Jill England selected for CEHS Staff Star Award

23 Jan 2023    

Jill England, graduate coordinator in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, has been named the recipient of the latest Staff Star Award by the College of Education and Human Sciences Staff Council. 

In her role, England works closely with graduate faculty in special education, speech-language pathology and audiology to help graduate students in SECD have the best experience possible. She spearheads the organization of open houses in fall and spring for students interested in learning more about the audiology and speech-language pathology graduate programs. England answers questions and offers support to prospective and current SECD graduate students from before they apply for admission until after they have graduated.

“Jill constantly pushes our department to think critically about how we serve and support our graduate students,” the nominator wrote. “She assists us in thinking through the fundamental goals behind some of our requirements and allows us space to construct new ways of achieving those goals. I can’t imagine our department without Jill. She is a go-to for so many of us when it comes to graduate student issues and questions. I can always count on her to talk through complex student issues in a way that is sensitive to the student’s needs and faculty concerns.”

In addition to her day-to-day duties as graduate coordinator, England has been an integral part of the expansion and renovation project at the Barkley Memorial Center. She began serving on the project committee in 2018 and has acted as a liaison for the department with project managers from both the university and the construction team throughout the duration of the project.

“As the building is undergoing changes, she has gone over and above to help faculty and staff through the transition,” the nominator wrote. “She has been instrumental in helping keep spirits up and in fixing last-minute challenges that arise with moving.”

The Staff Star Award recognizes staff members who go above and beyond their scope of duties. It is awarded to one individual in the college each quarter.