Each year, the Employee Forum awards Peer Recognition Awards in eight categories. Last year, we were thrilled when Michelle Song won a Professional Excellence award.
That thrill is definitely not gone, because this year, Tara Carr is also being awarded for professional excellence.
Carr is a Research Program Manager with Abacus Evaluation – the same group that Song helps lead. Abacus is all about helping researchers know what’s working and it’s clear they’re on to something with their own teammates!
Marlena Kuhn, a Data Analyst with Abacus, was one of the people who nominated Carr for the award. She said, “Tara does a lot of the heavy lifting for so many of our projects while being supportive and staying levelheaded. I’m so glad that she is getting the recognition that she deserves through this award!”
Shelly Maras, an Abacus Evaluation Research Scientist, nominated Carr with Kuhn. She said, “I nominated Tara for this award because she is wonderful to work with; she supports her colleagues and those she supervises to meet their professional and individual goals.” Maras added that, “I am happy to see that she is being recognized for her professional excellence! Way to go Tara!”
Asked for her reaction, Carr said, “It is truly an honor to have been nominated by my peers for this award and selected by the Employee Forum.” At the same time, her focus stays on who she works with.
Professional excellence takes a team
We asked Carr what this award means to her. She immediately focused on her team. It only goes to show how Carr goes “above and beyond” to be “supportive” of her team (in the words of the Professional Excellence award).
“To me…the award symbolizes the amazing evaluation and data analytics work of the Abacus team, and I as a team member, to support numerous health and well-being studies and programs. So, not only is the work that we do important, but how we do it as well,” Carr said.
Part of her approach to excellence is “showing up each day with a positive attitude – realistic but positive.”
Carr said that she tries “to set herself and others up for success by directing work to play to her and her teammates’ strengths.” Part of playing to strengths is “providing tools and roadmaps to grow in areas where we are less confident/experienced,” she added.
What makes for professional excellence? It’s the growing together – and we’re grateful to hear that Carr considers CHER and her Abacus team “fertile ground” that growth.
Tips for building professional excellence
Carr shared her advice for building professional excellence.
She says “clear communication is key” and recommends “developing an understanding of how you and others work best.”
“What one person needs to perform effectively may be different from another person. Understanding those needs and communicating clearly with that knowledge helps a team function well and build trust,” she added.
Finally, Carr shared that “it is important to have confidence in yourself and inspire others to take on new challenges.”
It’s clear that Carr and her Abacus teammates are helping each other build a culture of professional excellence. It reminds Carr of her time as a student.
Living the Carolina Way
As she reflected on this award, Carr returned to her time at the Gillings School of Global Public Health.
“I often heard about the Carolina Way – play hard, play smart, play together,” she said.
“I was unsure whether my work life after graduate school would embody any part of it,” she added, then shared, “I feel fortunate to work at the UNC School of Medicine, and with Abacus and CHER, where I see that the Carolina Way exemplified every day.”
We know we’re grateful for the way Carr models teamwork and inspires her teammates to pursue professional excellence. With the culture they’re building, perhaps Abacus will be celebrating a third award next year.
Until then, we know that we’ll keep supporting each other toward growth in everything the Professional Excellence award recognizes: supportive interactions, community engagement and exceptional execution in their work.