Staff Accolades
Employee of the Month (EOM)
Katie Townsend
July 2026
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Katie Townsend serves as the Strategic Relationship Manager with Information Technology Services (ITS), Katie serves as a liaison between ITS and the Division of Student Affairs, helping align technology solutions with divisional needs and priorities. She leads and supports technology initiatives, coordinates with campus stakeholders and vendors, facilitates communication among project teams and helps ensure successful implementation of systems and services that support students, staff and university operations.
In the words of her five nominators, "Katie has been an amazing leader for our FSUHQ Implementation process. This process has combined the vision and needs of the Career Center, Student Organizations and Involvement, and FSU Panama City Campus to identify a central platform for student engagement."
"What stands out most to me is Katie’s genuine commitment to helping people. She takes the time to listen, understand concerns and work toward solutions. Rather than simply managing a project, she has worked to ensure that those affected by the transition feel supported throughout the process."
Thank you Katie, for the "leadership, collaboration, reliability and commitment to service have been instrumental to the successful implementation of FSU HQ"!
DSA Team, we want to celebrate your success!
Service
Dr. Zduy Chu
Zduy Chu, Ed.D. (Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs) was appointed to the Vice President of Student Affairs and Associate Vice Presidents Colleague Conversations Planning Committee for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
Dr. Zduy Chu
Zduy Chu, Ed.D. (Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs) facilitated the discussion “Charting Senior Leader Learning Needs and Pathways” with vice presidents and associate vice presidents of Student Affairs for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
Presentations and Conferences
Alice Maxwell, M.A., Jessie Colegrove, M.A. and Evan Eisenstark
Alice Maxwell, M.A., Jessie Colegrove, M.A. and Evan Eisenstark (Division of Student Affairs Marketing and Communications) presented “Before the Glow Up: Rebuilding Career Center Marketing for What Comes Next” at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Annual Marketing and Branding Conference in Denver, Colorado in June.
Alice Maxwell
Alice Maxwell, M.A. (Division of Student Affairs Marketing and Communications) served as faculty and helped plan the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Annual Marketing and Branding Conference. In addition to presenting, she moderated the student communications focused panel “What Students Wish You Knew” and was a panelist for “Al in Marketing and Branding: What's Working, What's Not, and What's Next.”
Amy Magnuson & Kelly Dykes
Amy Magnuson, Ph.D., R.D. and Kelly Dykes, BSN, RN, CHPE, CPHIMS (University Health Services) co-presented "The Business Backbone of Student Health" at the 2026 American College Health Association annual conference in Denver, CO in May.
Nicole Lilly
Nicole Lilly (Career Center) presented “From Stuck to Sprouting: Tools for Resilient Career Thinking” at the Graduate Career Consortium in June.
Mari Kay Avant
Mari Kay Avant (University Health) co-presented two general sessions at the American College Health Association annual conference in Denver, CO in May: "Administration Hot Topics: Marketing Student Health Centers" and "Designing For Impact: Creative Strategies to Market College Healthcare to Gen Z Students."
Sarah Butler
Sarah Butler (University Housing) presented "Fresh, Fierce, and Forward," which focused on preparing to transition to a mid-level role and the importance of mentorship at the 2026 Southeastern Association of Housing Officers in March.
Kari DiDonato
Kari DiDonato (Campus Recreation) presented “Redefining the Pipeline: Rethinking Recruitment and Onboarding in Campus Recreation” at the 2026 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Annual Conference in National Harbor, MD, on April 10.
Erin Morpeth-Provost. Ph.D.
Erin Morpeth-Provost (Counseling & Psychological Services) presented a general session, "EMDR in a University Counseling Center: Client Outcomes and Practical Use in Response to a Campus Crisis" at the American College Health Association annual conference in Denver, CO in May.
Megan Crowe
Megan Crowe (Career Center) has been invited by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to contribute recorded training modules and spoke at the August 2026 Newcomer Training for new pre-law advisors."
Alice Maxwell
Alice Maxwell (Division of Student Affairs Marketing and Communications) presented the keynote speech "Building a Strategic Communications Framework That Advances Student Success" at the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi annual conference in May.
Cheyenne Egstad
Cheyenne Egstad (Career Center) co-presented the peer-reviewed conference session "Internships 101: A Toolkit on Increasing Reach of Employer Training" at the 2026 Cooperative Education & Internship Association Annual Conference held in Virginia in April. She also chaired the Technology subcommittee at the conference."
Other Accolades
Maria Paula McIntyre Nwenyi
Maria Paula McIntyre Nwenyi (Center for Leadership & Service) is one of 15 FSU faculty and staff members who earned the Institutional Research Data Literacy and Analytics Certificate in Spring 2026.
Honors and Awards
Megan Crowe
Megan Crowe (Career Center) was invited to attend the 3rd Annual Texas A&M Law Pre-Law Advisor Summer Institute &Workshop in Fort Worth, Texas in July. The invitation reflects her national reputation as a subject matter expert and meaningful contributions to shaping the development and training of pre-law advising professionals across the country.
Kari DiDonato, FSU Campus Recreation Marketing
Kari DiDonato (Campus Recreation) and Campus Recreation Marketing was awarded two Creative Excellence awards from the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association. “Lakefront Rental Office, Matilda Theme” received first place in the Social Media Campaign category and “Outdoor Trip Essentials” received first place in the Student Generated Content Campaign category.
Darryl Lovett
Darryl Lovett, Ph.D. (Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs) co-facilitated a discussion with student affairs vice presidents and assistant vice presidents grounded in NASPA’s “Centering the Student Affairs Workforce.” The conversation focused on leadership pathways and career visibility.
Cheyenne Egstad
Cheyenne Egstad (Career Center) received the Rising Star Award from Cooperative Education & Internship Association for her outstanding contributions to the field of work-integrated learning.