Salute to Allies

UC Santa Barbara’s Veterans and Military Services (VMS) has honored two members of the campus community as the 2018-19 Military Supporters of the Year.

Amanda Strom, TEMPO facilities manager at the Materials Research Laboratory, was recognized for her support in hiring and mentoring student veterans at the MRL.

“Besides tailoring my employment to my interests, her guidance and mentorship have been instrumental to both helping me throughout college and to prepare for after graduation, ” Burt Sickler, a chemistry major who recently graduated, said of Strom.

Mary Bucholtz, professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics, was recognized for her efforts in building community and networking opportunities for two incoming graduate military-related students in her department. The students — one a newly commissioned Air Force officer, the other a military veteran — will arrive on campus this fall with an understanding of the support and resources available to them through VMS, thanks to Bucholtz.

“The Military Supporter of the Year award is given to individuals who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to advancing the interests of UCSB’s military-related student population, and who work to build a military-supportive campus environment,” said Coby Dillard, coordinator of Veterans and Military Services. “This year’s awardees exemplify the spirit of this award, which is to recognize and show our appreciation to individuals whose work shows a personal and professional commitment to the positive development of UCSB’s military-related student community.”