About the Staff Award Winners

Student Services Coordinator, University of Idaho, Idaho Falls

About

Debbie joined the Vandal Family in December 2006 and hasn’t looked back. She loves her job advising students and participating in committees and student-related activities. Debbie is known to strike up a conversation with anyone and later will find out she is either related to them or knows someone who knows them. She has a passion to help students connect the dots, she makes sure every "T" is crossed, and every "I" is dotted. Debbie is married to her lifelong sweetheart and partner, Rick, with whom she will celebrate 45 years together in July. Debbie and Rick have two grown sons. In the summer months, you will see Debbie driving one of their classic cars to work each day; mostly her beloved, purple '71 Dodge Challenger.

Finance and Human Resources Business Analyst, Division of Finance and Administration

About

Travis Gray started working for U of I in September of 2014 as a temp in Human Resources. After a few months of working in the front office, Travis was hired as the Learning Management System Coordinator for Professional Development and Learning, now Employee Development Learning (EDL). He spent about a year and a half with EDL when he was given the opportunity to work in Business Systems under the Controller’s Office. Right away this was a great fit for him. Travis has a wonderfully supportive supervisor and mentor. He really enjoys all of the wonderful people he gets to work with every day. When not at work, Travis enjoys spending time with his family. His favorite pastimes are playing video games and guitar with his boys and taking his daughters to the movies. Travis also loves hiking with his beautiful wife and very best friend, Lael.

Assistant to the Dean, College of Education, Health and Human Services

About

Twila grew up in the Potlatch area, on her family farm in a logging business family. She married her high school sweetheart, and they will celebrate 45 years of marriage in July. She has two wonderful and amazing children and three grandchildren. To add to her adventure, the couple sold their home of 21 years in Moscow and now are creating their forever home outside of Potlatch. Twila joined University of Idaho as the assistant to the dean in 2011, moving from Washington State University, where she worked for over 18 years. She enjoys her position with those she considers her work family including the deans, faculty, staff and students across the college and university. She enjoys long drives, boating and spending time with family. She also looks forward to traveling more, and more time with her grandchildren. Twila appreciates this prestigious honor and is humbled to be recognized among so many great people at University of Idaho.

Team Cleaning Specialist Facilities

About

Tamara Conniff moved to Moscow and has been working at University of Idaho for almost six years. She had spent that time as a cleaning specialist dedicated to helping all students, faculty and visitors see how wonderful U of I is. You can find her working in vandal swag almost every day, happy to chat and talk about her two daughters that are U of I graduates.

Interim Auxiliary Maintenance Supervisor, Facilities

About

Kayla Hodson is the Auxiliary Maintenance Supervisor at University of Idaho in Moscow. When Kayla first moved to Moscow, she immediately fell in love with the atmosphere of the town. Moscow and University of Idaho have opened a lot of doors for her occupational and personal growth. Kayla entered the workforce in the medical field, spent significant time in the service industry and found recent success in the world of construction. Construction is what brought Kayla to University of Idaho. Kayla is privileged to work alongside skilled and creative professionals and looks forward to her future in Facilities.

About

Cari is passionate about assisting college students achieve their academic goals and has been working in higher education for over 20 years. She received her Master of Science in college student personnel from Western Illinois University and is completing her doctorate in Adult, Organizational Learning and Leadership at University of Idaho. As the Associate Dean of Students, she strives to help students navigate a variety of situations, help them advocate for themselves and assist them with their academic goals.

About

John holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a nationally certified counselor. John has worked in Case Management for the university since 2019 and has a great deal of passion and love for working with college students. He uses a humanistic approach, using humor and motivational interviewing to identify meaning and purpose, and ultimately reframe suffering. John’s other passions are drawing, outdoor activities, music and spending time with his family. John resides in Moscow with his wife, two daughters and son.

About

Dawn was an intern and postdoctoral fellow at the Counseling and Mental Health Center in 2014-2016 and chose to return as a psychologist and assistant professor in 2021. She is passionate about supporting students with their mental health needs through therapy, Let's Talk, outreach presentations and workshops, consultation and advocacy. She has been working with college students in university counseling centers for over 15 years.

About

Greg Lambeth is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Director of the Counseling and Mental Health Center at University of Idaho. Dr. Lambeth’s professional and clinical interests include the diagnosis and treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders in adults, violence risk and threat assessment, organizational development and mental health policy. Dr. Lambeth joined University of Idaho in 2016 after working at the University of Illinois for more than 20 years. He also holds the academic rank of professor.

About

Dr. Nhu Mai came to University of Idaho Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) in 2017 as a psychologist. She received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology in 2014 from Washington State University. Dr. Mai is passionate about group counseling as she believes in its therapeutic power in increasing a sense of belonging and interpersonal connectedness, broadening perspectives and psychological flexibility and developing more adaptive skills to navigate life and relationships. As the CMHC’s Associate Director for clinical services, Dr. Mai is committed to increasing access to a range of mental health services and quality of care provided by the CMHC’s multidisciplinary team.

About

Clint Emmett is the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) at University of Idaho Counseling and Mental Health Center. He is board-certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). He brings with him nine years’ experience as a nurse practitioner specializing in mental health and psychiatric care. He graduated with his master’s degree in nursing in 2012 from Walden University and followed this with his post-master's certification as a PMHNP in 2014 from Midwestern State University in Texas. Most recently, he completed his clinical doctorate, Doctor of Nursing Practice, with the University of New Hampshire in 2022. Clint has a passion for delivering care that is accurate, practical and holistic. He enjoys working with his patients and collaborating with them on care that meets their needs and provides the best possible treatment outcomes. When not working with patients, he can be found reading books on a variety of subjects, enjoying time with his family, continuing his education and taking the occasional nap on a Sunday afternoon.

About

Keith is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the Counseling and Mental Health Center where he serves as the Coordinator for Alcohol and Other Drug Services and Liaison to the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs. After completing his internship at University of Idaho, Keith and his family moved to Maine before eventually returning to U of I where he will soon watch with great pride as his son graduates. When he is not at work, Keith’s interests include travel, bicycling, music, family and cooking.

About

Nick came to University of Idaho in January of 2018 and serves as the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life. He received his bachelor’s degree in communicative sciences and disorders from the University of Montana and his master’s degree in counseling and student affairs from Northern Arizona University. Prior to joining the Vandal Family, Nick worked in a variety of student services roles including Diversity and Inclusion Programming and Residential Education and Operations. As the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, he works to provide holistic support and ongoing advising to the 38 recognized fraternities and sororities on campus.

About

Cori has been supporting the Violence Prevention Programs at University of Idaho since 2022. Cori completed her Master of Public Health with an emphasis in social and behavioral sciences at the University of Florida and enjoys being able to apply those skills as a part of the Vandal Family now. When not at work, Cori can be found enjoying the outdoors with her partner, Luke, and dog, Croquette.

About

A University of Idaho Alumnus, Ryan Watson graduated from the university with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has been involved with producing and executing aspects of campus events for over 20 years.

About

Andrea has worked in the area of student conduct at University of Idaho since 2012 and has a Master of Education in counseling from Boston University.

About

Dillon, a U of I alumnus, worked for University of Idaho from 2014-2019. He returned in Fall 2022 as a Case Manager for the Dean of Students and Access Consultant in the Center for Disability Access and Resources.

About

Emilie has worked in the domestic violence and sexual assault crisis field since 2001. Emilie came to Idaho upon completing a master’s degree in social work at the Ohio State University in 2006. At that time, she was hired by the local victim services agency, Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse (ATVP), to work as a confidential advocate based in the Dean of Students Office. After 10 years with ATVP in advocacy and supervisory roles, she came back to U of I in 2016 to work in Violence Prevention programs, with a shift in 2022 to focus on student support in a case manager role.

About

Barb Smith is the Executive Assistant to the Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. For the past 25+ years (five of which at University of Idaho) she has held numerous leadership positions in higher education and is passionate about working with students, faculty and administration. She has vast knowledge of managing stakeholder relations, being a student club advisor, strategic planning, committee work, fiscal responsibilities and personnel roles in various academic and non-academic units.

About

Brendan Noble is double majoring in Marketing and Business Management. Brendan is in his third year and plans to graduate Spring 2024. Brendan’s favorite activities outside of school include playing tennis and playing video games.

About

Cheyenne Stooks transferred to University of Idaho with an associate degree in administration of justice and is pursuing a bachelor's in criminology. She enjoys being a member of the University of Idaho Wrestling Club and her recent experience at the Moscow Police Department Citizens Academy. Outside of school, Cheyenne teaches the community about situational awareness and personal safety preparation. She hopes to apply to the Moscow Police Department following the completion of her degree at University of Idaho.

About

Suzzanne spent her childhood in Alaska and later moved to Moscow and graduated from Moscow High School. She’s currently a second-year Architecture student, with a minor in Art, and hopes to have a career as an architect. Her hobbies include painting and astrophotography.