Star Award Winner

Mario Guerra puts users at ease with instructional technology

Mario Guerra, training specialist for DIIA’s faculty and graduate student instructional development area, received the spring 2009 Star Award at the annual Continuing and Innovative Education (CIE) Day in the Park on June 5. Dean Judy Ashcroft cited Guerra’s commitment to customer service as the quality that most impressed the selection committee. Ashcroft shared a typical comment from a faculty member: “I am just so grateful that I could rely on Mario to solve my problems. Without his assistance, my stress level would be considerable.”

The Star Award is presented twice a year, at the CIE Holiday Party in December and at the CIE picnic. Nominated by DIIA staff members, award candidates must demonstrate dedication and commitment to the core purpose and values of UT Austin and CIE by meeting two criteria:

The staff member has significantly improved customer service or customer satisfaction for clients within or outside UT Austin.
The staff member has significantly improved the work process system or significantly increased the efficiency of an operation or unit.

The Star Award carries tangible benefits besides the handsome plaque, including two days off, a check for $500, recognition on the DIIA Web site, and lunch with the dean and the staff member's supervisor and unit head.

Guerra leads DIIA’s technology training group and represents the Blackboard task force for the Blackboard policy committee. He has been involved in DIIA’s ongoing research in instructional use of Second Life. He was instrumental in creating an automated online survey tool for measuring learning outcomes for DIIA training and in designing tutorials for facilitators helping faculty with the transition to version 9 of Blackboard. He teaches several ASPECTS sessions concerning strategies for supporting pedagogy through instructional technology.

Guerra is a member of DIIA’s Green Team, an independent initiative supported by the Staff Sustainability Network (SSN), which is a cooperative project of the Campus Environmental Center and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Ashcroft expressed appreciation for Guerra’s service-first attitude with clients and colleagues and for his initiative behind the scenes as well: “His expertise and energy have contributed immeasurably to improved efficiency and technical progress at DIIA.”