At the 91破解版, innovation doesn鈥檛 stop at discovery鈥攊t drives real-world impact. Here, great ideas grow into solutions that solve problems, influence industries, and transform lives. recognizes that innovation thrives not only in research labs or industry partnerships but also through the everyday dedication of its staff who are finding ways to increase efficiency, tackle real-world issues, and drive meaningful change to improve life and work right here at the university.
What better opportunity than the centennial celebrations to spotlight the people shaping the university鈥檚 future through innovation?
The Centennial Staff Innovation Awards
The Centennial Staff Innovation Awards shine a spotlight on colleagues and teams who have implemented groundbreaking programs, practices, products, or partnerships that improve efficiency, strengthen collaboration, and make a lasting difference. These are the people who take leadership to address challenges and bring about meaningful change to enhance the community and beyond.
While launching the endeavor in February 2025, Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president for energy and innovation, said, 鈥淭he awards are a recognition and celebration of the innovative spirit embodied by the staff at and share their creativity with the broader community. This award, along with the Innovation Seed Grants, will foster a rapidly growing culture of innovation.鈥�
This year鈥檚 Centennial Staff Innovation Award鈥攚hich includes a $1,000 gift card and a commemorative plaque鈥攈onors three outstanding initiatives that demonstrate how innovative thinking can improve efficiency, enhance collaboration, and enrich the community experience.
Transforming Patient Scheduling at the University Eye Institute
Recipient: Guaquita Lavelle-Watkins, Clinic Administrator, College of Optometry
For the first time in its history, the University Eye Institute now offers online appointment booking, thanks to the leadership of Guaquita Lavelle-Watkins. From April 2023 to October 2024, Guaquita spearheaded the research, vendor selection, customization, training, and rollout of a digital scheduling system that replaced decades of manual processes. Guaquita was motivated by the need for modernizing patient care and streamlining clinical operations. Describing her project, she said, 鈥淓ven if someone is caring for a sick child at 3 a.m. or staying at a shelter, they can still book an appointment,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about meeting people where they are and making care more accessible.鈥�
The new system has already shown remarkable results:
- 1,174 appointments successfully booked online since launch.
- Online scheduling now makes up 8% of total appointments.
- Patients can view balances, update information, and complete forms before visits, improving convenience and satisfaction.
- Clinic staff can focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks.
This innovation has increased clinic revenue, improved patient experience, and positioned the Eye Institute for future success in a digital-first world. Dr. Andrew Mario Archila, OD, MBA, FAAO, Dipl Public Health, Associate Dean of Clinical Operations, nominated Guaquita for the award, praising her ability to lead transformative change.
Quickbase Case Management Platform at the Fertitta College of Medicine
Recipients: Mirla Lopez Saldierna, Program Director 2, Household Centered Care Program; David Garcia, Director of College IT Infrastructure & Data Analytics; Rushil Daivala, Functional Analyst 3
The Household Centered Care Program, a signature initiative of the Fertitta Family College of Medicine, teaches students about non-medical drivers of health. However, the program鈥檚 original case management system鈥攃ontracted through an external provider鈥攚as costly, limited, and unable to track outcomes effectively.
To address this, the Household Centered Care and IT teams collaborated to develop a customized solution using Quickbase, a cloud-based application platform. The system, launched in January 2025, consolidated multiple tools and spreadsheets into one application, streamlining participant tracking, outcomes measurement, and workflow management.
Mirla Lopez Saldierna, who led the project, says, 鈥極ur new platform has been a hit with our team: it is so much easier to use, [gives] instant access to all our data and I am able to create and access reports in an instant. The greatest asset is that we can customize and add new items depending on our needs!鈥�
Key results include:
- Annual savings of $100,000, replacing a platform that cost over $636,000 in four years.
- Direct access to comprehensive data and reporting tools.
- Improved accuracy and reduced redundancy in data entry.
- Greater satisfaction and efficiency for community health workers.
Community Health Workers praised the new system as 鈥渦ser-friendly鈥� and 鈥渆fficient,鈥� making participant engagement easier and more effective. The nomination was submitted by Linda Civallero, MPH, with strong support from supervisors across the College of Medicine.
Modernizing the Academic Program Proposal Process
Recipient: Daniel Chang, Assistant Provost for Academic Programs
Daniel Chang led a strategic transformation of 鈥檚 academic program proposal process, which for years relied on email submissions and paper records. Recognizing inefficiencies, Daniel spearheaded a campus-wide initiative after extensive consultation with stakeholders to reimagine how academic programs are proposed, reviewed, and approved.
His solution included a suite of online resources that standardized submission requirements, reduced errors, and made information readily accessible across the university. He also launched the Academic Program Tracker, a real-time digital platform that allows monitoring of proposals through the approval pipeline. The tracker鈥檚 automated monthly summaries provide leadership with data to support informed decision-making. As Daniel says, 鈥淢y motivation behind this project came from wanting to make the academic program proposal process more transparent, efficient, and supportive for our faculty and staff. By moving 鈥� to [a system] that offers real-time tracking and clear online guidance, we鈥檝e been able to reduce confusion, speed up reviews, and improve collaboration across the university.鈥�
This modernization has resulted in:
- Faster proposal reviews by eliminating paper and email dependency.
- Clear, standardized documentation that reduces errors.
- Stronger collaboration across academic and administrative offices.
- Greater transparency and accountability in academic planning.
Nominated by Cindy Mejia, Daniel鈥檚 work supports 鈥檚 strategic goals by creating sustainable infrastructure for academic growth and innovation.
A Century of Innovation, A Future of Impact
Together, these award-winning projects reflect 鈥檚 enduring spirit of innovation and its commitment to excellence in academics, healthcare, and community service. By modernizing systems, saving resources, and improving the lives of students, staff, patients, and community members, the 2025 Centennial Staff Innovation Award winners exemplify the university鈥檚 bold vision for its next century.