The Debbie McGhee Award for Excellence is awarded annually to current UAA staff members who have substantially advanced our mission to be a “catalyst and advocate for excellence and innovation” and who fully embodies our mission and values. We are so proud that Meghan Coletta was selected as the 2024 award recipient. Meghan has worked in Student Academic Services - First Year programs (FYP) since September 2018 (5+ years) and embodies the UAA core
values in her work and interactions with others across UW, she also encourages and mentors students in the First Year Interest Group (FIG) program to do the same.

Watch the full video of the award ceremony.

A few highlights of the 43 student testimonials:

"In my time at UW and now my time in the workforce, I have never met a leader who elicits and acts on feedback like Meghan. At the end of every class, she would ask
"What can we do better?" and "How can we better support you?" As someone who didn't grow hearing that, each time she asked cemented it further in my mind, and I took her up on it multiple times. When I struggled to figure out how to deliver the most value to my FIG classes, she guided me to a solution I crafted for the specificity of my FIG. It was pre-nursing FIG, and what they needed beyond the FIG was advice and experiences in UW Nursing. Looking at the FIG curriculum, we saw an opportunity to embed student panels and informational sessions into the planned class activities.
The modules no longer felt like general activities to get ramped up for higher education, but ones that also prepared them for their futures in nursing. What an incredible impact that had for my class of 30 first-years, and now they're wrapping up their final year of the UW nursing program. Meghan has a unique way of connecting with students and guiding them them to possibilities they couldn't imagine. I haven't been able to find it anywhere else." 2019 FIG Leader 

"Meghan's teaching style is truly remarkable. As we learn about how to facilitate our own classes she asks us to go as far as even criticize her teaching and demonstrates good teaching practices by using us as examples. Meghan is the definition of integrity and makes me want to be in her classroom. Her feedback and lead by example attitude inspires me to be a better student, community member, and instructor." 2023 FIG Leader 

Congratulations, Meghan!