PSS recognizes pair for outstanding service

Erika Grande and Peter Logiudice are this year’s recipients of the Professional Staff Senate’s Outstanding Service Award.

The award is given to full-time professional staff members for outstanding volunteer service to the community and excellence within the individual’s professional position at UB.

The awards were presented at the PSS’ annual awards luncheon held on June 5.

Also recognized at the luncheon were this year’s recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service: Rebecca Brierley, assistant dean for external affairs and director of communications and alumni relations, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Elizabeth Lidano, director of the Office of Student Conduct and Advocacy.

Read a related story about the Chancellor's Award winners.

Erika Grande is a senior staff assistant in UB’s Police Department, responsible for overseeing the department’s payroll functions, monitoring of all accounts and budget projections, and identifying and researching potential grant opportunities.

Members of the UBPD noted her workload and job responsibilities increased tremendously as new employees were hired when the department expanded its presence on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus with the opening of the new building for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Several called her an unsung hero in keeping campus police’s 24/7 operation running smoothly and without any interruption. 

Outside of UB, Grande has served as a program coordinator at Jericho Road Ministries, working on the Hope Refugee Program. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Szeged University in Hungary and a master’s degree from Canisius College, as well as four separate New York State teaching certifications in four unique disciplines.

She recently obtained her U.S. citizenship.  

As community relations assistant in the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration, Peter Logiudice leads campus-wide efforts that help to transform UB into a “Great Place to Work.” He welcomes new employees to campus, assisting them with all startup paperwork and benefits processing, as well as outlining the myriad of work/life benefits available to UB employees. 

Logiudice organized the highly successful faculty/staff campus walking program and bus tour of UB’s three campuses for new employees. He is a committee member and site captain for UB’s Day of Caring, and helps coordinate the annual Wellness Fair, Bring your Kids to Work Day, and “lunch and learn” series workshops. 

He also has led the campus/departmental climate surveys, Human Resources’ new website CMS project, and many other HR website enhancements.

Off the job, Logiudice often can be found in UB Stadium or Alumni Arena working as a part-time ticket agent for his beloved Buffalo Bulls. Colleagues, who call him “Mr. UB,” say he’s a true UB ambassador.