ITS proudly recognizes BearHelp Supervisor Michael Gonzales as the July 2024 Employee of the Month for his inclusive leadership, dedication to student success, and commitment to fostering teamwork across the BearHelp and Student Technology Services (STS) teams. Nominated by Ulises Mata, Michael’s ability to create a unified and supportive environment has significantly improved the customer service experience for both the teams he oversees and the broader UCR community.

“Michael has demonstrated immense growth since [assuming the role of] BearHelp Supervisor. Not only does he care about providing quality customer service to [UCR] students, but he [also] cares about the team[s] he leads,” Ulises shared.

Michael’s leadership is defined by his belief that every moment is an opportunity for learning and growth. His passion for providing excellent customer service to the UCR community matches his dedication to mentoring his team and encouraging effective collaboration.

Ulises commended Michael’s inclusive leadership, demonstrated by his ability to bring his two teams together:

“Despite managing two different groups, Michael makes his team feel like they’re one family with a shared mission—supporting the campus in their teaching, learning, and research endeavors. He treats everyone with respect and dignity, and appreciates the ideas and solutions proposed by [anyone]. His commitment to fostering a respectful and welcoming environment for all has been invaluable.”

Michael’s focus on student success is evident in his approach to addressing their needs. He knows the importance of empathy and connection, so he strives to understand their concerns. The emphasis he puts on listening to feedback and acting on it has led to meaningful improvements in services like the laptop kiosks, the WEPA print stations, and the Loan2Learn program.

During Highlander Orientation, Michael’s teams played pivotal roles. STS and BearHelp worked together to provide loaner laptops for class registration and help students connect to UCR’s WiFi network. In addition, Michael trained his team members on how to utilize the ITS knowledge base so that they can empower customers to navigate future challenges independently.

Michael’s ability to streamline support has been transformative for ITS Campus Support Services. His idea to have student employees staff the IT Support Services kiosk in the libraries has made IT support more accessible for the campus community. As a result, ITS is able to provide essential IT services to students, faculty, staff, and alumni in a more efficient and timely manner.

Ulises also highlighted Michael’s dedication to team development, particularly in expanding BearHelp and STS’ team of student employees. With the aid of his STS leads, Michael combined the onboarding training for both teams, ensuring that each student employee was equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to address a wide range of IT-related issues.

“Because of this collaboration, [BearHelp and STS] are more efficient and well-prepared to communicate with each other to solve IT-related questions,” Ulises asserted.

Michael’s thoughtful leadership, resourcefulness, and commitment to student success has made him a key asset to ITS and the UCR community. Congratulations, Michael, on this well-deserved recognition!
 

Do you have colleagues who deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication? Nominate them for one of ITS’ Employee Recognition Programs!

Staff members can be nominated for Employee of the Month or Team of the Quarter. Use our form to submit your nomination for the next Employee of the Month.