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Awards

Teten, Wallace Receive Awards for Excellence

Meghan Teten, EcoVillage director, and Scott Wallace, senior regional facilities manager, have received Awards for Excellence at the university level.

Meghan Teten and Scott Wallace

Each year, NC State University and the State of North Carolina present “Awards for Excellence.” This year, Division of Academic and Student Affairs team members Meghan Teten, EcoVillage director, and Scott Wallace, senior regional facilities manager, are receiving the honor at the university level in recognition of their stellar contributions to their teams, the division, and the university community. This award is the most prestigious honor bestowed upon non-faculty employees.

Meghan Teten Steps up in Residential Education’s Challenging Times

Portrait of Meghan Teten
Meghan Teten

In a year filled with challenges, obstacles and surprises, Teten’s contributions to Residential Learning (formerly Living and Learning Initiatives) within University Housing were seemingly inexhaustible. During the summer and a good part of the fall term, University Housing found itself missing its direct supervisor (who was out on medical leave) as well as another team member. Teten stepped up and embraced the additional responsibilities in such a way that she was effectively doing the work of three people.

Teten, now on maternity leave with her month-old daughter, said, “What we do in student housing and throughout DASA is all centered around the student experience and making sure they feel welcomed from the moment they step onto campus. Our team is dedicated to making sure that they have that sense of belonging. I am fully committed to this and my sense of responsibility for focusing on the student experience is what earned me this nomination.”

As her unit faced uncertainty and worked to reincorporate itself within University Housing, Teten was the point of contact throughout the process and served as the voice of the newly created functional unit within the broader department. This was an enormous task due to the nature of her own village director responsibilities. She accomplished all of this while at the same time becoming an effective advocate and champion of residential learning within the newly forming departmental structure of University Housing.

Chester Miller, director of Residential Learning, is among those who nominated Teten for this award. He said, “Meghan leads with empathy for students and her peers. She is a coalition builder and continuously advocates for what’s best for students, the department, DASA, and the university, simultaneously. Because she cares so much, her care shines throughout everything she does.”

Teten noted, “My wonderful colleagues and peers nominated me for doing what any of them would have done. In fact, I went on maternity leave a month early, and my colleagues are stepping in for me while I’m away. This award was unexpected and very meaningful — a treasure in a person’s career. I’m grateful that the state and governor chose to recognize state awards like this.”

Scott Wallace Helps University Housing Overcome Obstacles During COVID-19

Scott Wallace portrait
Scott Wallace

Taking care of students is at the heart of Wallace’s drive to serve as the senior regional facilities manager, leading a team of 20 mechanics that take care of almost 3 million square feet of residential facilities in University Housing.

Pete Fraccaroli, director of facilities planning and management, nominated Wallace for the many layers of excellence and outstanding service he brings to his work.

“Scott’s job is already enormous; imagine all of the planning it takes to ensure a smooth move-in experience for new students,” Fraccaroli said. “Scott is at the foreground of all of this planning, resourcing, cleaning and preparing the physical space. But he’s the key in organizing the entire team throughout the move-in process, helping staff, coordinating efforts of greeting parents and physically moving our students into their new homes. And then there’s the move-out process, which is equally as crucial.”

This year, there was the added dimension of COVID-19. Students left in a hurry after spring break with the shutdown. Wallace and his team coordinated with the housekeeping and waste and recycling teams to get the residence halls cleared out, recycle items, bring food to the campus food pantry, and then to get the rooms cleaned.

A new undertaking Wallace embraces is assisting with the establishment of residence halls used for self-quarantine of individuals affected by COVID-19.

“He was instrumental in setting up this special housing and getting it done on the fly… he sees something that needs doing and he just jumps in to get it done, and it’s done right,” Fraccaroli said. “Scott is always willing to undertake the most difficult tasks and get his hands dirty. He is the type of employee that will handle complex situations with little guidance and complete each responsibility with excellence.”

Wallace said, “I believe in servant leadership, and this commitment allows me to be a resource for my team, all campus partners and our students. To be nominated means that somebody sees what you do and takes the time to bring attention to it. And to actually be recognized at NC State is a huge honor! But my work and our team’s accomplishments are really a testament to the people that work at NC State. Something positive to take from COVID-19 is that we find a way to work together for the benefit of our students.”

Wallace was born and raised in Raleigh and has been an NC State fan his entire life. He came to NC State 12 years ago in maintenance and has worked his way up the ranks of the department. “I feel a connection here — I love NC State. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”

About the Awards

The NC State Awards for Excellence commence each year when all colleges and business units across campus select employees to be recognized as Awards for Excellence recipients. In addition to receiving eight hours of paid time off and a $250 cash award from the respective college or business unit, recipients are also honored at the NC State University Awards for Excellence ceremony, where up to 12 individuals receive special distinction as recipients of the NC State University Awards for Excellence.

The 12 possible recipients of the NC State University Awards for Excellence receive an additional eight hours of paid time off, a cash award for $1,000, and an engraved award plaque. The NC State University Awards for Excellence recipients are also submitted for consideration for the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, which is the highest honor awarded to a State of North Carolina employee.