Staff Scholarship & Leadership - University of Houston
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Scholarships & Professional Development

Staff Council offers UH staff members various scholarships, professional development programs and leadership development opportunities.

Staff Council programs provide a sense of unity, pride and achievement that empower the University of Houston’s community in its journey to the next milestone of excellence together.

  • Support Staff Scholarship and Professional Development

    Staff Council scholarships are made possible by continuous support from the President's Office and fellow staff members.  

  • Scholarship FAQ

    Q: When does the Staff Council start accepting applications?

    A: Staff Council starts to accept scholarship applications from the 1st of March to the 31st of March. Any application deadline extensions will be published on the Staff Council website.

     

    Q: Where is the link for the scholarship application form?

    A: For SC/WGRC Staff Council & Women and Gender Resource Center Scholarships - University of Houston (uh.edu)

    For Students of Staff https://uh.edu/staff-council/scholarships/BRenaeSoS/

     

    Q: What are the criteria for SC/WGRC Scholarship?

    A: Applicant should be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH. For additional information, please see Staff Council & Women and Gender Resource Center Scholarships - University of Houston (uh.edu)

     

    Q: What are the criteria for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship?

    A: The parent of the Applicant must be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH. For additional information, please see https://uh.edu/staff-council/scholarships/BRenaeSoS/

     

    Q: Am I eligible to apply for the SC/WGRC Scholarship if I am the recipient in previous years?

    A: Yes, prior year award recipients are welcome to apply every year.

     

    Q: Can I apply for both Staff Council/WGRC Scholarship and HR Staff Scholarship at the same time?

    A: Yes, these 2 scholarships are not related, and we encourage you to apply for both.

     

    Q: Does B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship apply to TA, CWS, etc?

    A: Your parent should be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH. For additional information, please see https://uh.edu/staff-council/scholarships/BRenaeSoS/

     

    Q: Can I use a recommendation letter from outside of UH?

    A: You may include a recommendation letter from outside UH, such as a previous employer, teacher, or organization. Please remember to include your recommendation letters in your application package.

     

    Q: If I am just accepted into the Ph.D. program at UH, am I eligible to apply for the SC/WGRC Scholarship?

    A: Yes

     

    Q: If I am admitted to UH as a Freshman, can I still apply for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff scholarship?

    A: Yes, you can use your High School grade for your application.

     

    Q: I am very interested and intend to apply for the scholarship. I see that the requirements highlight an academic credit course. Does this exclude certification programs offered through UH? 

    A: Unfortunately, the Staff Council/WGRC scholarship only applies towards UH academic credit courses. For non-UH academic credit course financial assistance, please visit Staff Council Rebecca Szwarc Professional Development Reimbursement - University of Houston (uh.edu)

     

    Q: What is FERPA?

    A: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (a.k.a. FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) protects a student’s right to privacy concerning their academic records and information. The University of Houston will not disclose any information without the written consent from the student, with some exceptions as stated by FERPA. There are some types of information such as grades, financial aid, or class schedules that parents might like to receive but under FERPA, parents can not have access to these records unless the student gives written permission to the University. This means that even if you are paying the bills, you can not access your student’s educational records.

    To learn more, visit https://uh.edu/provost/policies-resources/university/ferpa/

    FERPA form: https://uhsystem.edu/legal-affairs/contract-administration/pdf-documents/ferpa-authorization-form_ogc-sf-2006-02_revised-11.10.2022.pdf 

     

    Q: What records does FERPA cover?

    A: FERPA regulations give privacy protection to all students’ “educational records”. Education records are broadly defined as “those records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.” Examples of FERPA records include grades, transcripts, discipline records and class schedules.

     

     

     

2024-2025 Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship

    Kelly Tran
    Optometry, Professional
    Parent (Staff) Kim-Hue Tran, Program Director, Finance and Admin Office of Provost

    Isabel Issakhan
    Exercise Science, (CLASS)
    Parent (Staff) Genevieve Lee, Project Manager, Student Services

  • Staff Council Scholarships

    Allison Sullivan
    Program Coordinator, Career & Development Alumni
    Major: MSW Social Work

    Chelsea Martinez
    Assistant Director, Center for Student Advocacy
    Major: PhD Education

    Daniel Chang
    Executive Director, Academic Affairs
    Major: PhD Biomedical Engineering

    Julia Brown
    Communications Manager, The Honors College
    Major: PhD CLASS

    Katherine Frazier
    Director, Cullen College of Engineering
    Major: MS Engineering

    Laura Zavala-Membreno
    Director, Women and Gender Resource Center
    Major: PhD Education

    Stephanie Perez-Gill
    Program Director, College of Education ACES Institute
    Major: PhD Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies

    Toria Jones
    Sexual Misconduct Support Services Manager
    Major: MSW Social Work

    Maria Honey
    Director of Student Services, Bauer College of Business
    Major: PhD Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies

    Gabriel Grady
    Program Director, Center for Student Empowerment
    Major: MSW Social Work

  • Women & Gender Resource Center Advisory Committee Scholarships

    Aketra Bowens
    Academic Advisor 2, Economics
    Major: PhD Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies

    Amy Reid
    Director of Student Services, Galveston SBDC Bauer College of Business
    Major: BA Business Management and Entrepreneurship

    Carina Pouraryan
    Development Associate, Medicine and Health Advancement
    Major: MS Business

    Lawrence Nissen
    System Analyst I, Information Technology Availibility Center
    Major: MS Engineering

    Stephanie Eisenbaum
    Program Director 2, GLOBE Program | Adjunct Faculty
    Major: PhD Social Work

2022 Staff Excellence Awards

  • President's Excellence Award Recipients

    President's Innovation Award
    Bilal Trufant
    , Developer, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

    President's Community Service Award
    Stacey Halley
    , Sr. Director of Advancement, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

  • President's Excellence Awards

    Effective Leader
    Nikki Duncan, Recruitment Manager, Human Resources Department
    Lenay Johnson, Director, Admissions and Recruitment, Graduate and Professional Programs, C.T. Bauer College of Business
    Tristan Sims,Program Director, Undergraduate Studies, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

     

    Administrative Professional
    Stacia Dunn, Assistant Director, Academic Affairs and Student Success, Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts
    Michelle Nodskov, Program Manager, Office of First Year Programs, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Trinity Rinear, Director, Bonner Leaders Program, The Honors College

     

    Clerical
    Jasmine Harrison, Development Coordinator, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Sylvia Landa, Clinic Coordinator, Pediatric and Binocular Vision Services, University Eye Institute
    Jane Tragesser, Clinic Director, Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

     

    Technical, Service, and Craft
    Ralph Brown, Electronics Tech, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering
    Ivey Davis, User Services Specialist Lead, UIT - Technology Services and Support
    Robert Dial, Electrical Tech, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering

  • C.F. McElhinney Distinguished Service Award

    Recipients of this award are staff members who consistently contribute at the highest level to the teaching and service objectives of our University. They are true leaders and role models. Candidates for the McElhinney Award come from the pool of previous Staff Excellence Award recipients. The McElhinney Award, therefore, recognizes the best of the best.

    Maggie Mahoney
    Director, Global Engagement