STAR Program Recipients Spring 2023

Spring 2023

These are the recipients of the Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Program for the Spring 2023. In addition to being recognized at our Law School staff luncheon, recipients will receive $2,000 and a crystal STAR award as a signal of the school’s appreciation.

Josue Altamirano

Technical Lead
Information Technology 

Since joining the Law School in May of 2011, Josue continues to have a significant impact on the Law School’s technical advances. He never ceases to provide the best service using his industry knowledge to assist clients on a day-to-day basis.  From troubleshooting issues to implementing new software and hardware solutions, Josue consistently demonstrates a level of superior excellence.  He takes time to understand departmental needs, and researches products and services to come up with new innovative ideas that would improve productivity and efficiency. Josue’s knowledge and skills have been invaluable to the CLS community. He demonstrates his leadership skills by mentoring and training colleagues and explaining complex technical matters to clients in a way that they can understand.  His dedication, responsiveness and expertise are major contributions to the success of the Information Technology department and the Law School. This is Josue’s second nomination as a STAR employee, which demonstrates his commitment to innovation, leadership, and citizenship. 

Khamla Pradaxay

Assistant Director
Faculty Support Services 

Khamla is a beacon of institutional knowledge at Columbia Law School and deserves to be recognized for it. Having worked as a Faculty Coordinator for over 25 years, Khamla knows how to get anything done both creatively and efficiently. She is also an invaluable resource to her colleagues and is one of the kindest and funniest people you can run into on campus. Khamla has always been someone who supports and uplifts those around her. She has the remarkable skill of balancing her experience as a supervisor and a colleague to bring forth innovative ideas that cultivate a culture of support, care, and ingenuity. She is always willing to help out and inspires those around her with her unequivocal commitment to the Law School. Khamla has demonstrated true leadership and citizenship, mentoring other coordinators and colleagues, and never fails to lead with compassion. She is wonderful in so many ways that have only touched the tip of this nomination. Whether you are new to the Law School, or have been here for many years, we all have something to learn from Khamla.

E.Y.

Assistant Director
Faculty Support Services

E.Y. is widely respected by faculty, staff, and students alike, continuously exceeding expectations and setting the standard for faculty support (and she sets the bar very high!).  As a leader, E.Y. sets clear expectations and gives her team the resources and support they need to meet each and every goal. Her first worry is never the success of the task at hand, but rather the well-being of her team. And yet, she is never afraid to question processes or speak up when something is wrong. E.Y. leads every project gracefully making the job seem easy.  Most importantly, E.Y. is caring and selfless. No matter how much work she has on her plate, she will never shut down a question, or turn you away when you're in need of her expert opinion. At the conclusion of her inevitably successful events, she always displays sincere gratitude to everyone involved, not only with her words but with her actions. She never forgets a birthday or misses an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of her peers. For these reasons, we are delighted to recognize E.Y.’s contributions as deserving of the STAR award!