Six CSE staff recognized by College of Engineering for their outstanding contributions

Diane Crang, CSE Administrative Assistant Senior

Diane is well known for her dedication, versatility, and willingness to support faculty, staff, and students wherever needed. She models collegiality for other staff by regularly attending department talks and events purely as a show of support. Additionally, Diane organizes department-wide events which aim to bring the department together, namely a fall door decorating contest and a spring take-your-child-to-work day, both of which include detailed and engaging activities for participants. Finally, Diane is a valuable resource for faculty and other staff, regularly connecting people to processes and resources at the university and helping to resolve sticky issues.

Amanda Feaganes, CSE Graduate Program Coordinator

Amanda has only been working at CSE for a little over a year, but has already had a big impact on her team as well as the division’s community at large. She is never afraid to ask “Why are we doing this?” and as a result has helped to streamline processes in a way that benefits both students and staff. Amanda also has a great ability to foster collaboration and community with her direct, humor-filled, and honest communication style. She creates spaces where people feel comfortable sharing, leaning in, and understanding one another, and she has used this ability in the past year to develop and moderate two all-staff workshops on working styles and understanding and embracing our shared values.

Li Harper, CSE Undergraduate Academic Advisor

During Li’s nearly four years as an advisor in CSE, they have continually supported CSE’s students in a variety of ways. They show students a level of respect and transparency in advising appointments, while helping students feel comfortable, even during the most difficult of conversations. A student said of Li, “In addition to providing all the information I needed to make an informed choice…They were patient, kind, and incredibly understanding. They made sure I felt comfortable, supported, and not at all judged.”  Li’s style of advising embodies the college’s vision to develop intellectually curious and socially conscious minds, and helps to promote an inclusive and innovative community of service.

Yili Lin, CSE Undergraduate Academic Advisor

Yili has demonstrated a great ability to support our undergraduate students. She provides more information than is often expected in each advising appointment, has developed a thorough followup process, and aims to continually develop a more inclusive environment for students. Additionally, Yili worked with various campus partners this year to develop and implement a CSE UAO chatbot tool, a virtual space for students to get quick and easy answers to various advising related questions. This was a massive undertaking that she led entirely on her own. In addition, having personal experience with the international student experience, Yili developed an International Student Pre-Arrival Guide for incoming students that details everything from understanding CSE requirements to adjusting to life in America, getting around campus, and more.

Chris Puzzuoli, EECS Web Software Developer

Chris has developed and implemented software solutions that have greatly enhanced our department’s efficiency and capabilities. He recently automated the process of creating individual schedules for visiting PhD applications, developed a system for faculty to review and sign documents via an online portal, reducing faculty and student burden, and streamlined the qualification exam process. Chris is known for his ability to break down complex technical concepts and communicate them effectively to non-technical team members, ensuring that everyone is aligned on project goals. He actively participates in collaborative problem-solving sessions, often taking the lead in troubleshooting and resolving issues that arise during development, and is also happy to share his expertise with colleagues in other departments. His positive attitude, approachability, and willingness to support others have had a lasting positive impact on EECS.

Josh Zucal, CSE Research Administrator

Josh has been with CSE for over six years, and in that time has become a highly skilled research administrator, contributing significantly to the department, the college, and the broader university mission. He embodies the “Leaders and Best” mentality by consistently setting a high standard of excellence in all the projects he supports and in this way serves as an inspiration for his team. Josh is always available to help colleagues when Excel formulas don’t work, or when reconciliation spreadsheets need adjusting. He often makes modifications to the internal templates used by the research admin team to increase usefulness. Josh is also always one of the first to volunteer when a colleague is absent and a faculty member needs urgent help.