Letting Two Sparkling Lights Shine: The 2017 Brantley Award Winners | Teachers College Columbia University

Skip to content Skip to main navigation
Skip to content Skip to content
Filed Under > TC Community

Letting Two Sparkling Lights Shine: The 2017 Brantley Award Winners

By tradition, the ceremony surrounding the State of the College recognized two of the TC community’s “sparkling lights.” Sonya Jones, IT Training and Communications Coordinator, and Lisa Cazzola, Associate Director of Administration and Operations, received this year’s Elaine Brantley Memorial Award. The award honors the memory of the Teachers College cafeteria cashier who left a legacy of “warmth, kinship, and collaboration” upon her passing in 2003.

Lisa Cazzola, Associate Director of Administration and Operations, and Sonya Jones, IT Training and Communications Coordinator
Lisa Cazzola, Associate Director of Administration and Operations, and Sonya Jones, IT Training and Communications Coordinator
Cazzola joined the TC community in 2011. She was praised as “the heart behind all the TCRWP does for the community” for her work in organizing the TCRWP holiday party and the Vince DelBagno Memorial Barbecue, where she personally grills the hamburgers.) Cazzola was also recognized for “kindness, commitment to building community across the College and caring demeanor [that] set the bar for all of us/”

Jones joined the TC community in 2008. She was lauded for a “genuine curiosity and respect for others” that makes the College “a better place to work and learn,” and for inspiring colleagues to b  “compassionate, civil and engaged community members.”  Described as “a kind and unselfish listener,” she also won high marks for a fitness class she taught in Whittier Hall that was open to all at TC. “People enjoyed spending time getting fit together in the safe place she created,” a colleague recalled.

Related Stories

A Decade of Excellence and Equity: In her final State of the College address, TC President Susan Fuhrman sums up an era of change and advancement

Setting the Tone for an 11-Year Celebration

Published Monday, Oct 30, 2017