{"id":129537,"date":"2026-03-04T18:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/129537\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T18:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:36:13","slug":"sursum-corda-awards-caffrey-doyle-eckenrode-kennedy-honored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/129537\/","title":{"rendered":"Sursum Corda Awards: Caffrey, Doyle, Eckenrode, Kennedy Honored"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four staff members, whose collective experience as members of The University of Scranton community spans nearly a century, were celebrated as the newest winners of the Sursum Corda (Lift Up Your Hearts) Awards.<\/p>\n

The awards, presented Feb. 19 at the McIlhenny Ballroom inside the DeNaples Center, recognized the dedication, service and outstanding contributions the four individuals have made in performing their duties, nurturing a sense of a belonging and playing an important role in supporting members of the community as they strive to embody the University\u2019s mission and values in their daily lives.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s recipients of the Sursum Corda Awards are:<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

David Caffrey, public safety officer for the University Police Department<\/p>\n

Caffrey began working at Scranton in 1989, policing the Hill section out of his own car.<\/p>\n

In the 35-plus years since, Caffrey has been a steady and dependable presence who\u2019s led by example through his consistency, reliability and commitment to excellence. Caffrey\u2019s longevity stands as a testament to his devotion to law enforcement and the University.<\/p>\n

Caffrey takes great care to ensure that University facilities, equipment and grounds are always secure, creating a safe and supportive environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors. He has a deep sense of duty and pride in public service, going far beyond what is expected.<\/p>\n

A U.S. Navy veteran, Caffrey enjoys spending time with family, including his sister, her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n

\"Group<\/p>\n

Hugh Doyle \u201917, G\u201920, director of undergraduate admissions within enrollment management<\/p>\n

Just two weeks after graduating, Doyle joined the admissions staff and has since served in several leadership roles at the University.<\/p>\n

Doyle brings exceptional dedication, creativity and intentionality to his duties and considers the University\u2019s mission and the needs of its students in all he does. Bringing a philosophy of \u201cmission first, people always,\u201d Doyle manages his team with compassion and care and consistently models integrity, trust and mutual respect.<\/p>\n

Doyle volunteers with a local nonprofit organization that supports individuals with mobility limitations. Similar to his interactions with students and colleagues, he approaches his voluntary work with humility and a genuine love for others.<\/p>\n

A fan of the great outdoors, Doyle enjoys spending time with his wife, Elizabeth \u201917, and their son, Finnen.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n

Melissa Eckenrode, administrative assistant to the Department of English and Theater<\/p>\n

Known for her compassion and unwavering support of students, offering encouragement and guidance to all who come through the department, Eckenrode has served the University for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Since 2021, she has been an active member of Staff Senate and now co-chairs the Social Events and Community Building Committee, strengthening connections across campus while also volunteering with additional committees.<\/p>\n

Deeply committed to service, Eckenrode chaperones annual student service trips. This past year, she generously chaperoned two international service trips.<\/p>\n

Eckenrode and her husband, Paul, volunteer for the Feed a Friend program, providing essential resources to individuals and families in need. She and Paul are the proud parents of four children \u2014 Monica, Abigail, Matthew and Isabel.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Diane Kennedy, IT client services analyst in the division of information technology<\/p>\n

For nearly three decades, Kennedy has been an influential, reliable and dedicated University community member who has played key roles in several major technological transitions.<\/p>\n

Notably, Kennedy assisted in the University\u2019s move to Microsoft email and calendaring and the redesign of an outdated asset tracker system.<\/p>\n

Kennedy\u2019s commitment extends far beyond her professional responsibilities. She has long visited nursing homes, hospitals, youth groups and libraries with her therapy dogs, Opel and Uwe, offering comfort and connection.<\/p>\n

Kennedy\u2019s service took on new meaning in 2024 after her husband, Rob, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer\u2019s. Together, they have become advocates for dementia awareness and caregiver support, helping raise funds and engaging in various outreach activities and initiatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Four staff members, whose collective experience as members of The University of Scranton community spans nearly a century,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[60229,14704,178,180,179,1822,60228,274],"class_list":{"0":"post-129537","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scranton","8":"tag-convocation","9":"tag-employee","10":"tag-scranton","11":"tag-scranton-headlines","12":"tag-scranton-news","13":"tag-staff","14":"tag-sursum-corda-awards","15":"tag-the-university-of-scranton"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}