Noah Dotson, a psychology student from Cumming, is the University of Georgia’s 2025 Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year thanks to his contributions as manager of UGA’s Outdoor Recreation Center.
UGA’s annual Student Employee of the Year Awards luncheon hosted by the UGA Career Center took place on April 16 in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall. The event honored 100 outstanding student employees, nominated by their supervisors. Special recognition was given to the graduate and undergraduate Student Employees of the Year, runners-up and the winning student employee team.
Dotson was nominated by J.T. Schexnayder, who said his impact on ORC will continue to benefit the center far beyond his graduation.
“Noah has a tenacious work ethic that exceeds the expectations of the position,” Schexnayder said. “As manager, he is expected to supervise and provide logistical support to trip leaders as they plan, prepare and lead outdoor trips across the Southeast. However, he goes above and beyond by regularly seeking out ways to improve the ORC’s processes.”
Dotson has proposed and led several trips, including a seven-night thru-hike of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a whitewater paddling day trip on the Chattahoochee River, both of which expanded the ORC’s usual offerings. He has also supported trip leaders by leading procedural trainings on trip planning best practices, as well as technical trainings on paddling basics and knot tying.
Most notably, Dotson led a series of “Ideal Trip Leader” exercises. These resulted in the creation of six core values — empathy, humility, adaptability, grit, collaboration and expertise — that Dotson integrated into the ORC’s vision, mission and statement of purpose.
Additional honorees
First runner-up Anna Coleman, a student employee at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, was nominated by Jason Young. Second runner-up Joy Hwang, a graphic design student assistant at the UGA Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, was nominated by Jason Hasty.
2025 Graduate Student Employee of the Year award
Daniela Cortes, a master’s student at the College of Veterinary Medicine, is the 2025 Graduate Student Employee of the Year. She joined the department of large animal medicine at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 2023 as a theriogenology resident, a specialized field of veterinary medicine focused on animal reproduction. Cortez works alongside Maria Ferrer with pride, responsibility and reliability.
“Dr. Cortes is an outstanding role model for students and other house officers. She is not only knowledgeable and skilled, but also compassionate and caring,” Ferrer said. “I am honored to work with her, and I foresee a bright future in a leadership position. She will represent UGA and our core values in an outstanding way wherever she goes.”
Cortes approaches veterinary health care with a critical and analytical mindset, enabling her to tackle complicated cases and improve patient care. Her creativity and innovative thinking further drive her to make impactful scientific discoveries.
Cortes’ impact extends far beyond the workplace. She earned first place in the student competition at the Society for Theriogenology, where she presented the findings of her research. Additionally, her master’s thesis was showcased internationally, with presentations in Spain in 2024 and Portugal in 2025, bringing UGA’s theriogenology program global recognition.
Her work with small animal clients has also resulted in monetary donations to the department. Cortes’ contributions to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital will continue to benefit the program for years to come.
Additional graduate honorees
First runner-up Averi Caldwell, a graduate assistant for UGA Columns, was nominated by Krista Richmond. Second runner-up Armando Gomez, an environmental educator at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, was nominated by Emory Perry.
2025 Student Employee of the Year team award
A team of five student workers from the UGA Dining Services nutrition team received the 2025 Student Employee of the Year team award:
- Jessica Harris, family and consumer sciences
- Alyssa Johnson, master’s student, family and consumer sciences
- Anna Dupree, master’s student, family and consumer sciences
- Elizabeth Baran, undergraduate student, family and consumer sciences
- Abriana Byrd, undergraduate student, family and consumer sciences
The team, composed of nutrition managers, nutrition supervisors, nutrition clericals and dietetic interns, was nominated by Katherine Ingerson for their work implementing education within the dining commons.
“These students are intelligent, independent, driven, enthusiastic and hard-working,” Ingerson said. “They catch on remarkably fast to assignments and new concepts and never complain about the more boring, tedious or labor-intensive tasks. Instead, their work is always detail-orientated and thorough.”
This team is entrusted with a multitude of responsibilities from inputting food allergen information into the nutrient database to assisting with menu development, recipe entries and creating and posting nutrition labels. Additionally, these students support the food safety team with weekly audits across dining commons and retail locations on UGA’s campus.
“The camaraderie within this group is strong,” Ingerson said. “It is a privilege for me to mentor such an amazing group of hard-working and passionate students. They truly deserve to be recognized for their behind-the-scenes work for campus.”
About the award
Student Employee of the Year is an annual award determined by a 15-member selection committee that features faculty and staff members from across the UGA campus. The committee considers each nominated student based on the UGA competency criteria:
- Critical Thinking
- Analytical Thinking
- Communication
- Social Awareness & Responsibility
- Leadership & Collaboration
- Creativity & Innovation
The Student Employee of the Year awards are a creation of the National Student Employment Association, and awards are given out on hundreds of campuses across the nation.
