UNO Names Katie Larson Employee of the Month

Katie Larson, assistant director of academic advising for the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, has been named UNO’s employee of the month for January 2022.

Larson, who was nominated for her extraordinary hard work and leadership, was surprised by the UNO Prize Patrol on Thursday, Jan. 27, to celebrate the occasion.

“Ms. Larson is one of the strongest people I know. The Spring 2020 term to the present has been challenging for all,” her nominator said. “Through all of this she made accommodations for students to see her in the afternoons and evenings so she could homeschool her kids in the mornings. She was still up at 5 or 6 am answering student emails and completing assistant director projects such as managing our waitlists.”

As assistant director of academic advising, Larson takes on many roles outside of creating and editing documents. She also advises students, collects and analyzes data, serves as a professional development leader, and trains new staff.

“I cannot emphasize how critical Katie’s work is to our office operations. There is not one form or website page that has not had her touch,” her nominator added. “When any sort of artsy or promotional document needs to be made, our heads turn to Katie.”

In addition to managing many responsibilities, Larson also creates a welcoming space for advisors.

“Starting a new job is always a little daunting. Starting during COVID and remote work is even more crazy, but Katie has been there for me every step of the way,” another supporter said. "Whether it was answering my questions, sharing perfect email templates, walking me through something, staying on Zoom with me while making plans of study so I had emotional support, or even just meetings to check in - I would not have made a successful transition without her.”

For being awarded as Employee of the Month, Larson will receive a certificate, hot/cold tumbler, monetary award, two tickets to a UNO sporting event, and use of a designated parking space.

Do you want to submit a nominee for Employee of the Month? Use our newly-launching People Are Everything software to access the Employee of the Month nomination form.

Questions about Employee of the Month? Contact Kristina Hoffmann at kristinahoffmann@unomaha.edu.