This award recognizes an individual who meets the following criteria:

• Maintains a positive attitude
• Strives for a "win/win" solution for all concerned
• Deals constructively with conflict
• Is fun to work with
• Contributes effectively to IT goals and objectives
• Goes above and beyond to meet IT goals and objectives
• Consistently achieves high quality results
• Identifies and implements changes that improve operational efficiency or effectiveness
• Is a good team member

This award recognizes an individual who meets the following criteria:

• Produces a program, product, or process in support of IT infrastructure, application(s), or user experience
• Provides technological impact across single or multiple units
• Demonstrates proof of concept
• Applies innovations to existing or emerging technologies

This award recognizes an individual who meets the following criteria:

• Works effectively and efficiently to understand customer needs
• Provides service in a timely and courteous manner
• Follows up to ensure customer satisfaction with the service
• If unable to assist the customer, effectively re-directs the customer to someone who can provide the service

This award recognizes a student who meets the following criteria:

• Works effectively and efficiently to understand customer needs
• Provides service in a timely and courteous manner
• Produces a program, product, or process in support of application(s), user experience, or infrastructure
• Goes above and beyond to meet the goals and objectives of the IT unit
• Consistently achieves high quality results

This award recognizes an individual who meets the criteria for the Customer Service, IT Innovator, and Spirit of IT awards, plus:

• Is extremely creative
• Supports and promotes effective project management practices
• Shows pride in IT and the university
• Represents IT at a department, university, or higher level
• Demonstrates effective leadership ability

This award recognizes a team who meets the following criteria:

• Develops a product or service that is meaningful and measurable and is in production
• Develops a product or service that has buy-in from and technological impact across multiple units
• Impacts the university in an extraordinary way
• Conforms to the State of Kansas Project Management Methodology (PMM)
• Involves appropriate human and technical resources
• Actively monitors and communicates the status of the project

This award recognizes an individual or team that goes above and beyond to meet K-State IT goals and objectives. Awards are given based on the following two categories:

IT Staff

• University IT staff can be nominated or are selected from nominations received in other IT award categories at the discretion of the IT Awards and Recognition Committee.

Non-IT Staff

• Technical staff outside IT units are selected from nominations received in this award category.

While called a "Leadership" award, eligible nominees are not necessarily restricted to appointed leaders (IT department or unit heads, for example). However, to be considered an IT leader, the individual must have exhibited, over an extended period of time, the types of vision, leadership, accomplishments, and recognition among peers that achieve a scope that extends beyond a single IT unit on campus.

• The IT Awards and Recognition Committee will compare any subsequent nomination to the above standards, and, if in its collective opinion, the nominee’s accomplishments and recognition meet the criteria, the committee may decide to award the "Elizabeth Unger Information Technology Leadership Award at Kansas State University".
• There is no mandate that this IT Leadership Award be given every year. The IT Awards and Recognition Committee can receive nominations at any time during any year, and will determine whether or not any nominee meets the standards referred to by Provost Coffman in citing the accomplishments of Dr. Unger as the mark against which all future nominees are measured.
• The IT Awards and Recognition Committee can also nominate a candidate for this award itself, and will use the same standards to determine whether or not a nominee is worthy of recognition in this way.

Background:

During his comments at the January 8, 2003 Information Technology All Unit Retreat, former Provost James R. Coffman commended those who were nominated for special recognition during the year for their efforts and service in the field of information technology.

He went on to retrace the IT accomplishments at K-State during the tenure of Dr. Elizabeth Unger as the Vice Provost for Academic Services and Technology …and … Dean of Continuing Education, citing such accomplishments as the:

• design, equipping and operation of 29 high tech classrooms, lecture halls and laboratories
• creation of K-State Online
• Infocommons
• Integrated Information Initiative
• LASER Project
• KEAS
• groundbreaking uses of the Internet2
• recognition by Yahoo! Magazine of K-State´s accomplishments by placing KSU in the upper third it´s top 100 "wired" universities in the nation

Dr. Coffman went on to observe, "…that these extraordinary accomplishments don’t just happen. As you know by your awards and recognition process, it takes talented and energetic professionals with the best interest of the university in mind to get things done. But most of all it takes a true visionary to lead the effort."

In recognizing Dr. Unger´s extraordinary vision and leadership, Dr. Coffman bestowed the first ever "Kansas State University Information Technology Leadership Award" to Dr. Elizabeth Unger.

Dr. Coffman went on to suggest that, "should this award be bestowed again in the future… from this point forward, it be called, the ´Elizabeth Unger Information Technology Leadership Award at Kansas State University´".

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While called a "Lifetime" award, eligible nominees do not have to retire to receive this award. This award is for the acknowledgement of superior achievement in an entire career. It does not have to be awarded every year.

This award recognizes an individual who meets the following criteria:

• Has inspired us or made a difference in our lives professionally.
• An IT employee who has given Kansas State a lifetime of contributions, service and dedication to the IT field.
• Provided a significant impact on how technology has been implemented at Kansas State.

Background:

This award was first inspired and presented to Don Hogg in January, 2006, for his 18 years of dedication to Kansas State. It honors his leadership, vision, and high professional standards that he accomplished during his tenure.

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