Kristin Nisbet-White named the UIS Employee of the Month for October 2021

Kristin Nisbet-White has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for October 2021. She is the Employer Development & Informatics Liaison at the UIS Career Development Center. In that role, she works to connect UIS students with employers. 

“Kristin has a strong work ethic and is well respected by her co-workers and members from other departments and in the community,” said her nominator. “Kristin does an incredible job leading and engaging others. She is incredibly detailed, thorough and dependable.”

Katherine Battee-Freeman, Nisbet-White’s supervisor, says she continually performs her job in a manner that merits the Employee of the Month Award.

“She is often the go-to person to resolve issues and find creative solutions to serving the needs of those we serve both at UIS and in the larger community,” Battee-Freeman said. 

During the pandemic, Nisbet-White found new ways to safely engage with students and employers, while always helping students present themselves in the best manner.

“The pandemic forced us to look at new ways of providing services and Kristin helped others feel comfortable embracing those new strategies and systems so that we could all work together smoothly with minimal stress about the unknown,” Battee-Freeman said. 

Nisbet-White continually improves her skills so that she can perform at the highest level; this includes becoming the subject matter expert on specific system changes that come from vendors and earning new certifications to expand her ability to work with both students and employers. 

She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers; Junior League of Springfield, Illinois; Central Illinois Chapter-Society of Human Resource Professionals and UIS Coalition Builders.

“Kristin is collaborative, friendly, and helpful in all her interactions,” Battee-Freeman said. “Even when she is personally stressed, she does not let that negatively affect her interactions with others. She is often the one who helps others get back to a place where they are comfortable moving forward even if something seemed like a challenge or problem.”

Nisbet-White’s nominator echoes the praise, saying that “Kristin is the type of employee that without a doubt, represents UIS and Student Affairs in a positive light at all times.”

“Kristin is an outstanding employee and UIS is lucky that she continues to work with us,” Battee-Freeman said. “She is a great example of a UIS alum who goes on the serve the public and make the world a better place through their work and personal lives.”

Adam Hall named the UIS Employee of the Month for September 2021

Adam Hall has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for September 2021. He is the head men’s soccer coach for UIS Athletics.

Hall was nominated for the award based on his continued collaboration with the UIS Graduate Public Service Internship Program (GPSI).

“Adam believes that all faculty and staff should be vigorously involved in recruiting students to UIS whether for academics, athletics or both,” said his nominator. “Adam has personally learned the nuances of the GPSI program and has avidly recruited graduate students for the soccer team, while encouraging them to apply for both the GPSI and GA programs to help defray the costs of their education and gain professional experience in their chosen field.”

He was successful, during the pandemic, in recruiting two international graduate students to UIS for both soccer and the GPSI program. Both students are enrolled in the MBA program and are thriving in their placements at state agencies.

Additionally, Hall has marketed the GPSI program to other UIS Athletics coaches who are interested in recruiting graduate students. He also continues to hold monthly check in meetings with the GPSI program to see how we might better coordinate and advance mutual goals. 

“This is the type of partnership and collaboration that I would like to have across campus programs and Adam is setting an example for all of us to model,” said his nominator.

Roy Brown III, Hall’s supervisor at the time he was nominated, praised him for his attentiveness and support of men’s soccer student-athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He went ‘over and beyond’ to make sure the men’s soccer student-athletes were taken care of when there were some in quarantine/isolation,” Brown said. “He was very attentive to their needs and wanted to make sure that their well-being was a priority.”

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Hall maintained an upbeat and encouraging attitude. He frequently served as a “sounding board” for everyone.

“Adam can be counted on to maintain a level of productivity every day,” Brown said. “For example, he will meet with a student-athlete via Zoom whether it is 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. It is a priority that his team is healthy and safe in order to be ready for their competitive season.”