Introduced in 1977, this award honors professional staff members whose extraordinary service contributions have significantly enriched the university. Award recipients have served energetically, innovatively and knowledgeably in their fields.
University Communications
Director of strategy and digital communications, Rebecca Bernstein provides exceptional management of her team, while directing university matters related to the web, social media and email marketing. Bernstein, whose expertise in her field has produced more than 100 national and international awards, is considered an “essential contributor” to numerous high-impact, highly visible projects within University Communications and across the university. A pioneer in digital communications, Bernstein created UB’s first homepage in the early 1990s and co-created the groundbreaking MyUB portal for students, faculty, and staff. In addition, more than a decade ago, she launched the Digital Communications Transformation, which has enhanced UB’s web presence and created a vibrant community of web communicators. Bernstein is currently leading the email transformation portion of the university’s Constituent Relationship Management project.
Information Technology
An instructional systems analyst for Classroom Technology Services, Elizabeth Fellendorf is renowned for her exemplary technical skill and service to faculty, staff and students. Fellendorf is consistently involved with rolling out key classroom technologies—from EngiNet™ in the mid-90s to the ongoing transition from Blackboard to Brightspace. Despite the many changes to technology and models of instruction over the last three decades, she has brought essential knowledge and training at every stage of her career. Fellendorf’s skills were on full display during the pandemic, when she provided critical support for many faculty members who had never taught a course online, making the transition as smooth as possible. She also played a key role in the implementation of Zoom university-wide in seven days.
College of Arts and Sciences
Senior associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Katherine Ferguson, PhD, collaborates closely with the dean and faculty leadership to set strategy and help manage college resources to align with UB’s top 25 ambitions. Ferguson leads the planning and analytics, communication, events, and facilities teams in CAS, as well as tactical implementation of key strategic initiatives involving students, faculty, staff, alumni and university partners. Most recently, she designed and led the effort to build an infrastructure of shared operational and academic support services across the college focused on mission and impact rather than historical structures. Prior to working in CAS, Ferguson served the university in multiple roles in the School of Management, Resource Planning, and Enrollment Management.
Academic Affairs
Associate vice provost for academic affairs and director of the UB HUB and Student Systems Support, Sandra Flash, PhD, has worked for the betterment of UB and SUNY for more than 20 years, consistently seeking ways to enhance UB’s programmatic offerings and streamline systems while providing meaningful support for students, faculty and staff. Lauded for her initiative, problem-solving and relationship building, Flash has utilized these skills to bolster the efficiency of the Graduate School, collaborate across offices and units to tackle critical issues and successfully mentor staff to take on leadership roles. Flash’s leadership has led to automated systems for services such as degree audits, allowing for the reallocation of resources to professional development programming.
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Lead programmer and analyst in the Office of Medical Computing for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Mark Schneggenburger has contributed his extensive database development expertise to numerous significant software projects over the years. One of his earliest achievements was the development and launch of an online faculty profile system (eCV) for the Jacobs School of Medicine and used by several other schools on campus. While working on an initiative to provide an electronic annual faculty review form, Schneggenburger designed and coded the UBProfile system which provides a myriad of functions for units across the university. Schneggenburger was also instrumental in the development of UBMobileMed, a custom-developed web application widely used for calendar and survey functionality.
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Director of registrar and enrollment services for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Christine Stumm is esteemed for her consummate professionalism, commitment to excellence and ability to anticipate and address the school’s needs. Stumm’s work is highly impactful on current and prospective students’ experiences. Her expertise and dedication to students’ needs prompted the school to create the role of registrar to manage student services. Stumm has skillfully filled this role and developed key focus areas for the position. From managing course scheduling and logistics to monitoring registration and degree progress, Stumm plays an essential role in the day-to-day functions and long-term success of the school and its students.