Baton Awards Presented to Five CUIMC Employees

Columbia University Irving Medical Center has honored five staff members with 2025 Baton Awards that recognize team players who contribute to the overall success of the medical center.

The Baton Awards, presented annually since 2009, highlight the importance of teamwork in contributing to accomplishments throughout CUIMC. The awards recognize employees who know how to partner, when to take initiative, when to delegate, and how to share the workload and the credit. Like a good relay runner, they know when to pass the baton and when to pick it up.

The 2025 awards were presented at the Dec. 3 meeting of the CUIMC Administrators Network.

The recipients are:

Naveed Ahmad

Director of Enrollment and Operations, School of Nursing

Just minutes into his interview, administrators at Columbia Nursing knew the school needed his talent—so much so that they created a position to ensure they didn’t lose him.

Since that day nearly two decades ago, Ahmad has become an indispensable part of Columbia Nursing. As director of student life, he created and implemented the school’s first student council, establishing a lasting structure for student voice and engagement. Now as director of enrollment and operations, he continues to redefine institutional impact. For the past year, Ahmad led the strategic vision for a groundbreaking global marketing campaign driven by data-informed insights, elevating the school’s visibility and appeal among top applicants.

Ahmad also created and implemented a new application system, modernizing the admissions process and making it easier for faculty to identify and enroll the most qualified future nurses. His work has streamlined operations, strengthened decision-making, and ensured that Columbia Nursing remains at the forefront of innovation in nursing education.

Sandra Bernal Garcia

Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Mailman School of Public Health

Bernal Garcia is a steady advocate for students—connecting them to the right campus and community resources—and a clear communicator of standards and conduct so expectations are understood and upheld. Even during staffing constraints, she kept engagement strong, launching new clubs, leadership training, and end-of-year events to build community and to support Columbia Mailman’s students. Bernal Garcia oversees academic records and standards, including policies to assure satisfactory academic progress, and helped streamline review processes so students receive timely, consistent guidance. She also supervises key functions across the Mailman School’s Office of Education—budget, staffing, admissions, and student affairs—bringing people together, clarifying next steps, and ensuring smooth handoffs.

Bernal Garcia has been at CUIMC for over 35 years, starting first in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She grew up in Washington Heights at 170th and Fort Washington, and is a Columbia graduate three times over, with an undergraduate degree from Columbia College and graduate degrees from Teachers College and the Columbia Business School.

Rodney Kopec

Section Administrator and Manager, Oral Surgery Faculty Practice, College of Dental Medicine

Kopec joined CDM in 2005 to take on two official jobs: section administrator for hospital dentistry and practice manager for the oral surgery faculty practice. On any given day he can be found managing issues in the clinic, in the practice, with residents and students, as well as solving mundane-but-important problems with answering services and important-but-complicated problems with faculty onboarding, and everything in between. He has become an insurance expert, a scheduling wizard, a faculty whisperer, and a troubleshooter for anything that arises. Kopec is often the first person many people in CDM go to when they’re not sure where to start. 

Kopec possesses what the Italians call "sprezzatura," the art of making something difficult look easy or maintaining a nonchalant demeanor while performing complex tasks. In presenting the award, Dennis Mitchell, dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, said of Kopec: “Like any very adept administrator, there are whole sets of work and problems that Rodney handles without fanfare, so we don’t even know all that we should be grateful for—but we absolutely are.”

Kathleen McVeigh

Director, International Students & Scholars Office, CUIMC Central Administration

McVeigh joined Columbia in 1976, beginning what has become an extraordinary 49-year career marked by dedication, leadership, and service from her first role in the dean’s office to her long tenure as director of the International Students and Scholars Office.

When McVeigh assumed leadership of what was then a one-person Immigration Affairs Office, she was handed a five-inch-thick manual and told to get started. With no roadmap and no team, she taught herself the complex world of immigration law. Through her determination, she built that one-desk operation into today’s thriving six-member ISSO. Under her leadership, the ISSO has become a model of collaboration and service. She strengthened partnerships across campuses, ensured seamless support for the Mailman School, and led the transition to a fully paperless intake process during the pandemic—a testament to her foresight and adaptability.

Her door has always been open to students far from home, to scholars in need of guidance, and to colleagues seeking advice. Her kindness, professionalism, and unwavering support have shaped not only her office but the very spirit of our CUIMC community.

Maria Neagoe

Department Administrator, Department of Systems Biology and the Institute of Human Nutrition, VP&S

Neagoe is the department administrator for both the Department of Systems Biology and the Institute of Human Nutrition. She began her position as a DA for systems biology in 2018 and her role at the Institute of Human Nutrition in 2024. Neagoe oversees all administrative, financial, and human resource operations, providing strategic leadership to ensure both department’s continued excellence in research, education, and innovation. Her work focuses on aligning departmental goals with institutional priorities, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, and optimizing the operational effectiveness of faculty and staff.

Neagoe’s tenure at Columbia University began in the Department of Neurology, where she held several key administrative roles, including finance manager and business manager. In these positions, she managed multimillion-dollar research portfolios, developed comprehensive budgets, and implemented financial and operational strategies that strengthened both research and clinical divisions.

Throughout her career, Neagoe has been recognized for her exceptional ability to unite teams, streamline complex operations, and cultivate strong partnerships across academic, research, and clinical environments.