Celebrating excellence: Faculty & Staff Awards 2025
Each year, RIT Croatia honors the exceptional contributions of its faculty and staff through the Faculty and Staff Awards. These awards recognize the dedication, innovation, and impact that drive the high quality of our programs and support the success of our students. By celebrating individual achievements, RIT Croatia also highlights the collective effort that strengthens our academic community and enriches the learning experience for all.
Categories of Excellence
The Faculty and Staff Awards recognize contributions across several distinct categories, each reflecting a vital aspect of service, research, teaching, and engagement at RIT Croatia. All faculty and staff members had the opportunity to nominate their colleagues and provide supporting explanations, ensuring that each nomination highlights the value of their work. These categories included:
Excellence in Service
The Excellence in Service award honors faculty and staff who demonstrate exceptional commitment to supporting students, colleagues, and the RIT Croatia community. Awardees consistently go beyond, fostering collaboration, mentoring others, and ensuring that students have access to guidance and resources. This year's recipients of the Excellence in Service awards are:
- Luči Vierda, Recruitment and Enrollment Specialist, is recognized for fostering collaboration across departments and supporting students, colleagues, and new staff through outreach activities and coordinated initiatives.
- Tamara Lipnjak, Student Life and Well-Being Coordinator, is honored for her dedication to student well-being, including the creation of the mental health website and organizing workshops that enhance both student and community support.
Outstanding Achievement
The Outstanding Achievement award celebrates those whose work demonstrates exceptional impact and innovation. This category highlights projects and initiatives that advance RIT Croatia’s mission, connect education with real-world experience, and create meaningful outcomes for students and the community.
- Irena Ljubišić, Marketing and Communications Senior Specialist, is recognized for leading the Dubrovnik Tram Competition, a project that successfully combined education with real-world application, engaged local partners, and received strong media recognition.
- Dr. Martin Žagar, Professional Studies Professor, and Dr. Alan Mutka, Department Chair, Web and Mobile Computing Department, Senior Lecturer, are honored for their work on AssessMe, which earned international recognition as the Third Top Project in the Digitalization category at the PROFFORMANCE International Higher Education Teacher Award 2024/25.
Excellence in Research
The Excellence in Research award recognizes faculty who contribute significantly to advancing knowledge and scholarship at RIT Croatia. Recipients strengthen the institution’s academic reputation, publish in high-impact journals, secure research funding, and actively involve students in research activities. The recipients of the Excellence in Research award are:
- Dr. Vanda Bazdan, Lecturer, is recognized for co-authoring a high-impact journal article indexed in the Web of Science Arts & Humanities Citation Index, ranking among the top journals in Humanities and Social Sciences.
- Dr. Maja Vidović, Professional Studies Professor, is honored for publishing in a Q1 journal and mentoring Honors Program students in research, supporting them in presenting at conferences, and co-authoring publications.
- Dr. Martin Žagar, Professional Studies Professor, is recognized for leading multiple high-value research projects, securing substantial external funding, and co-authoring seven publications in top journals during the past academic year.
Excellence in Professional Engagement
The Excellence in Professional Engagement award honors faculty and staff who actively bridge academia and the professional community. Recipients engage with industry and project partners, bring real-world experience into the classroom, and contribute to professional networks and associations, enriching both students and the institution.
- Dr. Staša Puškarić, Professional Studies Professor-tenure, is recognized for developing innovative solutions with real-world impact, sharing his expertise generously, and contributing to advancements in science and professional practice.
- Dr. Martin Žagar, Professional Studies Professor, is honored for his extensive engagement with industry partners and international collaborations, bringing valuable professional insights into the classroom and representing RIT Croatia at global forums.
Length of Service Awards
In addition to the excellence awards, RIT Croatia celebrates faculty and staff for their long-term dedication. Length of Service awards recognize individuals who have contributed 5, 10, 20, or 25 years of service, reflecting sustained commitment to the institution and its mission.
- 5 Years: Valentina Soko, Finance and Accounting Specialist, Ana Andrijašević, Student Services and Administrative Assistant, Iva Adžić Kušt, Instructor, Željko Marković, Student Services Specialist
- 10 Years: Dr. Aleksander Radovan, Instructor, Dr. Domagoj Tolić, Senior Lecturer, Dr. Martin Žagar, Professional Studies Professor
- 20 Years: Dr. Barbara Perić, Department Chair, General Education Department, Senior Lecturer
- 25 Years: Jelena Zvono, Human Resources Manager
Congratulations to all the awardees for their remarkable achievements!
