Last Friday, MCB’s once-a-semester Community Forum, hosted by Rachelle Gaudet, took place, and the recipient of this year’s 2025 Doty–Losick Award, Glenda Espinoza, Assistant Supervisor with C&W Facilities Services, Inc, was announced. The annual award, which includes a $1000 prize, a rhino trophy, and a certificate, recognizes individuals whose extraordinary dedication, humility, and care strengthen the MCB community in profound and lasting ways.
For more than two decades, Glenda has been a quiet yet essential force within the Biological Laboratories—a presence so steady and integral that many describe her as the building’s “heartbeat.” Her work begins before the lights come on, before experiments are underway, and before most of the community arrives. As her nomination letter beautifully expressed, “Glenda has already been here, and her care is stitched into every corner of this building. She cleans, yes, but cleaning is the smallest part of what she does. What she truly provides is the invisible scaffolding that allows the MCB community to thrive.”
Her impact extends far beyond the duties of her role. Glenda anticipates needs before they arise, restores spaces before events even appear on calendars, and notices the small details that keep the BioLabs functioning smoothly. As one colleague put it: “Our building would quite literally not function without her.” Another captured the sentiment shared across MCB: “She is the soul of the BioLabs.”
Glenda’s exceptional service is matched by her extraordinary kindness. Her warm smile is known across the community, softening long days and lifting spirits during difficult moments. A graduate student shared, “Your warm smile lit up my hardest nights.” From faculty to students, operations staff to administrators, her presence fosters a sense of warmth, stability, and community that cannot be taught or mandated.
This year’s nomination was a chorus—more than eighty voices from across the department and the broader FAS community spoke up to recognize Glenda’s decades of quiet excellence. The nomination effort was led by Holly Fulginiti, Administrative Lab Coordinator, who felt deeply compelled to honor Glenda’s unwavering presence and profound effect on those around her.
Reflecting on what inspired her to nominate Glenda, Holly shared: “Every one of us carries something heavy outside of work, even if we do our best to hide it. Some days are heavier than others. When I moved from the Northwest Building to BioLabs in June, I was carrying more than I let on. From my very first day, Glenda’s gentle smile from the other side of the window warmed my spirit in ways she will never fully know.”
“As the months went by, I realized she has that same healing influence on so many others, alongside the superb care she provides for the building. Anyone can clean, but very few people can lift a piece of your burden through their kindness and contagious smile.”
“In all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never once heard Glenda complain. She is humble, steady, and full of grace. I nominated her because I admire and respect her deeply, and I hope one day to embody even a fraction of the humility and warmth that she brings to this community.”
Holly emphasized that the nomination quickly grew far beyond her own words: “Ask and they shall come — because I no more mentioned Glenda’s name and the Doty–Losick Award and people were ready to send paragraphs to support her,” she said. “Knowing that Glenda has been chosen to receive this honor means more to me than anything, and I am so thankful the many voices throughout FAS and beyond were heard.”
Her nominators said it clearly: “In a building filled with brilliant scientists and renowned scholars, Glenda is a reminder of something essential: excellence is not just discovered in labs or classrooms, sometimes it comes from those who hold those spaces together with care that cannot be taught or mandated. Glenda represents the heart of what the Doty–Losick Prize stands for: selflessness, community, steadiness, humility, kindness, and extraordinary service far beyond any job description.”
Glenda’s commitment was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she continued to come to work each day to ensure the safety and functionality of the spaces that remained open. Her quiet heroism, steady work ethic, and deep pride in her role set a standard for excellence that inspires the entire community.
As news of the award reached her, Glenda shared her own heartfelt reflections:
“I was shocked and happy when I received the news that I had won the award. I never thought that after so many years, my work would be recognized by so many people who nominated me.”
“I am very grateful to the MCB department. Over the years, I have seen students, faculty, and staff come and go. For a moment, I feel sad that I won’t see them again, but on the other hand, I feel happy because it also means they have achieved some of their goals.”
“I love my job, and I do it with responsibility and dedication, so that everyone who enters the BioLabs building finds it clean and feels comfortable.”
“I feel very blessed that God has given me the strength to continue working here every day, and I wish blessings upon each of you. I plan to continue being part of the MCB community. Thank you so much!”
The Doty–Losick Prize honors individuals who build community through selflessness, humility, and exceptional service. Glenda exemplifies every aspect of that mission. She is the person everyone misses when she is out, the person who notices what others overlook, and the person whose humanity enriches the scientific environment around her.
We congratulate Glenda Espinoza on this well-deserved honor, and we extend our deepest gratitude for her decades of care, kindness, and unwavering dedication to the MCB community.
