Meet this week’s Centennial Stars

Culton and Rosas are celebrated for their positivity, willingness to lend a hand

To celebrate the Rice Centennial, this year the university will honor 100 staff members who represent the best of Rice culture. Each week, Centennial Stars will be recognized for their contributions to excellence, and we’ll introduce them in Rice News.

This week’s Centennial Stars are praised for their positive approach to their jobs and helping others across campus. They are Mia Culton, senior budget analyst, and Rodolfo “Rudy” Rosas, facilities assistant.

Mia Culton

Culton came to Rice in 2007 as a budget analyst and was promoted to her current position in 2008. In May 2011 the Rice University Board of Trustees recognized Culton and her colleagues in the Budget Office and Administrative Systems for their successful implementation of the Hyperion budget-planning tool.

Together with her two fellow senior budget analysts in the Budget Office, Culton is responsible for managing up to three fiscal years at one time: planning the budget for the coming year, managing and monitoring the current year to ensure the budget stays on track and closing the year that just ended. In addition, she has lead responsibility for maintaining a five-year budget planning projection.

Praised for her contributions to improving the budget process, Culton is equally lauded for her cheerful and positive approach to solving problems and helping others across campus with budget matters, colleagues wrote in her nomination letter.

“Mia is recognized by many across the campus for her excellent customer service,” a colleague wrote. “She fields questions with cheerfulness and thoughtfulness and is always willing to help. Mia gets things done.”

Rudy Rosas

Rosas came to Rice in 2001 as a temporary custodian in Facilities, Engineering and Planning (FE&P). Within a year he was promoted to a fulltime employee and in 2005 became lead custodian. In 2006 he left FE&P to join the Recreation Center as an operations assistant and in 2010 he became facilities assistant.

“Rudy always has a positive attitude doing his job,” a colleague wrote in his nomination letter. “There is no job that he is too good to do.”

Rosas is also applauded for going the extra mile for the university.

“Rudy supports the university by going above and beyond in giving service to staff, students, anyone visiting the Recreation Center,” a colleague wrote. “Rudy comes in contact with all levels of the community and is pleasant to all.”

To nominate someone as a Centennial Star, go to people.rice.edu/stars. For more information, contact Rebecca Millet at recognition@rice.edu.

To view previous Centennial Stars, visit http://people.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=2147483712.