Applause for Jessica Periago

“Jessica took over as Lab Manager and has made an enormous difference in the day to day functions of our undergraduate labs. She plays a pivotal role in the undergraduate experience from start to finish. Whether it be the training of the TA's that teach the labs, working with the safety committee to ensure the safety of the labs, assisting with the renovation process for the new labs or any of the other numerous tasks she has to do, Jessica is always looking out for the best interests of the department. She is definitely a team player and translates the knowledge she learned playing on UNL's Women's Basketball team, under Coach Connie Yori, to the team environment at UNL Chemistry. She knows how to roll up her sleeves and get a job done. It would be an honor to nominate Jessica for an Applause Award through the College of Arts and Sciences!”

• • •

“Jessica’s dedication shows in all aspects of her work. She has reorganized and streamlined the labs to run more efficiently. She is responsible for managing and assisting TA’s, ensuring safety in the undergraduate labs and prepping for Chemistry Day. She is always willing to help where needed. Jessica is very deserving of the Applause award!”

• • •

“Jessica has taken on the job of lab manager while she is finishing her degree in Chemistry from UNL. She has shown a high degree of organization in her position. She has arranged equipment in teaching labs to create effective use of material and equipment by teaching assistants and students. She has demonstrated an energy level that is almost contagious as she leads her staff in rearranging how things are done. She is, when necessary, a disciplinarian, enforcing regulations on wayward students poor conduct (cheating) or lab hygiene and practices. She demonstrates concern for staff feelings over her changes and for their understanding of their importance within the chemistry department. She give direction and allows staff to operate within those guidelines without undue supervision. She listens to staff explain past operations or opinions about current and future trends and supports good ideas from them. She deserves recognition for her efforts and spirit on behalf of the department and university!”

• • •

“Jessica is a team player. She is very fun to be around, and is very task/work oriented. She is high energy and gets the job done. She has the labs working at high capacity, and is very conscious of what needs to be done, cleaned up, reorganized, and safe. She seems to have fit into this busy work environment by diving in and has a very good knowledge of the job. What she needed to learn, she has. I think she is very deserving of this nomination and deserves to be awarded the Applause Award!”

• • •

“Jessica has single-handedly revamped the Lab Manager position, raising standards for TA performance while also providing them with all the support they need. She excelled at navigating the intricacies of dealing with unhappy students, TAs, and parents. She has taken the lead on enhancing the general chemistry lab curriculum by refining lab activities, developing slides to standardize the information students are provided across sections, refining lab practicals, and holding weekly meeting with all TAs to ensure that problems are addressed quickly. She also brings a lot of fun to the position: yesterday (Halloween) she dressed up as the witch from the Wizard of Oz and performed a fun pumpkin demonstration in all the general chemistry lectures! Students loved it!”