LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University celebrated its second annual Ablaze ceremony, recognizing a dozen members of its staff and faculty for their dedication and professional contributions to the school. The event was held on Wednesday, April 17 at the Magnolia Building in Lakeland.
Ablaze is a program launched in 2018 to acknowledge the commitment and efforts of Florida Poly’s faculty and staff in a variety of areas including teaching, research and service to others. About 60 employees were nominated for at least one of six awards.
The winners are:
Sherri Pavlik, executive assistant to the general counsel, received the Phoenix Spirit Awardfor demonstrating a genuine interest in helping others and for being a continual source of encouragement in a positive and inclusive manner to co-workers and students. Pavlik joined Florida Poly in 2018.
Jhojana Infante,assistant director of institutional research and assessment, and the University Relations Department, were the recipients of the Exemplary Service to Others Award. The award recognizes significant and positive impact within the recipients’ department, the University as a whole, students, and external stakeholders. They are a universally recognized resource for consistently providing the highest quality of service to the Florida Poly community. Infante joined Florida Poly in 2014.
TheAward for Excellence in Teachingwas presented to Dr. Tim Shedd, associate professor of mechanical engineering, for his excellence in teaching practices reflecting the highest standards in pedagogy, a record of outstanding teaching effectiveness inside and outside the classroom, and the ability to inspire, promote, and sustain the intellectual development of students. He was also honored for course and program development, and for fostering critical thinking and independent inquiry of students. Shedd joined Florida Poly in 2017.
Dr. Luis Jaimes, assistant professor of computer science, received the Award for Excellence in Research.The awardrecognizes excellence in academic research, creative activity, scholarship, and contributions to expanding knowledge or its application in their field. Jaimes joined Florida Poly in 2016.
Zaira Medina-Rodriguez, administrative assistant, was presented with the Pinnacle Award, the highest honor a Florida Poly employee can receive. The award recognizes her significant impact on the University through demonstration of competence, dedication, outstanding performance, problem solving, customer service and ingenuity, and her demonstrated commitment to the University’s core purpose and The Florida Poly Formula. Medina-Rodriguez joined Florida Poly in 2016.
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
(863) 874-8557