Ahmed Issawi, Product Services Manager within Application Services, was named the 2021 MSU IT Virtual Champion Award recipient during the June 9 presentation of the Excellence in IT Awards. MSU IT leadership presented six Excellence in IT Awards, recognizing the extraordinary efforts of its staff to advance student, faculty, and staff success. Awards were presented to MSU IT staff in the areas of student and staff success, as well as in the categories of Innovation, Virtual Champion, Outstanding Service, and Most Valuable Teammate.
In his role as manager for Product Services, Ahmed is continuously focused on engaging team members, his peers, and the entire Application Services team during the team’s remote work experience.
“Empathy has been my biggest driver for the last year,” Ahmed said. “This last year has affected people in many different ways and my goal was to understand and be the listening ear that some people need. I really wanted to keep people engaged so nobody felt like they were alone or on an island, so I tried to participate and reach out to people as much as I could.
Ahmed helped establish the weekly Application Services Trivia and was instrumental in the creation of the Application Services Virtual Water Cooler.
“Being nominated and recognized for this award is a humbling experience,” Ahmed said. “To know that someone nominated me means the work that I am doing is having a positive and meaningful impact on my peers’ lives.”
His nomination stated, “He has taken extra steps to ensure his team members are doing ok during the pandemic. Ahmed’s empathetic leadership embodies our vision of exceptional experience for our staff, as he drives initiatives to make the remote experience better for our Application Services staff.”
“I like to think of the impact our work is having on students and faculty,” Ahmed said. “When a new tool is rolled out or when trying to solve a problem, are the needs of our students and faculty being kept in mind? Because, ultimately, all the work we are doing is meant to prepare the next generation for the work of the future.”
The Virtual Champion Award is granted to an individual who has thrived in our remote work environment. They have not only found individual work success but have also utilized their talents to lift the performance of their team and foster a sense of community and connection despite being remote.
