Shelly Feldkamp receives 2025 Staff Excellence Award

Michele (Shelly) Feldkamp, ECE Research Administrator, received a 2025 Staff Excellence Award from the College of Engineering for her professionalism, creativity, and positivity.

“Shelly is truly an integral part of our team,” said co-nominators Laura Balzano and Jeff Fessler, Interim Chair and William L. Root Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “We all appreciate her positive attitude, high level of support for faculty and students, and ability to facilitate faculty success.”

Feldkamp handles a wide range of duties as ECE Research Administrator. One of her primary responsibilities is to manage the post-award finances for about 29 faculty, 109 Graduate Student Research Assistants, and 157 grant projects with more than $9M in annual expenses. 

I have interacted with Shelly over the past 15 years and she has demonstrated extraordinary diligence, initiative, and creativity in everything she has undertaken.

Prof. Al Hero

Faculty rely on her experience to guide processes and manage expectations when it comes to handling finances internally and externally with partner institutions. Several faculty took time to express their appreciation for her specially crafted spreadsheets, attention to detail, and responsiveness to all needs. She is not only quick to respond to requests, she is proactive when she sees things that may become a problem.

“Shelly loves sharing her spreadsheets with me and using them to explain the intricacies of my budgets,” said Prof. Johanna Mathieu. “A couple of times she has been a lifesaver in catching an issue that would have become a big problem if it had not been caught and corrected promptly.”

In addition to her expected activities, Feldkamp has been taking on additional responsibilities due to the lack of a key staff member in her area. These responsibilities include organizing two active seminar series in the areas of Control, and Communications and Signal Processing. Each has speakers nearly every week that requires coordination, advertising, hospitality, and more. 

She has similarly supported a variety of high profile events such as the Workshop on Discrete Event Systems, IEEE Statistical Signal Processing Workshop, Shannon Centennial Workshop, and a wide range of Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) review meetings.

“Shelly’s involvement in these events went above the call of duty and, due to her involvement, the successes of these events brought significant beneficial visibility to the university,” said Al Hero, the John H. Holland Distinguished University Professor of EECS. “I have interacted with Shelly over the past 15 years and she has demonstrated extraordinary diligence, initiative, and creativity in everything she has undertaken.”

She is now training a new staff member, and they are fortunate to have such a kind, cheerful, and competent person showing them the ropes.

Faculty, students, and staff alike appreciate the light and joy that Feldkamp brings to any room, whether in person or remote. 

“Shelly’s positive nature is truly infectious,” said Prof. Raj Nadakuditi. “She brings a sense of enthusiasm and optimism to the department, which fosters a collaborative and supportive work environment.”

Feldkamp will be honored at a special awards ceremony Wednesday, May 21, 2025.