MSU DPPS announces 2023 award recipients including officer, civilian of the year

May 16, 2024

people standing up and clapping in banquet room

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU DPPS) hosted its annual Awards Ceremony on May 13, 2024, recognizing department employees who have gone above and beyond during the 2023 calendar year. Numerous awards were presented during the ceremony, including the Life Saving Award, Officer of the Year, Civilian of the Year, and more.

“Honoring our employees is one of the most important things we can do,” said Doug Monette, interim vice president and chief safety officer for MSU Police and Public Safety. “We are grateful for all the hard work they have done and continue to do each and every day.”

The 2023 award recipients are listed below.

Officer of the Year – Ofc. Aaron White
Civilian of the Year – Dawn Mazur
Support Staff Employee of the Year – Brittney Compton
Student of the Year – MaryCate Heberlein
Leadership Award – Kathleen Bissett
Valor Award – Sgt. Steve Beard, Sgt. Tracy Merony, Sgt. Zachary Rangel, and Ofc. Tony Alkema
Humanitarian Award – Det. Ryan Panetta
Citation Award – Det. Martha Brushaber
Citation Award – Aimee Barajas (Ingham County 911 Central Dispatch)
Letter of Commendation – Natisha Foster
Letter of Commendation – Jake Roman
Letter of Commendation – Laura Nagy and MSU IT Team
Letter of Commendation – Nicholas Kwiatkowski and MSU IT Team
Letter of Commendation – Det. Sgt. Jessica Mitchell and Det. Jamie Izen
Letter of Commendation – Dep. Chris Small and Dep. Kristen Small (Oakland County Sheriff’s Department)
Heart Award – Ofc. Aaron White
Heart Award – Sgt. Jeremy Patchett
Life Saving Award – Ofc. Sierra Alvarado, Ofc. Paige Hartman, Det. Falysha Edmondson, and Doctor Saliha Erdem
Humanitarian Award – Laura King
Citation Award – Lisa Hoes (MSU Culinary Services)
Citation Award – Kari Jenks
Citation Award – Nate Kusler
Citation Award – Nicole Ziegler

MSU Police and Public Safety is proud of the work done by its employees and community partners. The department will continue to uphold its values of collaboration, equity, integrity, excellence, and respect.

As always, MSU DPPS can be contacted anytime by calling 517-355-2221 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

----

Media Contact:

Dana Whyte, Communications Manager and Spokesperson, Michigan State University Police and Public Safety

517-282-3711 | WhyteD@dpps.msu.edu