SOM Staff Awards

The Excellence in Leadership Award honors a staff member for visionary leadership, service, and transformative action at the department level. Lynne Morelock-Roy, Division Administrator in the Division of Animal Resources (DAR), was recognized for her work in continuing operations during what was described as one of the most trying years in the history of the DAR. Lynne’s leadership allowed the group to persevere and excel in a tight labor market and in the face of significant budget cuts.  

The Service Champion Award recognizes a staff member for excellence in service, collaboration with others, exceptional performance, and dedication to School of Medicine community values. Recipient Claude “CJ” Arnett, Operations Manager of Physical Plan and Equipment in the Division of Animal Resources, was recognized for his service in successfully initiating and managing the physical plant and animal care programs at two new locations despite challenges like a tight labor market, inflation, and supply chain issues. CJ’s unwavering commitment has played a crucial role in ensuring the Division of Animal Resources provides a consistent and secure environment for School of Medicine investigators.  

Morgan Greenleaf, winner of the Innovation Award and Director of Apps and Digital Platforms in the School of Medicine and Georgia CTSA, is described as someone who simply embodies innovation. Key highlights of his work include collaborating with the CTSA’s Innovation Catalyst to guide innovators through the commercialization of biomedical inventions, establishing an innovation-focused lecture series, and creating an innovation pathway for resident physicians. Notably, he has led the AppHatchery, a service aiding faculty and learners in developing over 30 clinically relevant apps, ranging from a cancer patient navigation tool to a digital education tool for pediatric diabetes patients. Morgan's impactful contributions have resulted in nationwide downloads and usage of these apps, showcasing the success of his efforts and his team. 

The Going the Extra Mile (G.E.M) Award recognizes two staff members who go above and beyond the routine call of duty making significant, positive impacts on the School of Medicine, departments, programs, or committees from behind the scenes while exhibiting a commitment to excellence. Micah Chrenek, the second awardee, is the Department of Ophthalmology’s Research Laboratory Manager. Micah, the core of his research group, efficiently oversees multiple labs, managing laboratories for 8 PIs/faculty. His impactful contributions include enhancing procedures for 19 NIH-sponsored R01 grants and taking the lead in supporting new faculty recruits by facilitating equipment procurement, organizing labs, and ensuring compliance measures at Emory. 

The second Team Excellence Award recognizes a non-research team that has significantly impacted internal or external stakeholders. The Human Simulation Education Center (HSEC) was recognized as a team that collaboratively organizes and implements more than 300 human simulations annually across various programs, adapting successfully from in-person to remote simulations within two weeks of the university’s pandemic-induced closure. Despite challenges, they maintained the ability to conduct approximately 70% of scheduled simulations during this period across multiple education programs. The HSEC team consists of Adam Bailey, Dan Brown, Elisa Hoover, Deb Laubscher, Sherry Steward, and Vallea Woodbury.