Vicky Gonzalez Recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences
Nancy Keil Service Excellence Award
In recognition of staff having established a well-deserved reputation for sustained excellence and initiative in providing technical or administrative support service, and for consistently approaching one’s responsibilities with a professionalism that demonstrates dedication to the welfare of students and others and that leads by example.
Vicky Gonzalez, Department Manager for the Religious Studies Department, has been selected to receive the Nancy Keil Service Excellence Award in recognition of her commitment to providing outstanding and thorough support to everyone she encounters at Santa Clara University.
Vicky’s demeanor and skill give her colleagues and the students she supports a sense of confidence and welcome. With 33 years at SCU and 26 years supporting the Department of Religious Studies, her commitment to the University’s mission, its faculty, staff, and students, is remarkable.
Vicky is a calm and welcoming presence in Kenna Hall, supporting almost 40 faculty who teach over 160 courses for nearly 4000 students per year. She has a keen sense of anticipating needs and staying on top of deadlines, and is always thinking ahead to prevent last minute rushes or crises. She's sort of like Radar from the show MASH—on top of things before anyone even asks.
In her care for others, Vicky fosters the desire in department members to do the same for each other. And she does so with a constantly calm, gentle spirit, no matter the anxiety level of those around her (especially distraught students). She has been especially good at mentoring and welcoming student assistants into the department who support her in her work and appreciate her ability to manage them.
Thanks to her generous spirit and long institutional memory, Vicky serves far more than just the Religious Studies community here on campus. She is a mentor and resource to other department managers in the College. To top things off, she is a dedicated baseball fan, especially her beloved Giants; check out the great bobblehead collection on her desk!
Congratulations to Vicky on winning the 2024 Nancy Keil Service Award!