ODI staff honored with annual award

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to honor ODI staff members Stephanie Fields and Taja Hammond with this year's Rose Wilson-Hill Staff of the Year Award.

Stephanie Fields (pictured at right) works in ACCESS Collaborative as the program coordinator for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program. Through Stephanie's efforts, the program has been expanded exponentially, and she continually advocates for having parenting students treated fairly and valued on campus. Known for taking the initiative to bring fresh ideas to the table, Stephanie thrives under stress and pressure, building a great rapport with students, graduate assistants, and everyone she serves. Stephanie's contributions will be felt not only for years to come, but for generations.

A program coordinator for the Morrill Scholars Program, Taja Hammond (pictured at left) has quickly established herself as a key collaborator and thought partner in ODI. On the MSP team, she translates theory into practice to enable her unit to strengthen its quality service to students. One observer referred to Taja as like the “Energizer Bunny” because she “keeps going and going” with her irrepressible energy and creativity. She challenges herself and others to improve themselves and is always willing to lend a hand, including to other units in ODI and on campus.

The award is named for Ms. Rose Wilson-Hill, who dedicated more than 50 years of her career to ODI before retiring. In honor of her legacy of service, we award two ODI staff members for their exceptional accomplishments and leadership. Nominees must have worked at ODI for at least two years and exemplify Ohio State's Shared Values, including Excellence and Impact. Honorees must meet one of these requirements: perform beyond their assigned duties, work across units and constituents, or develop creative solutions to problems that make their units more effective and efficient.

Congratulations to Taja and Stephanie!