July 16, 2026
Jullien Berzuela, left, stands with Department Chair Elizabeth Nance after being presented with the Distinguished Staff Award.
Jullien Berzuela, lead grants manager for ChemE, has been awarded ChemE’s Distinguished Staff Award. The annual award honors an outstanding staff member who has gone above and beyond in their work.
One of the skills staff and faculty consistently highlight about Berzuela is her ability to make complex processes easy to follow while juggling multiple projects. In the 2026 fiscal year, she supported 36 proposal submissions – often juggling multiple submissions at one time, while maintaining accuracy, timeliness, and clear communication. Berzuela was nominated by several faculty and staff members. Here’s what our faculty and staff shared about Berzuela:
“Jullien has made a meaningful impact on our department in so many ways. She consistently goes above and beyond, shows excellent customer service to all faculty and students, demonstrates resilience in the face of challenges, and remains a trusted and essential member of the ChemE community... Her deep knowledge of post-award compliance and fiscal tracking makes her someone our team can truly rely on. On top of her skills and dedication, Jullien brings a positive energy to the workplace. She’s supportive, approachable, and helps create a positive team environment.”
“To my group, Jullien is more than our grants manager. She is an active member of our team. She has always been someone I could trust to help navigate the complexity of UW systems and national funding agency requirements... Her reliability, persistence, and understanding of the grants process provide me and my students a level of security that is difficult to find in these times. I am grateful for her support and strongly believe she deserves recognition for the exceptional care and commitment she brings to her work.”
"Jullien has been an unbelievable help to me as my grants manager since I started at UW. As a new PI, there were (and still are) many, many parts about the job that I was inexperienced with, especially around the proposal submission process and lab financial management. Over the past three years, Jullien has patiently worked to teach me the ins and outs of grant protocols and financing. Jullien also essentially manages all of my lab’s finances and has ensured that our lab funds are properly allocated. Having Jullien’s support on these aspects has let me focus on research and mentorship and is therefore a key part of my group’s success.”
“Jullien is proactive, detail-oriented, and fully invested in the success of the people she supports. She follows through, communicates clearly, and builds strong, collaborative relationships. Even under pressure, she maintains a positive attitude that helps keep the team grounded and supported. Her reliability, initiative, and commitment have improved efficiency, strengthened faculty support, and contributed to a positive team environment.”