Congratulations to Adams and Coster

Each year, the College of Education and Human Development presents the Dr. Rita Fillos Award to a staff member who are actively pursuing an academic degree at UD, and has demonstrated a record of accomplishments in support of the College.

This year CEHD recognized co-recipients Elizabeth Adams, communications specialist II, CEHD Dean’s Office and Cait Coster, administrative assistant II, Human Development and Family Studies.

Elizabeth Adams

Since joining the communications team 18 months ago, Adams has demonstrated remarkable initiative–infusing communication projects with energy and enthusiasm.

• She developed a strategic plan to launch a college-wide social media (SM) platform. Last month, our Facebook account reached thirty-one thousand people and generated over 800 likes.
• Through our new Constant Contact account, she sent out 47 invitations and newsletters, reaching 15,000 students, educators and decision makers.
• And she has created a collection of videos, in which many of you have appeared, highlighting the accomplishments of our students and our faculty.

Adams is in her final year of the master’s in entrepreneurship and design offered through UD’s Horn program.

Cait Coster

Coster has served as administrative assistant since 2014. She is a hard worker, sincere and committed, modeling the values of the department and the college: engagement, outreach and a dedication to social justice. In addition to her normal responsibilities, with no formal web design or HTML training, she re-designed and revised the content for the HDFS departmental website. Over the past year, she also assumed many of the responsibilities of the business administrator until the position could be filled.

Department chair, Bahira Trask wrote in her nomination form, “Cait assumed many of these responsibilities, and more than competently filled in where needed. We could not wish for a better employee and colleague.”

Coster is pursuing her master’s degree in public administration in UD’s School of Public Policy and Administration.

About the Award

Dr. Rita M. Fillos was the founding Director of the Center for Educational Leadership and Evaluation, which was the precursor to the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Research and Development Center. Dr. Fillos first came to UD as a secretary, and during her employment as a staff member, completed a PhD in Education. As a result, she was deeply dedicated to ongoing professional development.

To recognize her accomplishments, friends of Dr. Fillos collaborated with the dean of the College in to create an award in her memory.

The award is presented to a CEHD salaried or professional staff who is actively pursuing an academic degree and has demonstrated a record of accomplishment in support of the College.