Adrean Mejias Receives 2026 College Outstanding Staff Achievement Award
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Adrean Mejias, events coordinator at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS), has been selected to receive the 2026 College Outstanding Staff Achievement Award. The annual award recognizes an individual or team that has made significant contributions to the college while fostering a positive and successful work environment.
Nomination materials describe Mejias as a steady, behind-the-scenes presence whose professionalism, kindness, and attention to detail elevate every event they support.
“Adrean always does outstanding work,” said Emma Anderson, director of inclusive education and teaching support. “I have never experienced them being anything other than outstanding.”
As a member of the CICS events team, Mejias supports a growing number of collegewide programs, frequently coordinating logistics across multiple buildings and ensuring that complex events run smoothly. Anderson also noted Mejias’ expanding role within the college, observing, “I have noticed Adrean taking on more responsibility as time goes on, as they have learned more about the college and the culture.”
Colleagues consistently emphasized the care and generosity Mejias brings to their work.
“Adrean is always, always a bright spot in my day,” Anderson said. “They go out of their way to check in with me about my events and room reservations, even when I haven't explicitly requested event support. They have been really kind and generous with their time when I need boxes moved or things brought between the Lederle Graduate Research Center and the CS Building. I have never observed them being anything but extremely polite and kind while performing their duties—and events where they are involved are always exceptionally smooth.”
Undergraduate Programs Assistant Gabrielle Lanza echoed Anderson’s sentiment, highlighting Mejias’ calm presence and professionalism.
“Adrean is always kind, helpful, and brings a calming energy with them. They are so professional and humble. I know that they work really hard and are frequently on the move, especially now with three entire buildings to coordinate and walk between, but they remain cool and collected,” said Lanza. “We're lucky to have Adrean around!”
Nomination materials also noted Mejias’s ability to manage an increasing volume of events while maintaining high standards of service.
“The number of CICS events continues to grow, and Adrean—along with Arlo [Oakley]—supports them all efficiently and with great attention to detail,” said Pamela Stawasz, assistant director of undergraduate academic advising and recruitment. “Recently, I worked with Adrean to set up for the Admissions Fall Visit Day, where we welcomed more than 150 visitors to our college, and Adrean made sure to communicate about the setup and suggest additional items to make it better.”
Stawasz added, “Adrean regularly goes above and beyond, often hustling to support multiple simultaneous events, but you would never know how much they have going on because they handle it so well. I am very grateful for Adrean's professionalism and care for all of our CICS events. We are very lucky to have them as an outstanding CICS staff member.”
Reflecting on the honor, Mejias said, “It is a great honor to be nominated for this award out of so many incredibly talented people here at CICS. I am beyond grateful to be a part of such a diverse, hardworking, and kind crew that focuses on building a bright and supportive present and future for our students and community.”
For more information about the College Outstanding Staff Award and a list of previous recipients, see: https://www.cics.umass.edu/awards-programs.