Staff spotlights
Wayne State is proud of its world-class faculty, staff and students and we invite you to nominate yourself or spotlight fellow Warriors who are making a difference.
Brendan O'Leary
Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research
Dr. Brendan O’Leary, postdoctoral researcher at the Wayne State University Superfund Research Program (SRP) known as the Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR), is the 27th recipient of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences SRP Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. This award recognizes an outstanding graduate student or postdoctoral researcher who exhibits the qualities of scientific excellence and service to the community. O’Leary's research focuses on integrating urban hydrogeology, contaminant transport and geospatial modeling to track and remediate volatile organic compounds.
Donna Reincke and the grounds team
Facilities Planning and Management
The grounds team, led by Associate Director of Grounds Donna Reincke, plants trees on Arbor Day and tends to the campus tree canopy throughout the year. The Arbor Day foundation has awarded Wayne State University a Tree Campus Higher Education designation for the fourth year in a row. To earn this recognition, the university must uphold five core standards: maintain an advisory committee, set a campus tree care plan, verify annual investment in the tree care plan, celebrate Arbor Day and create a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body. Caring for the campus tree canopy is one small effort in making a positive impact on the environment and in Detroit.
Mary Wood
Graduate School
The Success for Undergraduate Students in Graduate Education program received the 2026 Excellence in Innovation in Graduate Education Award. The Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools presented the award to Mary Wood, program director of the Graduate School.
Mark Schweitzer
School of Medicine
Dr. Mark Schweitzer, special associate for public health planning, has been appointed editor in chief of the Journal of Investigative Medicine. The peer-reviewed journal, the official publication of the American Federation for Medical Research, publishes high-quality original articles and reviews in the areas of basic, translational and clinical research.
Denise Thomas
Colonel Gregory Gadson Office of Military and Veterans Academic Excellence
In 1987, now three-time alumna Denise Thomas began working full time at WSU while continuing her education. Thomas won an award in 2025 for Outstanding Academic Advising. After 39 years working full time for WSU, Denise will retire before the year is finished. She has dedicated her life to Wayne State University and its student body.
Darryl Gardner
Division of Academic Affairs
Dr. Darryl Gardner, vice provost for student success, support and engagement, received the National Leadership in Higher Education Award for his work in student success, mentorship and community engagement during the 2025 National Black Men in Leadership Conference. The conference theme focused on empowering Black men in leadership through mentorship, skills development and networking for systemic change and personal growth.
Martina Guzmán
Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights
Martina Guzmán, director of the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, received a 350,000ドル grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to expand VERDAD: Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse, an AI-powered tool she founded that monitors disinformation on Ethnic-language radio stations across the U.S.
Stephanie Williams
Wayne State University Press
WSU Press Director Stephanie Williams was presented with a Legislative Tribute for her work in publishing the book Coach of Champions, chronicling the life and career of former WSU athletic director and track coach D.L. Holmes. Holmes' grandson and alumnus Keith Wunderlich and by Rep. Joe Tate presented the tribute at an event at the Matthaei Center.
Computing & Information Technology team
Computing & Information Technology
C&IT has completed the university-wide migration to Windows 11, updating more than 7,000 devices across campus. This critical project was driven by changes from our partners at Microsoft as well as C&IT's commitment to providing modern, secure, and reliable IT systems and services for all users. This accomplishment was a campus-wide effort and would not have been possible without collaboration with our partners across schools, colleges, and departments. C&IT offers special recognition to the project leadership team for bringing together C&IT teams, meeting deadlines, and ensuring minimal disruption to learning, teaching, and operations: Andre Alexander, Cornor Weathers, Craig Schram, David Smith, Maikel Kachouh, Matthew Wisotsky, and Robert Wright. Additional recognition goes to engineer Eric Greene for technical contributions as well as the rest of the C&IT Campus and Classroom Technology Services team, whose expertise brought this project across the finish line.
Lesliediana Jones
Libraries
Alumna Lesliediana Jones has been selected to serve as director of the Wayne State University Arthur Neef Law Library. Jones joins Wayne State from the Harvard Law School Library, where she has served as associate director for public services since 2022.
Darryl Gardner
Division of Academic Affairs
Vice provost for Student Success, Support and Engagement Dr. Darryl Gardner was named one of Michigan Chronicle’s Men of Excellence. The award recognizes local African American men who inspire and mentor others through their vision, leadership, professional achievements, and community service. Gardner, who has been with the university for nearly two decades, has been dedicated to helping serve Wayne State students and the greater Detroit community.
Shannon Oltmann
School of Information Sciences
Shannon Oltmann, Ph.D., has been named associate dean. Oltmann joins Wayne State from the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information, where she served as an associate professor and program coordinator. Oltmann’s research focuses on the implementation of and resistance to censorship in libraries and other spaces, as well as information precarity — a lack of information and resources brought about by systemic marginalization.
Design and Construction Services Team
Facilities Planning & Management
The Design & Construction Services team, along with partners The Christman Company and SmithGroup, were recognized with The Engineering Society of Detroit's Outstanding Achievement Award for building design and construction for their work on the renovation of M. Roy Wilson State Hall.
Christine Jackson
Division of Academic Affairs
Vice Provost for Partnerships and Workforce Christine Jackson, Ph.D., received the Michigan ACE Network's Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership award.
Zack Belsky
Athletics
Associate athletic director of marketing and brand strategy Zack Belsky was recognized as the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Creative and Digital Design contest Designer of the Year. In addition, WSU's Athletic Department earned five awards from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, including two gold for Group III.
Robert Ploutz-Snyder
College of Nursing
Dr. Robert Ploutz-Snyder has been named Associate Dean for Research. In this role, he will lead the College’s research initiatives by providing guidance on strategic priorities, cultivating research development and ensuring that all research activities align with the University’s overarching goals. Dr. Ploutz-Snyder brings a strong foundation in experimental psychology, biostatistics and translational health research, which will bolster the College’s commitment to innovative, community-focused nursing science.
Eric Reed
College of Education
Eric Reed, Ph.D., has joined Wayne State University as the College of Education's first-ever director of student success. With a background rooted in higher edu cation and a passion for helping students navigate their way through college, he brings fresh energy and a student-focused mindset to the role.
Anne Messman
School of Medicine
Anne Messman, M.D., MHPE, the associate dean of Graduate Medical Education, has been elected to the National Board of Medical Examiners Council. The National Board of Medical Examiners is a non-profit organization that develops and manages assessments of medical students, including the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The examinations, given to medical students and residents, are employed by licensing authorities to assist in determining qualifications to grant medical licenses.
Kimberly Burroughs
Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
Kimberly Burroughs, Ph.D., executive director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, has been named to the Michigan Chronicle's Women of Excellence list. The list showcases a dynamic group of women transforming communities and industries. Burroughs was recognized for her work bridging the gap between corporate resources and Black entrepreneurship and fostering economic growth.
Ned Staebler
Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
InBIA, a global community of entrepreneur support and entrepreneurship ecosystem-building practitioners, has named Ned Staebler, president and CEO of TechTown and vice president for economic development, to its Board of Directors. The 16-member Board consists of leaders of entrepreneur support organizations from across the globe and is charged with setting strategic direction and ensuring resources to achieve the organization’s mission of empowering entrepreneur support organizations by creating an impactful community through comprehensive resources, training, and thought leadership.
Erika Wallace
Athletics
Director of Athletics Erika Wallace was selected as the National Chair of the D2 Women's Basketball Committee.
Nawana Lawson and Sue White
Division of Research & Innovation
Nawana Lawson and Sue White were honored at the International Awards Banquet, jointly held by the Essex-Kent Section of the Canadian Society for Chemistry and the Detroit Local Section of the American Chemical Society. White, research development officer, received the Past Chair award for her service as the chair of the Detroit Local Section of the American Chemical Society in 2023. White is also the chair for 2024. Lawson, associate director of hazardous materials programs in the Office of Environmental Health Safety, received the 2024 Outreach Volunteer of the Year for the Detroit Section of the American Chemical Society, a prestigious national award.
Sherry Quinn
Graduate School
Graduate School Director of Admissions Sherry Quinn was invited to speak about leading hybrid teams at NAGAP's Graduate Enrollment Management Summit. With nearly 900 attendees, the annual summit is the premier event for graduate enrollment professionals and one that Quinn has attended since 2006 when she started working in higher education.
Brandon Shamoun
Dean of Students Office
Assistant Dean of Students Brandon Shamoun, who is a proud member and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community on campus and beyond, was recognized as a Game Changers honoree by the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Comerica Bank. In addition to his leadership on campus, Shamoun serves as vice chair of the Michigan LGBTQ+ Commission, a statewide advisory group serving to bridge the community and government to support the LGBTQ+ population, and as commissioner of Stonewall Sports Detroit, a nonprofit recreational sports organization that strengthens the ties between local LGBTQ+ and allied communities.
Amy Cooper
Learning Communities
Amy Cooper, who leads WSU's Learning Communities, was named the president of the National Learning Communities Association, and will serve as NLCA President for the 2023-24 academic year.
Share your story
The Wayne State Newsroom serves as the hub for news, announcements, and information of interest to the campus community. We seek to share Wayne State’s story, with special emphasis on highlighting work that supports the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan and other broader university initiatives. We also want to recognize the successes of Wayne State’s world-class faculty, staff and students and invite you to nominate yourself or spotlight fellow Warriors who are making a difference. Submissions will be considered for a variety of content forms. Please share your ideas below.