Award Winners

Ryan Abbott
College of Agricultural Sciences
Ryan Abbott is the Manager of Special Projects and Communications for the College of Agricultural Sciences. As member of the Director’s Office Leadership Team, Ryan oversees and directs a broad range of high level projects, including strategic planning, legislative visits, statewide tours for the President’s Agriculture Advisory Committee, Coordination of Ag Day and the implementation and coordination of other selected and high profit program initiatives. In 2008, Ryan was instrumental in consolidating three sites of the Western Colorado Research Center. During this assignment, his colleagues praised his ability to develop, analyze, synthesize, and organize information and data from various sources to identify programmatic issues as well as information on agriculture and related industries in the fourteen county area served by WCRC.

More recently, when a decision was made to close the San Juan Basin research center, not only did Ryan assist with the development of all the aspects that needed to be considered, but he became directly engaged in executing equipment transfers, disposals, and sales. Ryan Abbott is truly one of those rare individuals that CSU is fortunate to have. He is simply a dedicated, highly motivated, and competent individual who has bettered CSU and his college through his day to day efforts.

Guy Arnesen
Housing & Dining Services Administration
Guy Arnesen is the Training Coordinator for Housing and Dining Services. While he has been at CSU since 1972 and served in various roles – including student hourly custodian, resident assistant, hall director, resident hall complex coordinator, associate director in Residence Life, and Safety and Training Coordinator – Guy is most recognized by his colleagues for going above and beyond in collaborating with other university programs and departments. One of many significant examples to illustrate his contribution harkens back to the mid-80’s when CSU built the first ropes course on campus. For 10 years, Guy partnered with the Director of the Outdoor Education Program to conduct annual facilitator training – a 150 hour commitment, all done in addition to his regular duties). In addition he invested his own time and energy completing the stringent requirements to become a certified Ropes Course Director from Project Adventure, Inc. His dedication to conducting outstanding facilitation and training garnered him tremendous professional respect from 200+ trainees over those 10 years. More recently, Guy has demonstrated his dedication to the growth and development of students with his position as a faculty member of the Student Affairs in Higher Education graduate program. Many of his students have joined other institutions of higher education as successful, influential professionals, attributing much of their success to his expert coaching and mentoring.

Guy’s colleagues recognize and appreciate his genuine interest in helping others to create self-awareness. He encourages in others the type of responsibility that enhances their ability to direct their own life. He is an unassuming professional who puts others’ success before his own. By doing so, he has achieved great things! Guy has made CSU proud over the years and he epitomizes the university’s mission of teaching and service.

Thom Hadley
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Thom Hadley is the Executive Director of CVMBS Operations and serves as the Dean’s chief of staff while overseeing approximately 60 FTE in support of the College’s tripartite missions in teaching, service, and outreach. Thom Hadley literally “grew up” in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He began his career with CVMBS in 1989 as a developer for the computer resources group with his primary responsibility for the development of the electronic medical record system for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Thom quickly excelled and became the Director of Information Technology in for CVMBS with operations oversight for the computer resources group. In November 2012, Thom assumed his current position in CVMBS, where his colleagues applaud him as a visionary leader with the unique sense to see and tap into the potential wealth and benefits which exist in otherwise overwhelmingly large and confusing data sets. Thom’s major initiatives, such as the “Cold Fusion” reporting tool and eThority, arose from humble roots within CVMBS to become widely valued tools across campus.

Thom has gone above and beyond as a leader at Colorado State University. He balances his college responsibilities with his passion to help others and make a lasting impression on anyone he has worked for, or with, at CSU.

Christina Kuroiwa
CSU Health Network
Christina Kuroiwa is a primary care physician at the CSU Health Network. She joined the staff of the CSU Health Network in 2006 and she brings a unique background to the clinic. In addition to her family practice certification, she is a specialist in Natural Therapeutics, which uses healing modalities designed to promote health by supporting natural healing processes, rather than by fighting the symptoms of disease. Perhaps this unique aspect of Christina’s background helped her address the unique needs of CSU’s transgendered student population.

When Christina began seeing increased numbers of transgender students with unique health needs, she made an effort to partner with others at CSU to form the Integrated Transgender Team at the CSU Health Network.

Additionally, Christina has fostered several university initiatives in Ethiopia and played an integral part in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory’s International Strategic Partnership with Hawassa University. In 2009, she volunteered to serve on the first delegation to Ethiopia, which included 10 CSU representatives. She was instrumental in organizing and directing all pre-travel health needs and insured that everybody remained healthy throughout the trip. While in Ethiopia, Christina recognized the emerging partnerships and took the initiative to research hospitals and medical facilities to assess both health risks and quality of care for CSU students and faculty planning to work in Ethiopia. Christina is extremely passionate about caring for others around her, and especially for providing services to those with the greatest needs. The way that she lives her life reflects her intent to make CSU and the world a better place.