OSU IT Annual Awards

The OSU IT Annual Awards honor individuals and teams across OSU IT that have demonstrated excellence in their respective roles. 

There are seven award categories:

  • Community & Culture
  • Customer Service
  • Data Services
  • Exemplary Student Employee
  • Security Services
  • Technical Services
  • Teamwork Award

Information and criteria for each category can be found below.

Submit a Nomination

Nominations for the 2026 OSU IT Annual Awards are open from March 9 - April 10.

These awards acknowledge the dedication and commitment of OSU IT community members in the seven areas below. All current OSU IT employees (central and college/unit IT) are eligible for nomination. 

 Submit Nomination

Nomination Support

This year we are offering additional resources to support with nominations. Nominators are invited to use the custom AI agent to craft their submissions or schedule a 30-minute 1:1 consultation with a member of our support team.

AI Nomination Agent

Schedule 1:1 Consultation

Culture & Community Award

The Culture and Community award recognizes an individual who fosters a culture of care and strives to make the OSU IT community more welcoming and inclusive. 

Examples of how a candidate might demonstrate this:

  • Displaying a commitment to valuing individuals, their well-being, and their diverse perspectives
  • Working to create an environment of belonging and respect
  • Fostering honest communication, clear expectations, and openness
  • Inviting all voices to the table and ensuring solutions are built with people, not for them

Award

Recipient will receive a monetary award and recognition at the OSU IT Spring Plenary. 

Eligibility

All faculty, staff, and students in OSU IT are eligible for the award.

  

Customer Service Award

The Customer Service Award celebrates an IT staff member who prioritizes the user experience and delivers meaningful, customer-centric results.

Examples of how a candidate might demonstrate this:

  • Displaying a commitment to partnership and co-creation for finding solutions
  • Fostering a courteous environment 
  • Displaying care and empathy when solving problems for the customer
  • Prioritizing people-oriented service 
  • Displaying initiative and resourcefulness when troubleshooting problems or facing challenges 

Award

Recipient will receive a monetary award and recognition at the OSU IT Spring Plenary. 

Eligibility

All faculty, staff, and students in OSU IT are eligible for the award.

  

Data Services Award

The OSU IT Data Services award recognizes an individual who works to ensure the university’s data is reliable, consistent, and available. 

Examples of how a candidate might demonstrate this:

  • Managing and/or designing the structures that promote data as a strategic asset
  • Empowering the OSU community to have the data they need when they need it
  • Demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement of our data ecosystem
  • Using data as a strategic asset and/or presenting data in a meaningful way
  • Using data in innovative ways to advance college/unit/university goals

Award

Recipient will receive a monetary award and recognition at the OSU IT Spring Plenary. 

Eligibility

All faculty, staff, and students in OSU IT are eligible for the award.

  

Exemplary Student Employee Award

The OSU IT Student Award celebrates the contributions of an individual student team member. 

Examples of how a candidate might demonstrate this:

  • Taking initiative and/or demonstrating leadership
  • Demonstrating curiosity and a willingness to learn
  • Demonstrating a strong work ethic

Award

Recipient will receive a monetary award and recognition at the OSU IT Spring Plenary. 

Eligibility

All faculty, staff, and students in OSU IT are eligible for the award.

  

Security Services Award

The Security Services award recognizes the essential contributions of an individual in keeping the OSU IT ecosystem secure. 

Examples of how a candidate might demonstrate this:

  • Vigilance in tracking and recognizing potential threats
  • Devising structures, practices, or policies to help monitor and/or streamline applications, systems, services, servers and other endpoints
  • Communicating with the OSU IT community to collaborate on solutions
  • Working to continuously improve the security stance of the university

Award

Recipient will receive a monetary award and recognition at the OSU IT Spring Plenary. 

Eligibility

All faculty, staff, and students in OSU IT are eligible for the award.

  

Technical Services Award 

The OSU IT Technical Excellence Award recognizes an individual for their exemplary technical IT contributions toward creating a resilient, agile IT environment at OSU. 

Examples of how a candidate might demonstrate this:

  • Using their technical skills to enhance and streamline the digital experience
  • Deploying technology to improve the learning, teaching, research and/or extension environment at OSU
  • Displaying creativity or innovation in using technology to create a solution
  • Resolving technology issues for community/university
  • Applying technology that aligns with business needs and enhances the user experience

Award

Recipient will receive a monetary award and recognition at the OSU IT Spring Plenary. 

Eligibility

All faculty, staff, and students in OSU IT are eligible for the award.

  

OSU IT Team Award

The OSU IT Teamwork Recognition Award celebrates cross functional units and groups of employees at Oregon State University that have demonstrated exceptional teamwork and collaborative practices in solutions that advance the university's mission and IT strategic goals.

Examples of how a team might demonstrate this:

  • Demonstrating cross-unit teamwork and collaboration
  • Contributing to the university's mission of teaching, research, and outreach and engagement
  • Demonstrating innovation, creativity and/or takes a novel approach to collaboration and/or the project
  • Teams that have successfully integrated diversity and inclusion within their IT culture and community are highly considered

Award

Recipients will be celebrated with dedicated time with the CIO and have their names added to the OSU IT Team Award Stanley Cup. 

Eligibility

All cross functional teams working on IT projects are eligible for the award.

Examples of past teams

  • Women in IT — IT leaders across OSU IT collaborated to establish the Women in IT committee, promoting diversity within IT's culture and community
  • Global Futures Forum — Different groups collaborated to successfully deliver the IT-rich event, building on OSU's reputation of providing leadership