First Shukran Awards Recognize Distinguished Staff Contributions

At a special reception yesterday with President Lisa Anderson, eight AUC staff members received the Fall 2015 Shukran (Thank You) awards, established this year as part of a set of new reward programs to recognize staff members’ distinguished achievements and ongoing contributions.

The awardees, who come from different departments and offices at the University, were nominated based on three categories: Value and Behaviors, High Performance and Going Beyond the Call of Duty. This is the first year AUC staff members were nominated by colleagues and selected by a committee. The awardees are:

1. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, office aid I, Department of Political Science
2. Hend Mostafa, program assistant, School of Continuing Education, Programs and Partnerships,
3. Hesham Atallah, maintenance operations coordinator, Office of Facilities and Operations/Maintenance
4. Karam Al Waziri, security guard II, Security Office
5. Mohamed Amin, head of medical services, Office of Medical Services
6. Nagi Naguib, budget officer, Office of Budget and Financial Planning
7. Sameh Helmy, senior technician, Department of the Arts, theatre unit
8. Sherif Zoheir, assistant director for undergraduate admission, Office of Admissions

Mohamed Amin, head of medical services, was honored for his outstanding leadership role and true commitment in managing the medical care services at AUC. “My goal has always been to provide a premium service to the community that I belong to,” he said. “With the dedication and support of my incredible team, the AUC community has access to first-rate primary medical care, which they deserve. This award means the world to me, since I am the happiest when I know that I have succeeded in serving the AUC community and making their experience on and off campus better.”

For Nagi Naguib, budget officer, the Shukran award serves as a motivation to continue excelling in his work and to be more creative. “The most successful organizations are those that recognize and reward their teams’ efforts because finding and keeping talented employees is difficult,” he said. “Receiving the Shukran award will encourage me to achieve higher and be more innovative at my job.”

Security guard Karam Al Waziri was honored for his superior performance in carrying out safety and security services at the University. “I am very thankful to be recognized by the Office of Human Resources at AUC,” he said. “I thank God for the pleasant work environment that AUC provides and for my family members, who provide the perfect atmosphere at home, which helps me in being successful at work.”

For Sherif Zoheir, assistant director of admissions, the award came as a surprise. “This award was unexpected,” he said. “After 20 years of service, it is an amazing feeling to be appreciated. I am blessed to be working in an organization that shows appreciation to its employees.”

Also receiving the Shukran award was Adel Abdel Ghaffar, office aid in the Department of Political Science. “This acknowledgement will encourage me to exert more effort toward the University’s advancement,” Abdel Ghaffar said. “I thank everyone I work with at the department and President Lisa Anderson for this award program, as it makes us feel appreciated and that we have an important role at AUC.”

Expressing the same sentiments, Sameh Helmy, senior technician in the Department of the Arts, noted, “I couldn’t be more proud for being honored for my work accomplishments. I am thankful for my colleagues and AUC for recognizing my efforts.” 

In addition to receiving a recognition award, the awardees were invited to attend a breakfast reception with President Lisa Anderson during which they received a symbolic gift. “The program is designed to inspire, motivate and engage staff and management to produce high-quality work,” said Rania Attia, director of human resource affairs. “The purpose is also to thank them for their contributions to the University, which is why the award is called ‘Shukran.’There is no better way to inspire a team than with recognition.”