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On May 22, 2025, Caltech recognized 246 of its personnel at the 70th Staff Service & Impact Awards ceremony conducted in Beckman Auditorium.
Julia McCallin, associate vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer, presided as the emcee for the occasion, which celebrated staff for their contributions to Caltech’s research and educational mission. McCallin commenced the event by welcoming all honorees, particularly the fifteen-year awardees, who had been unable to walk across the Beckman stage when they were acknowledged for a decade of service in 2020; that year, the Institute hosted a virtual event due to the COVID-19 crisis. “Thank you to all of you who embody Caltech and the human spirit that makes us distinctive,” she remarked.
Charlie Lane, vice president and chief operating officer, acted as the keynote speaker. Lane referenced his lifelong passion for baseball, and the legends of the sport, to pay tribute to Caltech’s own legends, likening ballplayers who achieve remarkable catches to the extraordinary accomplishments of Caltech personnel. “That’s what I want us all to remember,” Lane stated. “We can attempt and attempt and at times we can catch that ball, sometimes we can attain that achievement. But we must celebrate, folks. There’s a lot to rejoice in.”
The ceremony recognized Institute personnel who have dedicated 10 years or more to Caltech, including three staff members who have devoted 45 years: Cara Stemen, event operations manager; custodian Esthela Jalabert; and Walter Cook, senior research scientist in the Space Radiation Laboratory.
Lane announced 16 recipients of the Spot Award, a program that acknowledges individuals spontaneously for their exceptional contributions to their departments or the Institute. Staying true to the theme of his speech, the staff members each received a baseball autographed by Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum, the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of physics.
Sabine Brinkmann-Chen, lab manager in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, was awarded this year’s Thomas W. Schmitt Annual Staff Prize, named after former associate vice president for human resources Tom Schmitt and endowed by trustee Ted Jenkins (BS ’65, MS ’66). The Schmitt Prize honors staff members who “embody the values and spirit that empower the Institute to attain excellence in research and education.”
In the words of one of Brinkmann-Chen’s supporters: “[She] exemplifies the very essence of service, leadership, and integrity that the Thomas W. Schmitt Prize is meant to honor. Her influence on Caltech is deep, far-reaching, and lasting. I can think of no one more worthy of this distinction, and it is an honor to submit her nomination.”
The Team Impact Award was granted to the Emergency Housing Working Group, comprised of 17 members from throughout the Institute who aided community members impacted by the catastrophic wildfires of January 2025. “As soon as this group was established, they planned and worked relentlessly to provide shelter for Caltech and JPL community members affected by the alarming Eaton fire,” the nomination letter indicated. “Some staff within this team were themselves displaced and prioritized the needs of their community over their own.”
The fifth annual Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology (ASCIT) Staff Appreciation Award acknowledges the outstanding contributions of Caltech staff members on behalf of the undergraduate community. For 2025, the ASCIT Staff Prize was awarded to Vincent Ton, program manager for Student-Faculty Programs; Andy Brabson, head coach, Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving; and Dining Services cook Jesus Valladares.
Additionally, numerous individuals were commended for their contributions to the inaugural Student Life and Experience Conference, the first time ASCIT has presented this award. The honorees included Hillary Tribbs, director of inclusion and belonging; Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux, associate vice president for campus climate, engagement, and success; Joe Ramirez, institutional research and assessment associate; and Jaime Reyes, director of Dining Services.
Rosenbaum, in his concluding remarks, returned to the theme of baseball and specifically to Willie Mays’s iconic catch in the 1954 World Series. “It’s that extra effort that we’re commending today,” Rosenbaum remarked. “We genuinely appreciate the fact that you take your role so exceptionally seriously and that you contribute everything that makes Caltech such a remarkable institution.”
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