ARHU 2025 Service Award Winners Announced
October 16, 2025
Six exceptional members of the ARHU community received an annual service award.
By ARHU Staff
Each year, the College of Arts and Humanities honors faculty, staff members and students who have demonstrated excellence through service to their departments and the college.
2025 ARHU Service Award winners:
Daune O’Brien, senior lecturer in the Department of English | Faculty Service Award, Service to College
Daune O’Brien is celebrated for her transformative leadership in accessibility, mentorship and faculty collaboration across ARHU and beyond. As co-founder and co-director of the Disability Resource & Technology Hub, which facilitates accessible writing experiences for all writing students and faculty, she has built campuswide partnerships, hosted weekly study sessions and continued to grow the Hub after its initial funding ended in early 2025.
In addition to her accessibility leadership, O’Brien is a dedicated instructor in the Professional Writing Program, where she models the inclusive, student-centered practices she advocates for. Her nominator, Principal Lecturer Kisa Lape, wrote that “Daune doesn’t keep her learning to herself. She works hard and shares generously what she learns.” She has created research and writing groups on anti-ableist pedagogy, creative writing and neurodiverse teaching, as well as created and hosted a reading group. She has also mentored PTK and peer instructors, represented ARHU at national conferences and brought accessibility practices into Professional Writing Program faculty development trainings.
O'Brien “is a champion of ARHU, a mascot for the values of ARHU,” wrote Senior Lecturer Sarah Dammeyer. “She shares her vision, mobilizes collaborators in service of that vision, and works tirelessly to make it a reality.”
Christina Hanhardt, associate professor and chair of the Department of American Studies | Faculty Service Award, Service to Department
As the new chair of the Department of American Studies, Christina Hanhardt is praised for her open, collaborative leadership and deep commitment to supporting students, staff and faculty. Graduate student and nominator Jasmin Pineda wrote that Hanhardt “leads by example, making herself available to address the concerns of students and staff,” and has prioritized “listening to the department’s needs and implementing new procedures and guidelines.”
Her mentorship extends from the classroom to administrative practice. She regularly observes teaching assistants, offers individualized feedback and encourages them to grow in their own pedagogy. “Her mentorship and feedback…[instilled] confidence in me as I learn to develop my own voice,” Pineda said. Fellow graduate student Nina Versenyi called Hanhardt “a wealth of knowledge…generous in sharing that knowledge with her advisees, students and colleagues.” She noted that Hanhardt has fostered unity by maintaining “open and honest dialogue” and “actively pursuing input” during a time of uncertainty.
Both nominators emphasized Hanhardt’s consistency, care and accessibility. “She is a leader who ensures everyone’s voice is heard and valued,” wrote Pineda. “I am grateful for her capable leadership…and excited for the future of the American studies department with Dr. Hanhardt at the helm,” added Versenyi.
Heather Gray, director of administrative services in the College of Arts and Humanities | Staff Service Award, Service to College
Heather Gray is recognized for her exceptional leadership and steadfast commitment to supporting ARHU’s faculty, staff and students through times of significant transition. As director of administrative services, she has long been a trusted expert in human capital management, generously sharing her extensive knowledge of hiring, payroll, benefits and policy to strengthen operations across the college.
Her nominators highlighted her extraordinary effort during the university’s transition to Workday last year. “She has continued to work long hours to ensure that ARHU employees…receive their pay on schedule despite technical and processing issues,” wrote Cristina Baker, assistant director in the Dean’s Office. “She has absolutely exemplified what it means to be a creative problem solver.”
During the Workday rollout, Gray created open office hours for her fellow business managers across campus, offering calm, reliable support. “Her professionalism and calm demeanor…were deeply appreciated by all who relied on her guidance,” wrote Tavia McRoy from the National Foreign Language Center.
Above all, Baker noted, Gray’s dedication is rooted in care: “She genuinely prioritizes the well-being of our colleagues and students, a foundational value on which all our college’s accomplishments are built.”
Kimberly Kwok, director of administrative services in the Department of Linguistics | Staff Service Award, Service to Department
For two decades, Kimberly Kwok has been the backbone of the Department of Linguistics, supporting faculty, students and staff with unwavering dedication, care and exceptional professionalism. Colleagues describe her as “patient, hardworking, caring, empathetic, honest, kind, generous, graceful, extraordinary, unflappable and heroic.”
Though officially responsible for operations and administration, her impact reaches far beyond logistics. As her nominators noted, she quietly manages everything from visas, payroll and scheduling to department events and student support—often single-handedly doing the work of multiple staff members. “No aspect of our department is possible without Kim. Not one!” her colleagues wrote.
What distinguishes her most is her personal attention to others’ well-being, nominators wrote. She is known for noticing when someone is stressed and delivering a favorite snack to their desk, always mindful of dietary needs. She routinely stays late to help colleagues complete paperwork, rebooks travel in emergencies and anticipates problems before others even see them coming. “Every day she is the reason our department stays afloat,” wrote Chair Jeffrey Lidz. “She is the heart and soul of our department and I cannot imagine it without her.”
Zhiyi Wu, Ph.D. student in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Graduate Student Service Award
Zhiyi Wu is honored for her exceptional service to ARHU’s undergraduate community through her work in the Office of Undergraduate Education, where she has become, in the words of her nominators, “uniquely valuable” and “the best GA I have worked with in 30+ years”—all while maintaining her status as a full-time Ph.D. student.
As lead researcher and content curator for the ARHU Matters newsletter, along with two additional newsletters she helped launch, she has played a vital role in connecting students to opportunities, events and academic resources across campus. “Without her work, ARHU Matters would either not exist or pale in comparison to what it has achieved,” wrote nominator Jeff Kodis, senior academic advisor.
Beyond this, Wu has taken initiative in developing academic tools for student success, from independently managing ARHU’s upper-level elective database to creating advising manuals and supporting study abroad, academic standing outreach and new student orientation. She also brings warmth and empathy to every interaction: “She creates a hospitable environment for all students…even the most nervous or intimidated students feel welcome,” Kodis said.
Director Paula Nadler praised her “grace,” describing her as “a creative problem solver…a phenomenal team player…generous with her time and energies.” She added, “We would not be the same without her.”
Carolina Benavides ’26, art history and architecture double major | Undergraduate Student Service Award
Now in her third year working with ARHU’s Office of Undergraduate Education, Carolina Benavides is honored for her exceptional reliability, professionalism and commitment to supporting fellow students from orientation to graduation. Described by nominators as “a colleague who happens to be an undergraduate assistant,” she has played a critical role in managing advising workflows, organizing student records and helping ensure smooth onboarding for one of the college’s largest incoming cohorts.
This past summer alone, she prepared more than 350 advising folders “to perfection,” wrote nominator Joseph Filteau, coordinator in the Dean’s Office, while also stepping in during live orientation sessions to offer a student perspective and champion the college. She previously helped transition the office’s shared file system to a new organizational structure, tackling one of the most complex projects the team had faced.
Benavides balances her work with a 3.8 GPA across two demanding majors, all while bringing patience, kindness and initiative to every task. “Whenever she is in the office, I know I can take a deep breath,” wrote Jessica White, coordinator/advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Education.
Pictured left to right: Christina Hanhardt, Daune O’Brien, Heather Gray, ARHU Dean Stephanie Shonekan, Kimberly Kwok, Zhiyi Wu and Carolina Benavides.