RIO Recognizes Ten with 2026 Research Technical Staff Awards

Research Technical Staff 2026 Awardees

The Research and Innovation Office is proud to announce the 2026 winners of the Research Technical Staff Award, which recognizes staff for their distinguished service to the University of Minnesota research community and celebrates exemplary leadership that positively impacted their colleagues and advanced the University's mission. Ten recipients, who represent more than 10 departments/units across five colleges were awarded a personal honorarium of $2,000:

Lisa Duvick 
Samantha Getty 
Matthew Grimley 
Gunna Kilian 
Eunji Kim 
Taylor Otness 
Michelle Roesler 
Kelli Trauger 
Kelley Wells 
Erin Zielinski

The awardees will be honored at a luncheon with Vice President for Research and Innovation Cynthia Carnes on October 14.