Quarterly Financial Affairs Service and Innovation Award Goes to Melissa Erwin

The Office of Financial Affairs created a financial innovators award known as the Financial Affairs Service and Innovation Award to recognize those throughout the university who make significant and lasting contributions to the university through bold, innovative and creative approaches to common, everyday university problems.

The award is open to any university faculty, non-faculty, academic, administrative or skilled crafts/service/maintenance employees who bring forward fresh ideas that lead to process efficiencies, cost savings and/or increased productivity. Each quarter, one employee will be selected to receive the award, and then at the end of the calendar year, an annual award winner will be selected from the four quarterly winners.

We are pleased to announce the Q1 2023 award winner as:

Melissa Erwin
assistant dean of Financial Affairs, Graduate School and International Education

Over her 25-plus year university career, Erwin has held multiple roles including her current position as assistant dean of financial affairs in Graduate School and International Education for over 20 years. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing human resources for GSIE, supervising all aspects of the accounting work within the department and leading planning and policy development efforts. Erwin is well known for her impact in one of the most diverse units on campus. According to Jim Gigantino, vice provost for academic affairs, Erwin is "literally the glue that keeps our unique unit together and enables us to serve faculty, staff and students in every part of the university." 

In recent years, her contributions have included reimagining international education during and after a global pandemic, developing and implementing strategies to support ERP changes to the graduate assistant hiring and tuition waiver process and establishing English Language and Cultural Studies while reimagining Testing Services.

Erwin's colleagues say she "is always willing to put in extra time and commitment towards any project she tackles. She also brings creativity and innovative solutions to any problem." Another colleague said, "[I'm] not sure how our graduate assistants on campus would ever be placed in their position or receive their tuition waivers without her thoughtfulness and intentionality."

According to Penny Mills, assistant director of the Treasurer's Office, "Melissa is the stabilizing force for all things related to the Graduate School. She is able to take input from numerous areas of campus and compile it into a correct and appropriate process or solution. Her ability to coordinate many groups is pivotal to our work." She demonstrates a keen attention to detail and problem-solving ability.

Jeremy Battjes, vice chancellor for student affairs, said, "Melissa's solution-oriented approach, positive attitude, relationship building, knowledge of business practices, laws and codes make her an incredible resource for our campus that cannot be matched."

Erwin's persistence in major projects in recent years, innovative thinking and problem solving, and her collaboration with stakeholders across campus make her very deserving of the Q1 2023 Financial Affairs Service and Innovation Award. Please join us in congratulating Melissa Erwin!

If you know of an employee deserving of recognition for our next FASI award, we would love to hear about them. Please email your FASI nominations to either Sandy Sturgeon at sandras@uark.edu or Susan Slinkard at svslink@uark.edu.