Justine Hollingshead awarded NC State Award for Excellence

Everyday, Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) faculty and staff do amazing things. Each year the NC State University Awards for Excellence provides a public platform to recognize the accomplishments of some of our most deserving colleagues.

In July, DASA’s Justine Hollingshead was named one of five award recipients for her service to NC State following a tragedy which reached national headlines. The loss of the three Wolfpack members who would become known as Our Three Winners left our community shaken and struggling to find a positive outlet for our grief.

Justine approached this difficult situation with the same dedication that she exhibits every day. But in the wake of tragedy, her confidence and fortitude served to unite our community, bringing peace and the opportunity to join together for healing.

As an Awards for Excellence recipient, Justine will be submitted for consideration for the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, the highest honor awarded to a State employee, along with 86 other nominees from across the state.

The award submission for Justine is below:

February 11, 2015, the NC State community was rocked by news that two alumni and a current student were murdered at their home in Chapel Hill. In the days following, Justine Hollingshead showed leadership, grace, and strength of character in handling this tragic event that brought national attention to NC State. Justine brought together all facets of the university to ensure students were cared for, the families of the victims had university support, and the community at large had a place to heal. She was the conduit through which we were able to host a funeral, a call to prayer, and a candlelight vigil all within 24 hours of learning of the death of “Our Three Winners”. She guided the on-campus response that helped morale on campus and showed that in a crisis, NC State can be an example of what to do on a national stage.