On June 4, colleagues held homemade signs, waved pompoms, and cheered loudly for award recipients in Kresge Auditorium. Twenty individuals and three teams received MIT Excellence Awards — the Institute’s highest honor for staff. Additional honors included the Collier Medal, the Staff Award for Distinction in Service, and the Gordon Y. The Collier Medal honors the memory of MIT police officer Sean Collier, who gave his life in service to the MIT community. Recipients embody a deep commitment to community and approach their work with compassion for others. The Staff Award for Distinction in Service is presented to an individual who approaches their work with kindness, empathy, and approachability, and serves as a trusted adviser at the Institute.

Billard Award is given to staff or faculty members, or MIT-affiliated individuals, who make "significant and lasting contribu… His acts of kindness are woven into the atmosphere he creates, and alumni regard him as someone who shaped an important part of their early adult lives. This year’s winner of the Staff Award for Distinction in Service was Christina Couch, associate director and lecturer, MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing, Comparative Media Studies, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (SHASS). Couch has been an invaluable member of the SHASS community — as a student, alumna, and staff member. Through her work, she has created opportunities for students to interact and build relationships with professional journalists, and underlying everything she does is her compassion and deep belief in student potential. Three community members were honored…