On June 4, colleagues in Kresge Auditorium held homemade signs, waved pompoms, and cheered loudly for award recipients. Twenty individuals and three teams received MIT Excellence Awards — the Institute's highest honor for staff. Additional honors included the Collier Medal, the Staff Award for Distinction in Service, and the Gordon Y. Billard Award.
The Collier Medal honors the memory of MIT police officer Sean Collier, who gave his life in service to the MIT community. Recipients embody a deep commitment to community and approach their work with compassion for others. The Staff Award for Distinction in Service is presented to an individual who approaches their work with kindness, empathy, and approachability, serving as a trusted adviser at the Institute. The Gordon Y. Billard Award is given to staff or faculty members, or MIT-affiliated individuals, who make significant and lasting contributions to the MIT community.
The 2026 MIT Excellence Award recipients and their categories are:
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Bringing Out the Best
Robin Elices
Kate McCarthy
Jim Mitchell -
Embracing Inclusion
Allison Chang
Mandana Sassanfar -
Innovative Solutions
Kayla S. (KB) Burt
Amanda Jarvis
Julie Uva
Sustainability Team (Yu Cheng, Brian Goldberg, Susy Jones, Steve Lanou, Ellie McLane, and Julie Newman) -
Outstanding Contributor
Barry Pugatch
Emma Shortall
Chao Li
Catherine Nunziata
Trinidad Carney
Gang Liu
Laura von Bosau
James Daley
Craig Rowe
MIT Health Housekeeping Team (Michael Batista, Maria Coelho, Mae Evans, Maria Fatima Rosario, Selam Stefanos, Claudia Teixeira, and Claudia Vidal) -
Serving Our Community
Olivia Cheo
Clayton Hainsworth
Atsushi Takahashi
MIT Health Ambulatory Safety Net and Population Management Team (Michele M. A. David, Solanlly Mendez, Pamela Mensah, Nicole Napier, Lucus David Sensius, and Stephanie Shapiro)
The 2026 Collier Medal recipient was Michael Grenier, pub manager, Division of Student Life. At the Muddy Charles and Thirsty Ear pubs, Grenier creates spaces for MIT community members to relax, meet friends, and find unconditional support. His acts of kindness are woven into the atmosphere he creates, and alumni regard him as someone who shaped an important part of their early adult lives.
This year’s winner of the Staff Award for Distinction in Service was Christina Couch, associate director and lecturer, MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing, Comparative Media Studies, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (SHASS). Couch has been an invaluable member of the SHASS community — as a student, alumna, and staff member. Through her work, she has created opportunities for students to interact and build relationships with professional journalists, and underlying everything she does is her compassion and deep belief in student potential.
Three community members were honored with a 2026 Gordon Y. Billard Award:
- Cullen R. Buie, professor of mechanical and biological engineering, associate department head of mechanical engineering, and head of house, Maseeh Hall
- Traci Swartz, assistant director, Community Services Office, Institute Affairs, Office of the President
- David L. Verrill, executive director, Initiative on the Digital Economy, MIT Sloan School of Management
Presenters included Provost Anantha Chandrakasan; MIT Chief of Police John DiFava and Captain Andrew Turco; Executive Vice President and Treasurer Glen Shor; Associate Provost Maria Yang; Dean of the School of Science Nergis Mavalvala; Lincoln Laboratory Assistant Director Justin Brooke; Vice President for Human Resources Ramona Allen; and Chancellor Melissa Nobles. For more information about the award recipients, categories, and to view photos and video of the event, visit the MIT Human Resources website.
Blogger's Review: MIT's recognition of these awards not only highlights the outstanding contributions of its staff but also emphasizes the importance of community service. This culture of support and compassion is a model that other institutions can learn from and emulate.