Kristie Crane and Stephanie Kummerer are the recipients of the 2024 Staff Award for Student Impact. The award recognizes staff members who have gone above and beyond their normal job responsibilities to positively impact the quality of life and/or student experience for students at NIU. This includes staff from all divisions and all job types who are providing excellence and impacting students in a positive way.
Criteria:
- Be a regular staff member at least 51 percent time or a full-time temporary staff member
- Have demonstrated a commitment to supporting NIU students through mentorship, programming, helping them resolve issues and/or volunteering/service to students
- Have demonstrated a positive impact on student success through support or advocacy
- Have demonstrated evidence of support to NIU students.
Kristie Crane
Kristie Crane
Kristie serves as Undergraduate Advisor, Instructor and Assistant to the Chair in the Sociology Department and, as her titles suggest, wears many important hats.
She recruits students to NIU and to the Sociology Department specifically by being available for every first-year orientation. She serves as a co-chair of the Sociology Awards Committee and plans and executes the annual award ceremony. Kristie is the chapter representative to the Alpha Kappa Delta International Honor Society for Sociology and has served on numerous university committees.
In her nomination, Sociology Professor Carol Walther says Kristie plays a vital role in multiple aspects of the department. However, says Carol, it’s her focus on students that helps her stand out.
“I cannot say enough on how Kristie has positively impacted the students at NIU,” says Walther. “She is a leader within our department. She finds ways to help students complete their degrees even when they are struggling for various reasons. And, she goes above and beyond for student success.”
Walther notes that Kristie is adept at helping students stay motivate and navigate challenges.
“I have witnessed Kristie helping a student having difficulty with their military service through ROTC and the student was able to finish their degree before being commissioned,” Walther notes. “Other students who I find hard to motivate to finish their degrees, Kristie can reach them without any issues. Multiple students have told me that ‘they love Kristie.’”
Stephanie Kummerer
Stephanie Kummerer
Stephanie works in the Advising Office in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) and is an academic advisor in the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies and the Political Science Department. She advises students in nonprofit & NGO studies, psychology and political science, as well as a general group of CLAS students.
Stephanie “exemplifies excellence in everything she does,” reads her nomination from Mark Schuller, acting director of the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies (NNGO). “She is a ‘go-getter’ who goes the extra mile for students,” he says. “She is a patient listener and a creative problem-solver.”
Along with her advising role, Stephanie engages with students at various open houses and fairs, at networking events, and various career fairs. She is one of two staff members who run NNGO’s internship program, presenting at information sessions, reviewing student cover letters and resumes supporting students when they interview with nonprofit partners.
A student noted that Stephanie “is one of the best advisors I’ve connected with at Northern Illinois University. Stephanie always makes sure I find classes of my interest and related to my major. When I come in to see her and have questions about campus in general, or career wise, she is always there to help me. She knows how important and valuable your time is as a human being. She never makes me feel rushed and my questions truly matter to her. If I had to rate her on a scale of 1-10, she would definitely get a 100.”
