Pictured: Jason Irei and Erica Davis at the awards ceremony. Deborah Manog Dimaya photo.
By Deborah Manog Dimaya, UH Med Now
The University of Hawaiʻi’s Research Corporation of the Pacific (RCUH) recognized two John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) staff members during its annual “Outstanding Employee of the Year” awards.
Erica Davis, Associate Director for the Hawai’i/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) at JABSOM, was nominated in the “Outstanding Researcher/Project Manager/Professional” category and tied for the second place title with Christian Miki or the University of Hawai’i (UH) College of Natural Sciences.
Watch the RCUH-produced video for Erica Davis:
Erica’s leadership in grant writing and budgeting was instrumental in AHEC receiving four million dollars in federal funding. Her peers describe her as a burst of energy to the team.
“Every morning when she (Davis) comes in, itʻs like she gives a little bit of Red Bull to the entire office. She walks in and asks, ‘hey how’s it going? What are you working on? How can I help you?ʻ And she makes time every day, no matter how busy she is, to check in with all of her employees,” said Nicole Peltzer, Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Program Associate.
Davis says the honor of being named the runner up “Employee of the Year” feels amazing but is quick to point the attention back to her team.
“I have to thank Dr. Kelley Withy and the AHEC staff for their nomination and gratefully express that this award would not be possible without all of their hard work and dedication,” said Davis.
Davis adds,”I look forward to building upon our promise to help any student in Hawaiʻi who is interested in a health career. I am committed in stressing the importance of having a Workplace Wellness Policy to ensure that our staff have the opportunity to refresh and recharge. I am truly honored.”
Also, nominated for “Employee of the Year in the Project Support Staff” category was Jason Irei, the sole research assistant in Dr. William Boisvert’s laboratory at the JABSOM Kaka’ako campus. Irei, nominated by Dr. Boisvert for his incredible commitment and work ethic, earned an honorable mention at the RCUH awards luncheon.
“He has his hands full but Jason really stepped up to the plate and did more than his share. Iʻve never seen someone at his level giving more time and dedication to the work that heʻs doing than Iʻve seen with Jason,” said Principal Investigator Dr. Boisvert, of UH JABSOM.
In addition to his regular work duties for the UH Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCR), Irei spends a lot of time doing experimental labor with Jon Yap, a post-doctoral researcher who does not have use of his arms or fine motor skills. Irei often works late into the evenings and on weekends.
“It was an honor to be nominated for this award. I really enjoy what I do and it’s a privilege to be part of the Bosivert Lab and the CCR,” said Jason Irei.
Watch the RCUH-produced video for Jason Irei:
The 2018 Awards Ceremony was held November 5, 2018 at the Wai’alae Country Club. Davis and Irei were among eight other individuals and five teams nominated for the annual awards. Each nominee is considered a valuable asset in the workplace, having demonstrated significant and exemplary contributions to their projects over the last year(s).
Congratulations to Erica Davis and Jason Irei, JABSOM is lucky to have you!