Scholarships & Professional Development
Staff Council offers 色花堂 staff members various scholarships, professional development programs and leadership development opportunities.
Staff Council programs provide a sense of unity, pride and achievement that empower the 色花堂’s community in its journey to the next milestone of excellence together.
Support Staff Scholarship and Professional Development
Staff Council scholarships are made possible by continuous support from the President's Office and fellow staff members.
- Give Online: You can pledge to the scholarship and professional development reimbursement funds online by visiting or by submitting the for payroll deduction.
Give to Staff Professional Development-HC54402RN and the Students of Staff Scholarship-HC54401RN - Text-to-Give: Text the specified keyword below to 71777
Renae B. Milton Students of Staff Scholarship Keyword: StudentsofStaff
Staff Council Rebecca Szwarc Professional Development Reimbursement Keyword: StaffProfDev - MobileCause Desktop: Click on one of the initiatives below to make a one-time or recurring gift of any amount.
- Give Online: You can pledge to the scholarship and professional development reimbursement funds online by visiting or by submitting the for payroll deduction.
Scholarship FAQ
Q: When does the Staff Council start accepting applications?
A: Staff Council starts to accept scholarship applications from the 1st of March to the 31st of March. Any application deadline extensions will be published on the Staff Council website.
Q: Where is the link for the scholarship application form?
A: For SC/WGRC
For Students of Staff
Q: What are the criteria for SC/WGRC Scholarship?
A: Applicant should be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at 色花堂. For additional information, please see
Q: What are the criteria for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship?
A: The parent of the Applicant must be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at 色花堂. For additional information, please see
Q: Am I eligible to apply for the SC/WGRC Scholarship if I am the recipient in previous years?
A: Yes, prior year award recipients are welcome to apply every year.
Q: Can I apply for both Staff Council/WGRC Scholarship and HR Staff Scholarship at the same time?
A: Yes, these 2 scholarships are not related, and we encourage you to apply for both.
Q: Does B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship apply to TA, CWS, etc?
A: Your parent should be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at 色花堂. For additional information, please see
Q: Can I use a recommendation letter from outside of 色花堂?
A: You may include a recommendation letter from outside 色花堂, such as a previous employer, teacher, or organization. Please remember to include your recommendation letters in your application package.
Q: If I am just accepted into the Ph.D. program at 色花堂, am I eligible to apply for the SC/WGRC Scholarship?
A: Yes
Q: If I am admitted to 色花堂 as a Freshman, can I still apply for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff scholarship?
A: Yes, you can use your High School grade for your application.
Q: I am very interested and intend to apply for the scholarship. I see that the requirements highlight an academic credit course. Does this exclude certification programs offered through 色花堂?
A: Unfortunately, the Staff Council/WGRC scholarship only applies towards 色花堂 academic credit courses. For non-色花堂 academic credit course financial assistance, please visit
Q: What is FERPA?
A: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (a.k.a. FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) protects a student’s right to privacy concerning their academic records and information. The 色花堂 will not disclose any information without the written consent from the student, with some exceptions as stated by FERPA. There are some types of information such as grades, financial aid, or class schedules that parents might like to receive but under FERPA, parents can not have access to these records unless the student gives written permission to the University. This means that even if you are paying the bills, you can not access your student’s educational records.
To learn more, visit .
FERPA form:
Q: What records does FERPA cover?
A: FERPA regulations give privacy protection to all students’ “educational records”. Education records are broadly defined as “those records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.” Examples of FERPA records include grades, transcripts, discipline records and class schedules.
2024-2025 Scholarship Award Recipients
Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship
Kelly Tran
Optometry, Professional
Parent (Staff) Kim-Hue Tran, Program Director, Finance and Admin Office of ProvostIsabel Issakhan
Exercise Science, (CLASS)
Parent (Staff) Genevieve Lee, Project Manager, Student ServicesStaff Council Scholarships
Allison Sullivan
Program Coordinator, Career & Development Alumni
Major: MSW Social Work
Chelsea Martinez
Assistant Director, Center for Student Advocacy
Major: PhD EducationDaniel Chang
Executive Director, Academic Affairs
Major: PhD Biomedical Engineering
Julia Brown
Communications Manager, The Honors College
Major: PhD CLASS
Katherine Frazier
Director, Cullen College of Engineering
Major: MS Engineering
Laura Zavala-Membreno
Director, Women and Gender Resource Center
Major: PhD Education
Stephanie Perez-Gill
Program Director, College of Education ACES Institute
Major: PhD Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies
Toria Jones
Sexual Misconduct Support Services Manager
Major: MSW Social Work
Maria Honey
Director of Student Services, Bauer College of Business
Major: PhD Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies
Gabriel Grady
Program Director, Center for Student Empowerment
Major: MSW Social WorkWomen & Gender Resource Center Advisory Committee Scholarships
Aketra Bowens
Academic Advisor 2, Economics
Major: PhD Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies
Amy Reid
Director of Student Services, Galveston SBDC Bauer College of Business
Major: BA Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Carina Pouraryan
Development Associate, Medicine and Health Advancement
Major: MS Business
Lawrence Nissen
System Analyst I, Information Technology Availibility Center
Major: MS EngineeringStephanie Eisenbaum
Program Director 2, GLOBE Program | Adjunct Faculty
Major: PhD Social Work
2022 Staff Excellence Awards
President's Excellence Award Recipients
President's Innovation Award
Bilal Trufant, Developer, College of Liberal Arts and Social SciencesPresident's Community Service Award
Stacey Halley, Sr. Director of Advancement, College of Natural Sciences and MathematicsPresident's Excellence Awards
Effective Leader
Nikki Duncan, Recruitment Manager, Human Resources Department
Lenay Johnson, Director, Admissions and Recruitment, Graduate and Professional Programs, C.T. Bauer College of Business
Tristan Sims,Program Director, Undergraduate Studies, College of Natural Sciences and MathematicsAdministrative Professional
Stacia Dunn, Assistant Director, Academic Affairs and Student Success, Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts
Michelle Nodskov, Program Manager, Office of First Year Programs, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Trinity Rinear, Director, Bonner Leaders Program, The Honors CollegeClerical
Jasmine Harrison, Development Coordinator, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Sylvia Landa, Clinic Coordinator, Pediatric and Binocular Vision Services, University Eye Institute
Jane Tragesser, Clinic Director, Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Liberal Arts and Social SciencesTechnical, Service, and Craft
Ralph Brown, Electronics Tech, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering
Ivey Davis, User Services Specialist Lead, UIT - Technology Services and Support
Robert Dial, Electrical Tech, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cullen College of EngineeringC.F. McElhinney Distinguished Service Award
Recipients of this award are staff members who consistently contribute at the highest level to the teaching and service objectives of our University. They are true leaders and role models. Candidates for the McElhinney Award come from the pool of previous Staff Excellence Award recipients. The McElhinney Award, therefore, recognizes the best of the best.
Maggie Mahoney
Director, Global Engagement