Meet the 2026 Outstanding Staff Award Recipients

Jaime Allen, Biomedical Engineering

Jaime Allen has been essential to the success of the recently launched Master of Engineering in Medical Device Development, elevating it for the students, faculty and staff with outstanding support and exceptional initiative as a program coordinator.

From recruitment to weekly updates and coursework to career prep, Allen has provided effective and timely guidance. Students express gratitude for her ability to give thoughtful answers to every question they have, and faculty praise her careful coordination, which keeps things running smoothly.

Allen’s nominators note that she has devised a recruitment plan that has become a model for other engineering graduate programs. She has also forged a meaningful collaboration with the college’s communications team to create strategic, ongoing content that brings attention to the new degree.

Beyond her primary role, Allen has helped advance engineering graduate programs as a co-chair of the Graduate Studies Advisory Committee, part of UC Davis Graduate Studies, and as a member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s Health, Equity and Wellness Committee. As one faculty member has shared, Allen’s “dedication, positivity and tireless commitment have made a remarkable difference.”

Celia Flores, Biomedical Engineering

As an academic personnel analyst, nominators note that Celia Flores consistently goes above and beyond to support faculty and her peers.

She simplifies and streamlines complicated academic personnel reviews, such as merit raises and promotions, for faculty and committee members. Flores’ approach allows her to resolve issues early and ensure efficient and fair review processes. 

Flores regularly demonstrates leadership and initiative to improve her own processes and those across the college. In collegewide meetings for academic personnel employees, she provides policy updates and encourages others to expand their skills. She recently received certification in Lean Six Sigma, a process improvement method for reducing operational waste, knowledge she has since shared to improve fellow academic personnel analysts. 

She strives to foster a strong, interconnected network of academic personnel. She promotes consistency and collaboration between academic personnel employees, making it easier for colleagues to receive support. When new academic personnel join, she volunteers her time to assist with training and onboarding to ensure their success.

Through her integrity, initiative and supportive nature, Flores helps create an environment that builds trust and strengthens the college community.

Rachael Rubinato, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rachael Rubinato is instrumental to the success of her department’s financial team. 

According to her nomination letter, she’s always willing to step in and help her peers, despite having a large workload. She recently helped a colleague work through several complex ledger entries, taking the time to identify the issue and offer a clear solution. When the team adopted a new financial system, she made it a priority to learn the system’s ins and outs to help others navigate challenges and adopt best practices.

Her communication skills greatly benefit the team by building understanding and trust with stakeholders. Peer financial advisors regularly reach out to her for guidance on how to approach difficult issues.

Rubinato is also deeply engaged with the broader campus community. She builds meaningful connections and fosters shared learning, principles she embodied when she was the co-chair of the college’s Financial Staff Networking Group. She invests in her own growth through the campus mentorship program, allowing her to forge strong relationships with staff across UC Davis and UC Davis Health. 

Her actions and leadership promote a respectful, engaged community and enable faculty, students and staff to do their best work.

Luz Sandoval Manjarrez, Electrical and Computer Engineering

In a little over a year since accepting the role as a research administrator, nominators note that Luz Sandoval Manjarrez transformed the financial health of her department.

Among her first tasks was to address the more than 100 spending accounts in the red. She rose to the challenge with tact and aplomb. She met one-on-one with each principal investigator to develop a personalized plan, meeting them where they were. In three months, she brought overspending nearly to zero.

Her diligence and thoughtfulness extended to her peers, helping them resolve issues across their accounts. She developed a recordkeeping system for improved tracking of transactions that has enabled proactive management across the department. Sandoval Manjarrez led — and continues to lead — rigorous account reconciliations each month, setting a new standard for accuracy, reliability and leadership on the team.

As a member of a committee tasked with creating events for faculty, staff and students, she worked to foster connections that colleagues noted went beyond day-to-day interactions. She organized holiday and event decorations, lifting morale and togetherness.

Sandoval Manjarrez bolstered her department through financial stability and by inspiring genuine connection and belonging.