The Employee Recognition Ceremony is returning in 2023 and will take place May 9 at the Wayne State Fieldhouse. The invitation-only ceremony will be livestreamed at wayne.edu/live. 

Those being recognized include retirees, value award recipients, Spirit of Community Award recipients and employees who have reached a milestone year of service, starting at 10 years. 

“A ceremony is one way to show that we care about our employees and each other,” said Sharon Tse, Wayne State human resources consultant, organization & employee development. “It has always been a beloved tradition at WSU, and especially after the past few years of being isolated, it is a way to come together."

The Employee Recognition Ceremony has not been held since 2019, so employees from multiple years will be honored. 

“The last three years have been very challenging in dealing with the pandemic, so this event gives us an opportunity to truly express our gratitude to employees who brought us through this time with flying colors,” said Carolyn Hafner, associate vice president & chief human resources officer. “Everyone is excited about being in person at the Wayne State Fieldhouse and having the opportunity to greet and celebrate honorees. 

“Many employees retired during the pandemic after decades of faithful service, and they did not have a celebration to recognize them,” Hafner continued. “We certainly want them to know how much we appreciate them and their many contributions to this university. We also have many faculty and staff who reached significant milestones in their years of service, and we are grateful for them. It is not uncommon here at WSU to recognize employees with 30-plus years of service; however, by today’s standards, this level of commitment is very uncommon in the workforce.” 

For more information, go to hr.wayne.edu/avp/recognition/ceremony.