David Radcliff. Photo by Laura Pedrick
David Radcliff – better known as Radd – was honored as a recipient of the President’s Achievement Award (PAA) for his commitment to excellence and exceptional performance. The award was established in 1997 to recognize members of the support and administrative staffs with five or more years of service whose dedication, excellent work and special efforts have contributed significantly to the success of their departments and the University as a whole.
On March 26, the new Racquet and Recreation Fieldhouse in the Meadows Neighborhood was the site of the Service Recognition Luncheon, a cherished annual tradition that honors the service and accomplishments of Princeton staff.
Recipients receive a framed certificate and a $2,500 award, and their names are inscribed on a plaque displayed in the Office of Human Resources. President Christopher L. Eisgruber gave the following remarks at the luncheon about each of the PAA winners.
David Radcliff with Lidia Stokman and department chair Jim Sturm at the Service Recognition Luncheon.
“David Radcliff is the human fulcrum on which the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s undergraduate laboratory rests. The way in which he manages this hub of hands-on learning is a testament to his technical, organizational and teaching skills, as well as his generosity of spirit.
For the hundreds of students who gather under his watchful eye each week, Radd is, in the words of his nomination, a veritable ‘tech wizard’ who makes ‘the lab such a wonderful place… to learn, imagine, build, and collaborate.’ The journey from concept to completion can be arduous, but students quickly learn that they can find in him the moral and practical support they need to be successful.
Radd ensures that no one falls through the cracks. Indeed, he instills in his students an ethos of teamwork, exemplified by his stewardship of the department’s famously challenging and rewarding robotic and autonomous systems lab.
As Professor Claire Gmachl puts it, 'Radd makes our students’ experiences of engineering and research exceptionally better, while asking nothing in return… Radd is awesome!!!'”
This year’s event location, the Racquet and Recreation Fieldhouse, opened in fall 2024. The facility serves as the new athletic hub for Princeton’s rugby, softball, squash and tennis teams.
“Gathering here today to celebrate our incredible honorees and award winners is a heartwarming reminder of what makes working in higher education and at Princeton so truly special.” said Romy Riddick, vice president for human resources, who was the host of the program.
The President’s Achievement Award honored six Princeton staff members in total. The event also recognized 420 honorees who reached service milestones in 2024 and two employees who received the Donald Griffin ’23 Management Award. Read the full story here.
