Employee of the Month - January 2023
Nancy de Haro - Lead Advisor and Coordinator for Liberal Studies - College of Education
Awarded Wednesday, January 18, 2023, via Zoom Virtual celebration. Nancy was joined by President Jane Close Conoley, College of Education (CED) Dean Anna Ortiz, Associate Deans Rebecca Bustamante and Laura Portnoi, Interim Department Chair Nat Hansuvadha, CED Administrative Services Manager Carrie Hernandez, and numerous CED and campus colleagues.
Nancy de Haro has made numerous outstanding contributions to the College of Education and University as a whole. Because of her exemplary work, she was recently promoted to the position of Lead Academic Advisor for the Liberal Studies advising team. Nancy is a proud alumna of CSULB's College of Education and has had the pleasure of working with CED students for the past five years.
Aleah Garnica, Nancy’s previous supervisor and the prior Lead Academic Advisor for Liberal Studies shared, “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Nancy as a colleague for years, and I recognize that she is and always has been an ‘outstanding’ employee of the campus based on her involvement and leadership as both a staff member and lecturer, as well as due to her own personal demeanor and ambitions.
“Within the Department of Liberal Studies, Nancy has been a skillful and supportive professional Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator since her arrival in 2017 to the College of Education. She is very organized and patient in her work with the undergraduate student population, and always completes tasks (even if suddenly implemented) in a timely manner, with excellence. Aside from standard work responsibilities and tasks in advising, she has exemplified qualities of a natural leader and collaborator by taking on additional workloads and responsibilities over the years in the name of student support, including: developing and coordinating Sophomore-Year Workshops for 2nd year students, transitioning first-year advising and orientation to online platforms, taking on the role of College Liaison for the Beach Pledge Program and re-enrollment campaign efforts (university-wide), coordinating the Liberal Studies bi-weekly email newsletters during Fall/Spring, and supporting (and tracking) students who are pursuing the Spanish Bilingual Authorization, in addition to their degree and/or credentials. Nancy also, while going above and beyond in all these ways, continues to train and supervise our Liberal Studies Peer Mentors annually, to further support and guide our students. She carries a huge weight in our Department, for both students and the institution, and I am eternally grateful.
“Aside from being a full-time professional Staff Member, Nancy also wears the hat of a part-time Lecturer at CSULB, who has been teaching L/ST 111 ‘Critical Thinking and Public Education’ since 2018. With her educational background in earning an MA in Social and Cultural Analysis of Education, as well as with her personal interests in higher education and social justice/equity, she was a sought-out candidate for teaching this course by the previous Department Chair – and she’s been succeeding well in this role, ever since. Direct reviews and comments of Nancy’s classroom experience by former students include that ‘she is a great professor’ who is ‘always available’ and ‘really teaches you stuff about the real world in education’. Another student has also said that ‘her class is very welcome, caring, and safe’ which is a goal we should all strive for within our realms.
“Along with these two positions at CSULB, Nancy has also exemplified overwhelming achievement in service to both the College and University as a whole, through committee work and involvement. Within the College of Education, Nancy was nominated onto and part of the CED Planning Committee, which involved coordinating and supporting efforts for College Meetings for both faculty and staff on a monthly basis. And for the university, Nancy has been an important asset for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + Campus Climate Committee (LGBTQIA+CCC). Through this work, she regularly collaborates with various segments of the University to recruit, retain, and promote the success of LGBTQIA+ students, staff, faculty, and administrators at CSULB, as well as uphold the University’s commitment to diversity and global engagement through advocacy. Her daily work stretches beyond the classroom or advising appointments, particularly through this committee work that she has provided on her own terms.
“Nancy’s resume and professional expertise and experiences proves her excellence and how much of a vital resource she is for our campus community at CSULB, as well as for future generations of educators moving through our program(s). As her supervisor for the past years, I can confidently say that she makes all of our jobs a little easier through her constant support and collaboration, and the students she works with really cherish her and the help she provides them.”
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Shae Miller, who worked with Nancy on the LGBTQIA+CCC, praised Nancy, “One of the strong points of Nancy as a leader is that she has a really remarkable ability to take in multiple perspectives and see the larger picture. She’s really diplomatic and incredibly nuanced and insightful. She doesn’t sacrifice the actual substance of what is needed.”
Fellow Liberal Studies advisor, Gabe Rodriguez, added, “Whether it be in the roller rink or in the office, she's a proven team player. She is a dedicated and knowledgeable faculty, staff, and CED Staff Advisory Council member. She's truly proven to be an exemplary colleague in the College of Education. We are lucky to have her!”
In her free time, Nancy enjoys the beach, roller skating, and her favorite past-time of playing roller derby with the L.A. Derby Dolls.