UW Dermatology Staff Honored at UW Distinguished Staff Awards

UW Dermatology is honored to have two staff members nominated for the 2022-23 UW Distinguished Staff Awards! 

Please join us in congratulating James Churgai, BSN, RN, CCRN, Assistant Nurse Manager at the UW Medical Center-Roosevelt Dermatology Center, and Rima Kulikauskas, Senior Research Scientist in the Nghiem Lab, for earning this tremendous achievement! James and Rima were celebrated at the Distinguished Staff Award reception on March 8, 2023.

The Distinguished Staff Awards are UW’s highest staff honor, celebrating and recognizing staff who have made a lasting impact on our organization, our coworkers, and the communities we serve. The Distinguished Staff Award is a part of  UW’s Awards of Excellence, with five nominations being selected for the annual honor and the $5,000 award in June 2023.

New this year, faculty, staff and students were asked to nominate individual staff or teams primarily composed of staff members who exemplify excellence in the following categories; Collaboration, Innovation, Impact, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Career Achievement. Both James and Rima were nominated in the Impact category for making a “significant impact at UW at the team, departmental or institutional level, or helping a specific audience or community.”

Congratulations James & Rima!

James Churgai, BSN, RN, CCRN, Assistant Nurse Manager

UW Medical Center-Roosevelt Dermatology Center
2022 — Present

Nomination letter: “James exemplifies what is needed during a transformational change, and he does so with enthusiasm. James’s contributions have left a positive impact through his collaborative approach to problem solving. He leads and ensures no one is left behind in the process.”

Rima Kulikauskas, Senior Research Scientist

Nghiem Lab
2015 — Present 

Nomination letter: “While Rima primarily focuses on Nghiem Lab needs, she also leads major projects aimed at improving processes and research pipelines within the UW Division of Dermatology, which includes both clinical and basic research groups. Her numerous contributions facilitate translational science that has major implications for improving patient care, and fostering the careers of junior physicians and scientists.”