UM-Flint Staff Spotlight: Brad Maki

Each year, the UM-Flint Staff Council's Staff Recognition Award is given to deserving candidates who have been nominated by a supervisor or colleagues from around the university. The award criteria focus on leadership, teamwork, service, and dedication.

In 2016, nearly twenty deserving candidates were considered before two winners were selected. However, being nominated is an honor in and of itself. We would like to highlight those nominated and share their stories as submitted by their nominators.

Meet Brad Maki

Brad Maki is the Director of Graduate Admissions at UM-Flint. In his position, he oversees all aspects of admissions, recruitment, marketing, and communication as they pertain to graduate students at the university. He also manages the Graduate Student Research Assistant program and supervises the many staff in the Office of Graduate Programs. Maki has been with UM-Flint since 2002.

Mr. Maki has made a significant contribution to several high-level projects during his time at UM-Flint. In Graduate Programs, he played a central role in the conversion from a 9.0 GPA scale to a 4.0 scale. Said Karen Arnold, University Registrar, "It could not have been done without Brad's eager willingness to be available for conversations, questions, and input on the planning, but also for the extensive testing that had to be done. The project would not have been as successful without his dedication and commitment to assisting us."

Mike Farmer, Chair of the Department of Computer Science, Engineering and Physics in the College of Arts & Sciences, and former graduate program director for computer science, also noted the results of Maki's impactful work. "Brad's thoroughness and attention to detail has been a critical asset to me as a program director. [He] worked with Institutional Analysis to have a graduate programs enrollment dashboard rolled out to the programs. This tool has already played a key role in helping us analyze the performance of our students and set admissions guidelines. He worked carefully with all the program directors and program managers to be sure they had access to the data and analysis tools."

Projects outside of Graduate Programs have included helping the university convert to an online catalog and co-chairing the recruitment sub-committee of the Strategic Enrollment Management initiative on campus.

Part of the UM-Flint Team

The multiple letters of support for Maki's nomination all commented on Maki's qualities of leadership and teamwork. Vahid Lotfi, Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Programs, noted, "[Brad] is held in the highest regards, not only by the office staff and his subordinates, but also by the university community at large. He has a keen sense of the larger picture and the ability to bring people together to accomplish the task."

"Brad is well known for his deep appreciation of teamwork and spirit of cooperation," continued Lotfi. "He is never shy of responding affirmatively to requests for help by other units. He is calm and extremely thoughtful."

Jan Furman, Professor of English and Director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies added, "From the beginning of my tenure, I was impressed by the energetic, innovative, student-focused style of the Graduate Programs group…Brad systematically promotes continuous improvement, efficiency, and friendly professionalism. He is always on task, but he is never without kindness and good humor."

Maki's ability to contribute so meaningfully, yet so personally, is especially of note as UM-Flint offers nearly forty graduate degrees across the College and four schools of the university.

A Dedicated Staff Member

Several nominators noted that Maki is always willing to step in and handle duties for colleagues who are away. He is also lauded for his follow-through and ability to complete tasks well and on time.

"Brad has been consistently a solid leader with an impeccable history of outstanding performance," wrote Lotfi in his nomination letter. "He is a highly ethical person with a deep appreciation for honesty and transparency. He never compromises his standards for expediency and that is why he is held in such high regards by everyone. He is fair and a true professional…His commitment to UM-Flint and our mission is unwavering."

"By providing the highest possible quality of services, Brad is also supporting the university's academic mission and values," added Professor Furman. "That level of dedication and industry should be recognized and honored, I believe."

"Brad is always listening, always looking for new ways to support the University's mission," said Bob Hahn, retired coordinator of UM-Flint's K-12 Partnerships, as he closed his nomination letter. "He is totally dedicated to UM-Flint."

Congratulations, Brad Maki, on being a 2016 Staff Recognition Award nominee!