On May 27, UNC Greensboro will receive the Above & Beyond Award, part of a Department of Defense-affiliated program.
The award recognizes UNCG’s outstanding support of its employees who serve in the Reserve or the National Guard.
The award is presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which is a division of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The virtual presentation may be viewed on the UNCG Alumni Facebook page on Thursday, May 27, at noon. The video will be available afterward on the Facebook page and the UNCG Alumni YouTube channel.
Speakers during the ceremony will include UNCG Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and former U.S. Navy Captain Bob Shea, state and national officials from ESGR, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, and UNCG alumni and staff members of the Guard and Reserve.
Many Spartan employees serve in the Reserve or the National Guard. Chris Roys and SaQuang Lam (in photo above), for example, were called up by the N.C National Guard to help vaccinate North Carolinians against COVID-19. Roys works in UNCG’s Information Technology Services as director of administrative technologies and support. Lam is assistant director for UNCG Student Health Services.
In the Guard, Maj. Lam is Officer in Charge at the Command and Control cell at Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh. He coordinated where teams were deployed throughout the state.
Maj. Roys helped to ramp up some teams that supported the various sites. “All National Guardsmen answer the call to serve either our state or country when needed,” Roys said.
Now, the University itself has been recognized for its efforts to support its employees serving the nation in this way.
Note: The date for the online virtual presentation, originally tentatively scheduled for earlier in May, may be viewed May 27.
By Mike Harris and University staff
Courtesy photography; award photo by Sam Logan.