Student Affairs Staff Spotlight: Kelly Tyrrell (July 2021)

Nominated by: Bernard Anderson

Kelly arrived to the Student Life team squarely in the midst of the pandemic, and in spite of the inherent challenges of onboarding to a new job in virtual mode, she has quickly proven herself as a major asset to my leadership team and has earned my trust and confidence in her abilities. Kelly is adept at problem-solving as well as eliciting clarification when she has questions or when unusual issues arise. She skillfully navigates UWT’s complex administrative environment in order to maximize her executive support to me in my role as Associate Vice-Chancellor. In rather short order, Kelly has made notable contributions across multiple dimensions of work. She has leaned into her role as my “right hand” person as she proactively manages my complex calendar and other administrative details that allow me to utilize my time to maximum benefit. I am especially impressed with her supervision of the student assistant team. Although Kelly never had the opportunity to meet and work with the student team in person, she nonetheless managed to establish a rapport with them, outlined her expectations for them, and guided them through the pandemic with compassionate leadership. This was no easy feat and I want to acknowledge her accomplishment in this area. Another key attribute that Kelly exhibits is initiative. She actively seeks out opportunities to contribute to the betterment of the team and the university. For instance, she stepped up to the task of assuming a coordinating role with the Husky 100 program; she played a role in refining some of the administrative aspects of the CARE team; she assisted with the implementation of Advocate; she eagerly accepted an opportunity to participate on the Undergraduate Student Implementation Team associated with the overall Campus Climate Survey; and she engaged in critical work related to gracious space and anti-racism facilitated by the Center for Ethical Leadership. I am fortunate to have Kelly as part of the team, and I look forward to her continued growth and professional development.