Rewards and Recognition

What is the Harvard Heroes Award?

The Harvard Heroes Award is a University-wide award that honors high-performing staff. These staff members are nominated and/or selected by their peers and departments for work that supports the mission of Harvard at the highest levels of contribution, impact and excellence. To learn more, please visit: https://hr.harvard.edu/harvard-heroes-program.

Who is eligible? 

Administrative/professional, support, and service and trades staff with at least a year of benefits-eligible Harvard service are eligible for this award. Harvard coaches in the “other academic” group are also eligible. For more information on eligibility, please review the Harvard Heroes Fact Sheet.

What is the nomination criteria? 

Nominees must meet at least one of the Harvard Heroes Attributes, as outlined in the 2023 Harvard Heroes Nomination Criteria. 

How do I submit a nomination?

You can submit your nomination through the 2023 SEAS Recognition Awards Nomination Form. The submission period is February 21 to March 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

SEAS Harvard Heroes Honorees:

• 2020-2022 - Awards paused due to COVID-19
• 2019 - Brandon Tilghman
• 2018 - Susan Forrest
• 2017- Lashanda Banks
• 2016- Marybeth Wilcox and Kathy Lovell
• 2015 - Nater Jorde and Eric Tatten
• 2014 - Eliza Grinnell and Oscar Sola
• 2013 - Sandra Klemm and Kate Zirpolo Flynn
• 2012 - Carlos Guerrero

What is the Dean's Distinction Award?

The Dean's Distinction Award recognizes a small number of staff members for their outstanding collaboration and exceptional contribution to SEAS. Those who are nominated for Dean's Distinction Award should act with the highest integrity and serve as role models among staff. 

*This award had replaced the Dean's Excellence Award.

Types of Nominations:

• Individual Dean's Distinction: A staff member can be nominated for Individual Dean's Distinction for their outstanding collaboration, and exceptional contributions in 2020-2022 in support of the teaching and research mission.  
• Team Dean's Distinction: Teams consisting of up to eight staff members (and in some cases up to twelve*)  can be nominated for Team Dean's Distinction for their outstanding collaboration and exceptional contributions in 2020-2023. 

Who is eligible?

• Benefits-eligible, full-time or part-time staff 
• Non-HUCTW and HUCTW staff 
• Hired into a SEAS benefits-eligible position on or before 1/1/2022 
• Job grade levels: 
  • 47 through 60 for Individual Dean's Distinction 
  • 47 through 64 for Team Dean's Distinction 
• Less than Half Time (LHT) staff may be nominated as part of a Team's Dean Distinction Award, but are ineligible for the Individual Dean's Distinction Award. 

What is the nomination criteria?

When considering an individual or team to nominate, please keep the following principles in mind:

• Cultivating a strong sense of community and connection at SEAS.   
• Creating a humane and supportive work environment.   
• Exceeding regular responsibilities and expectations (going above and beyond, even in the course of doing one’s regular job). 
• Fostering diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging.   
• Collaborating with the University’s best interest and mission in mind.   
• Demonstrating ingenuity and creativity in their roles. 

How do I submit a nomination?

You can submit your nomination through the 2023 SEAS Recognition Awards Nomination Form. The submission period is from February 21 to March 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

Dean's Distinction Award Honorees:

• 2018 - Lisa Frazier-Zezze, Rebecca Loose, Adam Zewe
• 2017 - Leah Burrows, Pamela Choi Redfern, and Hera Daldalian
• 2016 - ABET Team (David Hwang, Patrick Ulrich, Anna Dunavin) and Claudia Stearns, Michaela Kapp, and Derek Barton

What is the Venky Award?

The Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti Award for Mentoring and Community Building at SEAS is made possible through a generous gift by former SEAS Dean Venky Narayanamurti. This award is intended to encourage and recognize SEAS staff members who have made a significant contribution to mentoring (including the mentoring of direct reports, colleagues, or students) or to community building at SEAS. 

Who is eligible?

All benefits-eligible SEAS staff members, including full- and part-time staff on the bi-weekly payroll with primary appointments as staff members. Research and teaching appointees such as lecturers and postdocs are ineligible for this award. 

What is the nomination criteria?

Your nomination should include a detailed narrative of how the staff member has supported, encouraged, and promoted professional and career development of direct reports, colleagues, or students, and/or how the staff member has made a significant contribution toward building a stronger community at SEAS. Please provide specific examples of contributions.

 How do I submit a nomination?

You can submit your nomination through the 2023 SEAS Recognition Awards Nomination Form. The submission period is from February 21 to March 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

Venky Award Honorees:

• 2020 - Winner announcement postponed due to COVID-19
• 2019 - Dina Adams, John Girash, Alexis Stokes
• 2018 - Maddie Hickman, Elaine Kristant, and Kimia Mavon
• 2017 - Norton Allen, Sarah Iams, and Margo Levine
• 2016 - Keith Karasek, Christopher Lombardo, and Patrick Ulrich
• 2015 - Pavlos Prottopappas and Daniel Weinstock
• 2014 - Nater Jorde and Marybeth Wilcox
• 2013 - Anas Chalah, Meg Hastings, and Jill Larson
• 2012 - Julie Holbrook and Arlene Stevens

What is the Abacus Award?

The Abacus Award for Faculty Collaboration with Staff is an annual SEAS award that recognizes a faculty member's exceptional ability to collaborate and partner with staff. 

Who is eligible?

All faculty are eligible for this award. 

What is the nomination criteria?

Excellence in collaboration is defined by effectively working with others to achieve positive results. Recipients of the award are selected based on demonstrated excellence in collaboration and the recipient's positive impact on SEAS.  

How do I submit a nomination?

You can submit your nomination through the 2023 SEAS Recognition Awards Nomination Form. The submission period is from February 21 to March 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

Abacus Award Honorees:

• 2019 - 
• 2018 - Stephen Chong and Rob Wood
• 2017 - David Parkes
• 2016 - Todd Zickler
• 2015 - Harry Lewis

To foster the spirit of thankfulness, HR and the Dean's Office arranges for thank you notes to be available to all staff and faculty around the time of the Thanksgiving holiday to use to express their thanks to others in the SEAS community. HR provides staff and faculty with cards and envelopes, all you have to do is ask.

The Harvard Service Milestone Recognition Program is a University-wide approach to the recognition of service milestones – or 5-year "work anniversaries." The program was designed to express appreciation for the dedication and service of our talented faculty and staff. Full details are available in the Program Guidelines. Faculty and staff celebrating anniversaries will receive a special message of thanks and congratulations, as well as a choice of gifts, during their anniversary month. Harvard will recognize the 5-year service anniversaries, from 5 to 60 years, of administrative/professional, support, and service and trade staff.  

Spot Rewards are intended to recognize staff for meaningful or special contributions above and beyond their standard job responsibilities. All SEAS staff members are eligible to receive a Spot Reward.

• Spot Rewards can be given at any time during the year at the discretion of the manager.
• All Spot Rewards are set at $250.
• A staff member may receive more than one Spot Reward each year.

Merit Bonus Awards have been a component of the annual increase process for exempt staff for several years. Managers may nominate exempt staff members who have demonstrated excellence in their performance throughout the year to receive this award during the annual performance appraisal cycle.