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Hoos Building Bridges celebrates cross-disciplinary partnerships and projects among UVA team members, and honors recipients for their leadership and efforts in establishing strong relationships that contribute to success and innovation across Grounds. The University launched the awards in 2019, building on a vision UVA President Jim Ryan outlined in his first Opening Convocation address — a university community of people who, when in doubt, “build a bridge.”

Five individuals and two teams were well-deserved recipients of the 2025 Hoos Building Bridges award and will be honored at a reception on June 24 at the Rotunda. They have demonstrated exemplary efforts in building bridges and partnering internally across the University. Awardees will be presented with framed certificates and a $250 monetary award from President Ryan that will be added to their paychecks.

Please congratulate these exceptional award winners when you see them!

Individual winners include:

• Amanda Crombie, Senior Assistant Dean for Students and Academic Programs
• Karen Forsman, Administrator, Heart and Vascular, University Medical Center
• Lela Garner, Student Outreach and Engagement Manager
• Nicole Miceli, Program Lead, Family Support Collab
• Christoph Reinicke, IT Director, School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Team winners include:

• Mandy Eppard, Dr. Kristen Atkins, and Dr. Nathan Roberts — Pathology-Oncology-HR team
• Hollie Lee, Claudio Otero, Elijah Harrison, Reyshawn Jones, Antonio Steadman, and Victoria Maxey — Pipelines & Pathways team

Visit the UVA HR website to learn what these deserving individuals and teams did to win the Hoos Building Bridges Award.

Announcements about nominations for the 2026 Hoos Building Bridges Award will come out in the spring.