Celebrating the Staff Who Strengthen Our Community

By Rachel Sampson
​June 17, 2026

The UC Irvine School of Education is proud to recognize staff members honored through the university's 2026 Staff Service Awards program. Together, this year's honorees represent an incredible 117 years of combined service to UC Irvine, reflecting decades of dedication, collaboration, expertise, and support for our students, faculty, and community. 

We are especially proud to celebrate employees reaching milestone anniversaries of 10, 15, and 20 years of service. 

20 Years of Service

Jaycee Chu

Karajean Hyde

For Karajean Hyde, one of the most rewarding parts of her work is helping educators build confidence in mathematics.

"The best aspect of training math educators is seeing the light bulb go on for adults  as they come to a deep, conceptual understanding of mathematics and realize that  it does make sense, it is fun, and they can succeed in doing and teaching math." 

Kyoko Shimizu

15 Years of Service

10 Years of Service

Jon Kovach

When reflecting on what he enjoys most about working at the School of Education, Jon Kovach points to the culture of teamwork and partnership, and "the openness to talk and collaborate." 

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Daniel Choi

For Daniel Choi, the people and purpose behind the work continue to be a source of inspiration. "I am privileged to work alongside those who are deeply passionate about the important work they do and the impact we make on the communities around us."

Corrine Pratt

For Corrine Pratt, one of the most meaningful aspects of her time at UC Irvine has been the opportunity to grow and evolve professionally. “Reaching ten years at UCI is meaningful to me because it represents not just time, but a journey. I've had the opportunity to grow across three different departments, from an administrative role into finance and now HR. UCI has been a place where I could learn, take on new challenges, and build a career that feels both meaningful and aligned with who I am." 

In addition to these milestone honorees, we are grateful to recognize staff members celebrating three and five years of service to UC Irvine. 

5 Years

• Rafael Chavez 

• Luke Cooper 

​3 Years 

• Grant Coultrup 

• Jocelyn Arroyo 

• Lidia Sanchez 

• Laura Hernandez 

• Madina Safdari 

 
These recognitions reflect more than years of service. They represent the relationships, institutional knowledge, creativity, and care our staff bring to the School of Education every day. We are grateful for their continued contributions and proud to celebrate this milestone with them.