility efforts that unite partners across the University, her work demonstrates how meaningful relationships, shared purpose, and sustained collaboration can create positive change far beyond any single project or department.

For student survivors of sexual assault, navigating the immediate aftermath of a crisis can feel overwhelming. Before a new initiative was established at Student Health & Wellness (SHW), students seeking forensic medical examinations were required to go to the emergency department—a setting that could add stress during a time of profound distress.

Bridging the Gap: Expanding Care on Grounds

Recognizing this gap, Kerry Hendrix, FNP, a nurse practitioner who has served students through Student Health & Wellness since 2009, set out to create a more accessible and familiar care setting right on Grounds. After seeking specialized training and certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) in 2016, Kerry built a collaborative bridge between SHW, UVA Health, and Student Affairs to design a program within SHW that facilitates forensic evidence collection and aligns seamlessly with services provided in the UVA Health Emergency Department. One colleague reported:

Kerry deserves recognition for her expert, compassionate care and for her ability to connect people, departments, and resources in service of survivors. Kerry sets a shining example for all who work with students—advocating for them in crisis, guiding them through recovery, and bridging them to the support networks that sustain healing. Her impact is immeasurable and lifelong.

Connecting Comprehensive Support Networks

Kerry’s commitment to student survivors is grounded in her belief that healing requires connection, collaboration, and coordinated support. Once she cares for a student, Kerry continues to build bridges to the resources that sustain recovery. Within SHW, she partners closely with UVA's Counseling and Psychological Services, Violence Prevention & Advocacy, and Care and Support Services to ensure students receive counseling, advocacy, and wrap around support. Across the University, she provides a pathway to the Title IX Office and the Women’s Center. She makes herself available at any hour to help students avoid additional trauma, as she also works as a SANE in the UVA Health Emergency Department, caring for both students and community members.

Her bridge building extends beyond Grounds as well. She collaborates with the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA), participates in Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) meetings, and appears in court when needed. Because of her care, advocacy, and partnership, students receive thoughtful attention to their physical, emotional, social, financial, and academic needs.

Proactive Community Education

Kerry’s dedication to survivors extends far beyond the clinical encounter. Over her years at SHW, she has devoted countless hours to education and prevention efforts, bridging students to knowledge, awareness, and community support.

She participates in collaborative events during and after hours—such as presenting to peer health educators, teaching through the Rugby Project, and serving on multidisciplinary panels. In each setting, she strengthens the connections between students, educators, clinicians, and advocates, ensuring that the University community is better equipped to support survivors and promote healthy relationships.

Sustaining Program Longevity

Kerry’s work has also positioned SHW as a model for other student health centers across Virginia, helping them align with legislative efforts to expand SANE services at institutions of higher learning. To ensure the longevity of the program at UVA, she has mentored additional SHW providers, extending the bridge she built so that others can continue to walk it. In doing so, she helped ensure that future students would continue to have access to specialized, trauma-informed care close to home.

Building a Bridge to Healing and Recovery

Kerry's bridge-building work reflects a long-term commitment to compassion, collaboration, and service. By bringing together healthcare providers, advocates, educators, community organizations, and University partners, she has helped create a stronger support system for student survivors and a more coordinated approach to care.

Her work demonstrates that bridges are not always built between departments or systems. Through her dedication to students and her ability to unite healthcare providers, advocates, educators, and community partners around a common purpose, Kerry has created a lasting impact that extends far beyond any single office or program. For countless students, the bridge she built has provided not only access to care, but a pathway toward healing and recovery.

At a university where nearly 5,000 undergraduates are employed at any given time, student employment is a vital part of campus operations and student life. However, because student employment touches policy, financial aid, career development, and hiring, it historically lacked a single home—resulting in no shared governance, no centralized data, and no coordinated strategy across Grounds.

Recognizing that student employment could not be improved by any single office alone, Shelly Lovelace in the Office of the VP & Provost set out to connect the people and departments whose work intersected with every student employee's experience. What began as an effort to better understand student employment grew into a sustained cross-divisional partnership that continues to shape how UVA supports nearly 5,000 student workers each year.

Through a spirit of careful, sustainable progress, Shelly helped transform a fragmented landscape into a long-lasting model of shared ownership and service delivery. One colleague noted:  

Shelly stepped into this fragmented landscape with a collaborative mindset and cultivated a commitment of shared ownership. She has created structures that connect once siloed offices, delivered meaningful improvements for students and managers, and amplified student learning. Shelly’s leadership in these areas has been a model of service delivery, but how she goes about building partnerships and collegial relationships is what truly stands out.  

Building a Shared Vision

Shelly’s bridge-building efforts began in Fall 2023 when she co-led a cross-divisional Student Employment Working Group charged with understanding the true state of student employment at UVA. The group included staff from the Provost's Office, HR, Student Financial Services, and the Career Center. The team conducted nine manager focus groups, four student focus groups, a comprehensive student and manager survey, a benchmarking study of peer institutions, and an analysis of Workday data covering more than 5,000 student employee records. This rigorous research effort resulted in the University's first comprehensive report on student employment, laying the groundwork for clear short- and long-term improvements.  

Creating Connections Across Grounds

Moving from research into implementation in Fall 2024, Shelly established the Student Employment Advisory Committee (SEAC)—a standing cross-divisional body with representation from HR, Student Financial Services, the Career Center, and the Provost’s Office. For the first time, these four offices had an ongoing mechanism to make joint decisions and align priorities.

To support supervisors across Grounds who often felt isolated in their roles, she also launched the Manager Collab, a recurring open forum for information-sharing, guidance, and community building. Additionally, Shelly navigated complex cross-unit processes, such as collaborating with Central HR, University Medical Center HR, and Health System IT to streamline dual employment guidelines.  

In the 2025-2026 academic year, Shelly and her colleagues executed a comprehensive annual plan that included a student employment Instagram account, semestral emails to students and managers, manager kick-off events, career center workshops for student employees, pop-up recognition events, and a formal awards reception all developed and managed through ongoing cross-divisional coordination.

As one colleague put it, "Shelly creates spaces where people feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and working toward a common goal." Taken together, these initiatives created a durable framework for cross-divisional collaboration and ongoing support of student employees.

Turning Collaboration into Opportunity

Shelly’s collaborative approach yielded major, tangible benefits for students. In partnership with Student Financial Services and the Career Center, she played a central role in securing a $200,000 state grant through the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). The initiative reimagines Federal Work Study roles as structured, career-aligned internships—directly addressing a gap where millions in federal funding had previously gone unspent due to a lack of accessible, well-supported positions.

One colleague recalled that during the grant development process, much of the conversation initially focused on obstacles and differing opinions about how to overcome them. Shelly redirected the discussion toward common ground and shared goals. As the colleague noted, "She instead stressed the common ground among the four offices. She shifted the team’s focus to what it could accomplish together. Consequently, the team applied for and was awarded a $200,000 grant to transform work-study positions into internship-type opportunities for our students."

To celebrate student contributions, she also helped launch Headshot Pop-Ups (providing professional photos for student employees), formal recognition events such as the Outstanding Student Employee Awards, dedicated social media channels, and a centralized student employment website.  

An Enduring Foundation for Student Success

Colleagues describe Shelly as someone who combines organizational rigor with genuine warmth and service. Whether facilitating conversations among campus partners or guiding complex initiatives, she is known for listening carefully, finding common ground, and creating a sense of shared ownership that helps projects succeed. 

Shelly’s work demonstrates how intentional, relationship-centered partnership can create lasting institutional change. By strengthening how the University supports student employment, she is helping thousands of students access meaningful work experiences, professional development opportunities, and recognition for their contributions to the UVA community.

Some people build bridges by launching a single program or leading a major initiative. Others build bridges every day through the relationships, systems, and partnerships that help countless efforts succeed.

For Mikalah Martin, an Intermediate Administrative Assistant in the Department of Pediatrics, bridge-building means connecting people, ideas, and organizations in ways that strengthen care, education, and community engagement across UVA Health and beyond. Through her ability to coordinate complex projects, bring stakeholders together, and turn ambitious ideas into action, Mikalah has helped create lasting connections that advance the University's mission.

Turning Collaboration Into Action

Colleagues describe Mikalah as someone who excels at translating complex, cross-disciplinary priorities into actionable and sustainable initiatives. Over the past year, she has played a key role in supporting Social Health Sciences and Programs within the Department of Pediatrics, helping coordinate efforts that span healthcare, education, research, and community engagement.

A clear example of her impact was her involvement in the Department of Pediatrics' BRIDGE Community Partnership Retreat, which convened more than 50 stakeholders from healthcare, education, public health, social services, and community organizations to address barriers to care for children and families. Mikalah helped coordinate the large-scale event and contributed to the development of a comprehensive report that transformed diverse perspectives into a shared vision for future collaboration.

The resulting work identified challenges such as service silos, transportation barriers, and fragmented access to care while helping establish a roadmap for stronger cross-sector partnerships.

Strengthening Partnerships Across UVA and the Community

Mikalah's bridge-building extends far beyond a single initiative.

She plays a central role in coordinating programs and partnerships that bring together faculty, trainees, administrators, institutional leaders, and community organizations. Her work has supported initiatives ranging from Social Health Rounds and the SOAR summer program to community engagement grants and new outreach efforts designed to strengthen connections between the University and the communities it serves.

She also helped organize the Department's community engagement grant initiatives and contributed to the development of new programs, including a microgrant initiative and a Community Collaborative app designed to support ongoing partnership and communication among community stakeholders.

According to one nominator, Mikalah has an exceptional ability to "connect people, ideas, and systems," serving as a trusted liaison across faculty, trainees, institutional leadership, and community partners while ensuring projects maintain momentum and shared purpose.

Creating Infrastructure for Long-Term Success

Beyond program coordination, Mikalah has helped strengthen the infrastructure that supports effective teamwork throughout the department.

She has developed onboarding systems, administrative training tools, and internal resources that improve communication, continuity, and efficiency. These efforts have helped address longstanding operational challenges while creating sustainable processes that support future collaboration.

Her ability to bring structure and clarity to large, multifaceted initiatives has also supported projects involving facilities planning, educational programming, faculty recruitment, website redesign, communications, clinical operations, and community outreach. Colleagues note that she consistently helps align stakeholders with different priorities while ensuring initiatives move forward successfully.

A Connection Superpower

While Mikalah's accomplishments span numerous programs and initiatives, colleagues say her greatest strength may be the way she works with others. One colleague noted, "What distinguishes Ms. Martin most is her ability to connect people, ideas, and systems."

She is considered a trusted partner who approaches challenges with a collaborative mindset, listens carefully to diverse perspectives, and helps people find common ground. Her professionalism, reliability, and willingness to step beyond traditional role boundaries have made her an invaluable connector across departments, disciplines, and organizations.

Mikalah is not simply participating in partnerships, she is actively enabling them. Through her coordination, communication, and commitment to shared success, she helps transform complex, multi-stakeholder efforts into meaningful outcomes for UVA, UVA Health, and the broader community.

As academic programs have become increasingly complex, so too has the challenge of helping students navigate degree requirements, explore opportunities, and make informed decisions about their academic paths. Recognizing the need for a more modern, integrated approach to advising and degree planning, the University launched the Stellic implementation project—an ambitious effort that would ultimately touch all twelve schools.

Successfully bringing that vision to life required more than technology. It required extensive collaboration across academic units, administrative offices, university systems, and external partners. The Information Technology Services Team, led by Wicki Hardwick and including Tracy Pettit, and Karen Spitzer—along with key ITS partners Vinny Capaccio, Ginu George, Michael Cole, and Kristen Stanley, became the bridge connecting those groups and helping turn a complex institutional goal into reality.

Building a Foundation for Partnership

The project began when University leaders explored how Information Technology Services could support implementation of Stellic, a student-centered degree planning and advising platform. Before the full scope of the initiative was known, ITS committed to partnering with academic and administrative teams to help move the project forward. That early commitment established a foundation of trust and shared purpose that shaped the work from the outset.

Implementing Stellic required coordination among numerous stakeholders, including the Provost's Office, the Office of the University Registrar, academic leadership, advising partners, and representatives from all twelve schools. From the beginning, the ITS team approached the initiative as a collaborative effort, helping align priorities, coordinate resources, and maintain momentum across a highly decentralized environment.

Bringing Together Expertise Across the University

As the project grew, members of the ITS team contributed expertise in project management, data integration, student information systems, and technical problem-solving.

When the project needed additional structure and coordination, Wicki Hardwick stepped into the project manager role, organizing regular meetings with representatives from each school and helping align numerous functional teams operating across separate administrative units. Her leadership provided continuity and direction throughout the implementation process.

Tracy Pettit and Kristen Stanley contributed deep expertise in the University's Student Information System, helping translate complex SIS data and processes into formats that could be effectively utilized within Stellic. Their institutional knowledge helped guide decision-making and avoid approaches that might have created challenges later in the project.

Meanwhile, Karen Spitzer, Ginu George, Vinny Capaccio, and Michael Cole led extensive efforts to integrate data from multiple university systems, working closely with both campus partners and the vendor to ensure alignment between UVA's technical environment and Stellic's requirements.

Together, the team demonstrated how diverse expertise, when united around a common goal, can create meaningful institutional change.

Navigating Complexity Through Collaboration

The Stellic implementation presented numerous challenges, including coordinating across twelve schools, bringing together functional teams with different responsibilities, and adapting to evolving project needs. Throughout the process, colleagues noted the team's flexibility, patience, thoughtful problem-solving, and willingness to work through obstacles collaboratively.

Rather than simply fulfilling technical responsibilities, the ITS team became trusted partners in the effort. They listened to stakeholder concerns, helped identify practical solutions, and remained committed to the project's broader goals. Their ability to build relationships and maintain productive collaboration across organizational boundaries was instrumental to the initiative's success.

As the nominators observed, when unexpected challenges emerged, the team consistently responded with calm, sound judgment, and a commitment to shared success.

Creating Lasting Impact for Students and Advisors

The successful implementation of Stellic provided the University with a more integrated and student-centered approach to degree planning, advising, and academic exploration. The platform helps strengthen how students and advisors work together while supporting a more connected advising experience across UVA's schools.

Beyond the technology itself, the project established a model for cross-university collaboration. By bringing together academic affairs, the Registrar's Office,Information Technology Services, school representatives, and external partners around a shared vision, the team demonstrated how thoughtful partnership can help address complex institutional challenges.

The Hoos Building Bridges Award recognizes those who create connections that strengthen the University community. Through their collaborative leadership, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment to partnership, the

Information Technology Services Team exemplified that spirit—building bridges among people, systems, and schools to create lasting benefits for students and advisors across UVA.