The Presidential Award, one of Duke’s highest honors, is given to staff and faculty for outstanding job performance and distinctive contributions within the past calendar year. School of Medicine Recipients are:
Lakeshia “Kiwi” Whitted
Staff specialist, Office of Curricular Affairs
School of Medicine
Clerical/Office Support
When the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences needs human brain specimens or cardiovascular physiology labs need pig hearts, Whitted makes sure the School of Medicine professors and students have the supplies they need.
Whitted supports faculty laboratory activities every day. For example, she makes sure the 100 brains in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences’ collection have been properly curated, preserved and carefully handled. In addition to handling lab requests and policies, Whitted supports colleagues by “giving advice or providing counsel about something that is wearing on them,” wrote Amy Ward, director of the Office of Curricular Affairs, in the nomination.
“Her spirit is infectious and people love to be around her,” Ward wrote. “Not a day goes by that she doesn’t pop in my office to ask how I am doing or if I need anything. And she does this with everyone.”
2015 Meritorious Award
The Meritorius Awards for contributions to Duke University and Duke University Health System are presented to staff and faculty in five categories: Clinical/Professional Non-Managerial, Service/Maintenance, Managerial, Executive Leadership, and Clerical/Office Support. School of Medicine recipients are:
Executive Leadership
Ellen M. Steinour
Associate Dean for Finance
School of Medicine
Executive Leadership
Patricia Thibodeau
Associate Dean for Library Services and Archives
Medical Center Library & Archives
For the entire list of award recipients, see Duke Today