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Erma Santander is the recipient of the LPL Staff Excellence Award for 2026 in the category of Administrative Staff. 

Erma Santander joined the department in July 2025 and has stepped into her new role with an extraordinary mixutre of enthusiasm, professionalism, and care for our community that has far exceeded expectations.

When Erma first began her job at LPL, she continued to support her former department into the fall semester until her replacement was trained, essentially managing two departments. She threw herself into the LPL community, going above and beyond to support events, including the LPL Evening Lecture Series, faculty meetings, retreats, and complex promotion and tenure cases. She took a special interest in the graduate students, helping build community and bring them joy. She organized a cookie decorating event on Halloween and invited the graduate students to attend in costumes.

While a staff member has been away on extended medical leave, Erma took on many of those duties, keeping things running smoothly in the Director’s Office. She recognized an opportunity to find a temporary replacement for the absent staff member that kept another key staff member at LPL when their hours had to be cut because of a drop in grant funding. She has mentored and guided this person to make for a very smooth transition.

Erma has been an exceptional new addition to our community. She has brought calm, friendly professionalism to us while stepping into the very large shoes of her predecessor.