The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences recognizes the hard work and dedication of our staff members through the Core Impact Awards, an annual staff recognition award. This initiative honors individuals whose actions reflect the Krieger School’s values, create a meaningful, positive impact on our workplace, and help fulfill the school’s academic mission. Recipients receive a monetary award for their dedication and exemplary efforts.
Each spring, the Krieger School Human Resources team will call for nominations. All staff and faculty are asked to
consider the full-time staff in their division or across the Krieger School with at least one year of service
at the Krieger School.
Eligibility
- Must be a permanent, full-time employee of Johns Hopkins University in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
- Must be in a staff position
- Must be in good standing with the university and have a satisfactory job performance review
- Must have a minimum of one year of service at the Krieger School
- Excludes
o Student employees and faculty
o Winners from previous years
o Deans Office Leadership in executive level appointed positions may be nominated but
are not eligible to receive a monetary award
2025 winners
Ruth Aranow, academic advisor, academic advising
Ruth Aranow has worked at Johns Hopkins University for almost 50 years, and she exemplifies our discovery and integrity values. According to her nominations, Aranow has “helped all of us in the office discover innovative and effective ways to support and connect with students,” embodying both curiosity and principled action. Her research on the impact of binaural beats on concentration, combined with gathering student feedback and monitoring academic progress demonstrates her dedication to evidence-based inquiry.
Dana Brenner, Senior laboratory manager, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Nominations say that Brenner inspires those around her to pursue excellence in research through her deep expertise, hands-on mentorship, and dedication to quality. She makes sure all of the students, postdocs and other researchers know why we do things, and has even produced her own standards for our isotope ratio mass spectrometer—a best practice that supports data integrity and advances research.
Brian Cole, Senior software engineer, Center for Teaching Excellence & Innovation
Cole exemplifies our community and impact values by bringing people together, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that Johns Hopkins remains not just an institution, but a true community. His nominations refer to him as a “campus-zen master” and “unsung hero.” Cole supports everything from course design to accessible tech integration with everyone’s best interests in mind.