Hawkeye High-Five is a recognition program that allows faculty and staff across the university to give a "high-five" to a colleague for their contributions, teamwork, or extra effort.

Developed by University Human Resources, the program is a great way to show appreciation and highlight the positive impact employees are making across campus.

Below is a selection of high-fives submitted in December through the easy-to-use recognition form.

Congratulations to everyone who received recognition.

John Heinrich, manager of capital accounting, Financial Operations, UI Health Care, was recognized by Kristin Brewbaker

^{Nathan and I wanted to send you a "High-Five" to thank you for all your support as we navigate a new software into the Strata software.}

^{You provide such excellent customer service to your colleagues! You're very patient, thorough in providing information, and describe it in a way that makes sense to us. We very much appreciate your partnership on the process.}

^{Thank you so much!}

Adriana Ojeda, lead instructional designer, Distance and Online Education, was recognized by Madison Schulte

^{Adriana has gone above and beyond to help me navigate the creation and maintenance of an ICON site that both helps me as the instructor and (more importantly) supports student access in an online course.}

^{She has made everything that feels overwhelming increasingly easier to approach. She continues to offer ongoing support in a genuine way, and I feel so grateful.}

Thomas McNamar, revenue cycle representative, Patient Financial Services, UI Health Care, was recognized by Amanda Worrell

^{I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the exceptional support you provided to a patient who was concerned about her billing statement. Your willingness to listen, collaborate with coding and billing, and personally follow up to reassure her truly demonstrates our commitment to patient-centered care.}

^{The patient expressed how grateful she was for your kindness and the time you took to ease her worries. Your actions went above and beyond and reflect excellent teamwork, compassion, and professionalism.}

^{Thank you for representing our organization so well and for making such a positive impact on this patient's experience.}

Thomas McMillan, administrative services coordinator, Enrollment Management, was recognized by Brooke Merkel

^{Thomas is an outstanding team member whose positivity and dedication make a tremendous impact every day. His eagerness to help, commitment to learning, and genuinely great personality set him apart.}

^{Watching Thomas support students and mentor those he supervises is inspiring – his care for their success is evident in everything he does. Simply put, Thomas embodies excellence, and if we could clone him 177 times, we absolutely would!}

Damien Ihrig, curator, John Martin Rare Book Room & Collection Management, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, was recognized by Katherine Beydler

^{Thank you, Damien, for being such an excellent guide for students in the Hardin Library's John Martin Rare Book Room.}

^{When I surveyed my class about what they remembered most from the course on our final day, several of them wrote about their trip to see the books with you:}

^{"I learned about woodblock printing during the rare book room visit."}

^{"I found the field trips to see the books to be super interesting and fun. I saw the development of understanding anatomy and the reasoning behind it."}

^{You help the past come alive for them and facilitate a really transformative learning experience.}

Layce Jacobsen, clinical research nurse coordinator, Pediatric Critical Care, UI Health Care, was recognized by Brittany Allendorf

^{Thank you for your consistent positivity and kind smile every day. You are a joy to work with, and our team only has good things to say about you!}

^{You are always working hard to make sure the work is getting done and your efforts are more than appreciated. You have been in the clinical research nurse coordinator role for Pediatric Critical Care for almost a year, but you have already integrated yourself into the team like you have been here for ten.}

^{I'm excited to continue working with you and growing our group together.}

In addition to a Hawkeye High-Five, consider other ways to celebrate your colleagues:

• Employee recognition notecards: Send a handwritten thank you note with Iowa-branded cards.
• Supervisor guide to recognition: The guide provides practical tools for recognizing employees, including recognition types, tiers, policies, ideas, and resources, as well as using AI as a recognition partner.