Thomas W. Schmitt Prize

Criteria

The Schmitt Prize was established in 2007 through the initiative of Thomas W. Schmitt, former associate vice president for human resources. Schmitt proposed the idea of a staff prize to senior administrators, and it was eventually funded by Ted Jenkins, Caltech alumnus (BS '65, MS '66) and trustee, who spent his professional career in the semiconductor industry. All staff members are eligible for this award and are nominated by members of the Caltech community.

The prize is presented at the annual Staff Service & Impact Awards ceremony to a staff member of the Caltech community whose contributions embody the values and spirit that enables the Institute to achieve excellence in research and education.

All staff members are eligible for this award, and are nominated by a member of the Caltech community. A committee of six faculty and staff members makes the final selection based on the following criteria. The selected staff member should

Enjoy uncommon trust and respect among their peers,
Directly or indirectly support the Institute's research and teaching mission in a singularly effective, professional, and passionate manner, and
Engender a spirit of enthusiasm about Caltech and its values among everyone with whom they interact, both on campus and off.

Submit Your Nomination for the 2025 Thomas W. Schmitt Prize

Entries accepted until May 2, 2025.

Nomination Form

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2008 Awardee

2018 Manny de la Torre

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Thomas W. Schmitt Prize winners
Year	Employee	Div/Depart	Description
2023	Nora Oshima	GPS	Nora Oshima, grants and building manager in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, was recognized for her dedication and professionalism, which prompted one nominator to call her both "relentlessly helpful" and "indispensible".
2022	Jorge Carillo	Facilities	Jorge Carrillo, custodial supervisor for the department of student housing, was recognized for "the exceptional support he provides to students and staff," and for his "compassion, loyalty, and service," according to those who nominated him.
2022	Darrel Goudeau	Facilities	Darrel Goudeau, manager of mail services, was honored as "an exceptional role model" who is known for his "diligence and trustworthiness" and his "sense of humor and positive outlook."
2021	Jerry Stewart	Facilities	Jerry Stewart, Facilities Maintenance Project Coordinator, was recognized by his peers for his outstanding contributions to Caltech with the Thomas W. Schmitt Annual Staff Prize. His colleagues praise his attention to detail and tenacious chasing down of answers and solutions. "This has earned him a reputation of being the "go to" to get something done." Jerry's ability to learn new tasks and roles quickly and his continuous hard work have exceeded expectations. With his exceptional performance, he has earned the admiration of many who come to interact with him.
2020	Esthela Jalabert	Facilities	The award recognized Jalabert for her exemplary work ethic, "unique positive spirit, pride, and dedication." In nominating her for this award, her colleagues described her as "so much more than a custodian...she serves an essential role at Caltech: making it a home."
2019	Rose Royal	Facilities	In nominating her for this honor, her colleagues described her as the heart of the service center and consider her institutional knowledge and commitment to making Caltech a better place "invaluable."
2018	Manuel (Manny) De La Torre	BBE	Nominators cited De La Torre—whose duties include managing equipment and supply procurement for multiple labs—for his hard work, cheerful attitude, and eagerness to help others. In the words of one supporter, De La Torre makes those he works with feel "like you're part of a winning team."
2017	Phyllis Burton	Financial Services	The 2017 Thomas W. Schmitt Annual Staff Prize went to Phyllis Burton, who works in purchasing as the contracting officer for BBE. The award celebrates staff members "whose contributions embody the values and spirit that enable the Institute to achieve excellence in research and education." In nominating her for the honor, Burton's colleagues called her professional, dedicated, warm, and knowledgeable. "There have been so many times over the past few years that I have run to Phyllis with questions or issues," said one nomination. "She knows everything and is our division's savior." Another noted, "She is a problem solver and represents Caltech in such a wonderful way!"
2016	John Henning	PMA	Joined Caltech: 1984 On the job: Henning, senior research engineer at Palomar Observatory, designs and maintains control systems to guide and safeguard Palomar's three telescopes. Since he is so familiar with telescopes' inner workings, he is often involved in troubleshooting and improvements at the Observatory. Nickname: "The Wizard," since Henning has a solution to every challenge. Why he loves his work: "I enjoy working with our dedicated, hard-working staff. And getting the telescopes to perform new tricks is a lot of fun; there is always an opportunity to be creative."
2015	Ruben Carmona	SAS	Ruben Carmona, a grill station cook in Caltech's Chandler Cafeteria, is the winner of the 2015 Schmitt Prize. The prize is awarded annually to Caltech staff members who embody the values and spirit of the Institute through their work, directly or indirectly supporting its research and teaching mission through the professionalism and commitment they bring to their jobs. Carmona has been a Caltech employee since 2001, working in culinary services both on campus and at JPL. He began his career at Chandler Cafeteria, moving to JPL's Café 167 in 2002, where he worked for four years before returning to campus in 2006. "I have been here almost 15 years, and I love it," Carmona said. "Working at Caltech, I feel like I am part of a family. When I see that smile from my customers—students, faculty, staff—it's a reward for me." Carmona was nominated by an anonymous member of the Caltech community who testified to his dedication to his work as well as his grace under pressure, writing, "I challenge anyone to name another person on campus who, day in and day out, approaches his or her job with more enthusiasm, pride, and attention to detail than Ruben. No matter how colossal the crowd of hungry students, faculty members, and staff clustered around his station is, Ruben prepares each and every delicious meal with unmatched speed and professional skill." The nominator also cited Carmona's unwavering good humor, attesting that "he is never anything but calm and courteous, no matter how chaotic it gets (and we all know how hectic the noon hour in Chandler can be). Even on the craziest days, Ruben will cheerfully go out of his way to accommodate a special request." Carmona recalls his reaction to hearing his name called as the winner. "It was shocking," he says. "I'm still surprised; I can't believe it. I got a letter last week, and I knew I was nominated, and just knowing that was exciting for me. …This is incredible. Thank you. Thank you, everybody." "We are very grateful to have an employee as dedicated as Ruben on our staff," says Webster. "He has been a fixture at the Chandler grill station for over 15 years. One thing to note about the grill station is the constant heat: constant orders coming in, hot equipment all around, and hungry people waiting for their food. Ruben still has time to greet everyone cordially, chat with his regulars, and know his customers' 'regular' orders."

History of the Thomas W. Schmitt Annual Staff Prize

The idea for an annual staff prize was originally conceived and nurtured by former Associate Vice President for Human Resources Tom Schmitt, shortly after he arrived at Caltech in 1997. Tom realized that while faculty and students at the Institute frequently receive recognition, awards, and, yes, cash prizes, there was no such formal recognition of the contributions and excellence of Caltech's staff members. So, senior administrators set out to raise money for an endowment with which to fund such a prize. Fortunately, a benefactor appeared from within our own Caltech community. Ted Jenkins, an Institute graduate and trustee, has always been a strong supporter of Caltech staff. In 1966 Ted started his career at Fairchild Semiconductor Research and Development Laboratories as a process engineer, moving to Intel Corporation in 1968. There he held a variety of positions, and in 1990, was named vice president and director of corporate licensing. In 1996 he was appointed to head the government affairs committee, which coordinated Intel's public policy and advocacy across the corporation. Ted retired from Intel in 1999, but fortunately he did not retire from Caltech. President of the Alumni Association from 2001 to 2002, he also served as president of the Caltech Associates in 2004–2005.

When it comes to matters that affect Caltech's staff, Ted is a persistent trustee advocate for values and policies that create a positive work environment and that acknowledge the important role staff members play in Caltech's success. Not surprisingly, in the first discussions with the trustees regarding creation of an annual staff prize, Ted enthusiastically and without hesitation provided financial support for an endowment to fund this award in perpetuity. Caltech is indeed grateful for his generosity in making this wonderful recognition possible.

And why is it named the Thomas W. Schmitt Annual Staff Prize? It seems only fitting that the man who did so much advocating for staff during his 10 years of service should be honored by having his name on this award. It was Tom's persistence that made this prize a reality—just in time for his retirement in 2007!