Since 2007, EHS has been honoring staff members with the EHS Employee of the Year Award, now the EHS Brenda Armstrong Employee of the Year Award, as well as the EHS Excellence Award, now the Dariusz Czarnota Award of Excellence. These awards were created to recognize employees for their exceptional work ethic and dedication to EHS. The 2025 award recipients were recognized at an EHS staff meeting on January 14th. See a list of past EHS award winners.
EHS Brenda Armstrong Employee of the Year
This award is named in honor of Brenda Armstrong, who gave 28 years of service to Yale University and EHS. Her commitment to excellence led her to being named the department’s first Employee of the Year in 2007 and her impact continues to be felt within the department to this day.
Neil Valasquez
Neil’s exemplary work ethic and qualities are evident in his role as Safety Advisor Team Lead. He consistently excels in his responsibilities by completing his duties accurately, promptly, and with exceptional quality. In 2025, he played a key role in numerous tasks within the BSL-3 facility, including lab relocations, decontaminations, lab upgrades, and Select Agent drills. His representation of Yale EHS at the Safety Fair in Chemistry and the Vendor Expo at West Campus further highlights his commitment. Neil also has the distinction of being awarded the Dariusz Czarnota Award of Excellence in 2017.
Dariusz Czarnota Award of Excellence
This award is named in honor of Dariusz Czarnota, who was a Safety Advisor at Environmental Health and Safety from 2001 until his untimely death in 2012. His dedication and work ethic exemplified the highest standards of performance and service.
JoAnn Farrell
JoAnn has shown a commitment and dedication to compliance and a willingness to mentor junior staff throughout her career. This year, she has worked tirelessly to keep the PSEB project moving forward by managing a multitude of remediation and demolition hazmat waste streams with unprecedented volumes. She has also spearheaded the closure of the 350 Edwards Street and the opening of the 295 Prospect Street waste facilities, which included creating the Emergency Contingency Plan. JoAnn’s kindness and warmth are evident in all her work at Yale.
Melissa James
Melissa is a tremendous asset to our department, both because of her personality and what she brings to the table professionally. Melissa’s expertise was instrumental in gaining the CDC’s regulatory approval to allow for the possession and use of select agents on campus. In 2025, she effectively prepared the BSL-3 facility for research activities involving select agents, trained both new and existing Alternate Responsible Officials on regulatory updates, assisted in drafting the detailed SOP for the second Select Agent application, and developed educational tools in response to AAALAC inspection findings.
Shelby Wuchek
Shelby embodies the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and dedication in her role at Yale EHS. She has streamlined the process for renewing all controlled substance licenses and successfully coordinated the radiation badge program, overseeing distribution, monitoring, and compliance for laboratories and individuals working with radioactive materials. Shelby’s reliability and consistency make her a trusted resource for Safety Advisors and laboratory staff, and her collaborative approach fosters a supportive environment where colleagues feel empowered and valued.