February 2026 Employee of the Month: Michelle Tabula

ITS proudly recognizes Web Analyst Michelle Tabula as the February 2026 Employee of the Month. Michelle was nominated by Kathy Rondeau-Taylor and endorsed by Beth Claassen Thrush for championing proactive inclusivity and demonstrating technical expertise in leading UC Riverside’s digital accessibility initiative.

Michelle has been a driving force behind UCR’s digital accessibility efforts. Kathy Taylor, Executive Director of the Portfolio Management Office, wrote in her nomination:

“[Michelle’s] leadership within [UCR’s] accessibility initiative has not only improved our technical standards but has fundamentally shifted our team's culture toward proactive inclusivity.”

Michelle masterfully serves as a translator between user needs and technical implementation. As the primary Technical Subject Matter Expert for the initiative, she excels at distilling dense Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—the technical blueprint for digital accessibility—into clear, actionable requirements that her colleagues can easily grasp.

"Michelle possesses the rare ability to bridge the gap between dense legal mandates and strategic execution," Kathy shared. "Because of her guidance, we have moved away from a ‘compliant by correction' mindset, [to] instead ensuring our platforms are inclusive by design."

In collaboration with Joe Bradfield and Darren Tiley, Michelle developed the UCR Digital Accessibility Training module within the Learning Management System (LMS), which served as an educational resource for the broader campus community.

Her influence extends to the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) level, where she is currently participating in the request for proposal (RFP) process to evaluate and select the next generation of accessibility tools for the entire UC system.

"Michelle’s ability to speak the 'language of the machine' while never losing sight of the human experience makes her an indispensable asset," Kathy added. "She doesn't just fix problems; she empowers everyone around her to build a more accessible digital future."

In addition to her strategic leadership, Michelle is highly valued by campus partners for her operational support, deep institutional knowledge, and proactive problem-solving. Beth Claassen Thrush, UCR’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects, shared:

“Like many across campus, I have long valued Michelle Tabula's Drupal expertise, her timely responsiveness to questions, and her generally positive, collaborative attitude. I have also experienced her resourcefulness as the campus started to think more about digital accessibility.”

Over the past several months, Michelle’s dedication to customer success shone through in several ways, and Beth shared some key examples.

• Providing detailed metrics tracking: Michelle developed a system to track digital accessibility progress across various campus organizations using Siteimprove scores. Her institutional knowledge, problem-solving skills, and quick adaptations enabled the Digital Accessibility Advisory Committee and individual campus units to pinpoint exactly where additional follow-up and support were needed.
• Developing practical training resources: She built practical and useful training materials, including slides tailored specifically for campus webmasters as well as general resources for broader campus use.
• Building user-friendly web design: While leading the revamping of digital accessibility websites, Michelle was proactive and creative, efficiently gathering diverse ideas and structuring them into clean, user-friendly webpages.

Thank you, Michelle, for your outstanding dedication to building an inclusive digital environment and supporting the UCR community. Congratulations 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.