Donajkowski Receives COE Staff Excellence Award

Congratulations to Steve Donajkowski, who received the College of Engineering Staff Excellence Award on May 12 during a ceremony at the Chrysler Center. To be considered for this honor, a staff member must be nominated and receive six letters in support of the nomination from other department members.

CEE Unit Administrator Patricia Brainard nominated Donajkowski for the award and cited his commitment to a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment as one of the many reasons for his selection. When a CEE quadriplegic student was involved in a tip-over mishap in another part of the building, Donajkowski communicated the issue to management and worked to address the trip hazard immediately, going above and beyond his expected role.

Jason McCormick, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, said that “Steve really does take an interest in every experimental project that is being conducted in the department. This interest often is followed with extremely useful suggestions such as pointing a student towards another student or faculty member who may be able to provide further advice or equipment that might help improve the research outcome.” McCormick added that Donajkowski “is a genuine team player who leads by example in how he takes interest in and works with others and has revitalized the atmosphere surrounding the department’s laboratory technical support.”

CEE Engineering Technician Justin Roelofs cited Donajkowski’s creativity and collegiality as key in helping him achieve the goals of CEE. “Steve’s collaborative and cooperative approach to work is an important building block of our department culture and wider COE culture,” Roelofs said. “It is very valuable to have staff like Steve, who is able to work in a civil and professional manner with our diverse family of faculty, students, staff and researchers.”

Donajkowski’s nomination form and supporting letters also cited his dedication to dependability, patience and a strong work ethic; his commitment to facilitating the success of others; and his willingness to improve the larger community. Congratulations again to Donajkowski on receiving this honor!