Three staff members have received the Office of Information Technology’s 2026 Awards for Excellence.

Marc Hoit, vice chancellor for information technology, presented the awards to Gabriella Ferguson, Keyta Kemp and Rebecca Sitton on March 20. The Awards for Excellence recognize employees whose outstanding accomplishments go above and beyond their normal job responsibilities.

Ferguson

• Award Category: Human Relations
• Title: IT Trainer and Instructional Material Designer
• Unit: Outreach, Communications and Consulting

Ferguson was nominated for her cybersecurity awareness leadership and creativity. As a Cybersecurity Awareness Team member, she consistently comes to the group with fresh ideas to strengthen cybersecurity education.

In 2024, Ferguson led the first annual Cyber Bowl, a month-long awareness competition that has since grown from three universities to eight and continues to garner more interest. This statewide event, which had 9,200 participants last year, requires extensive coordination with internal and external partners and has enhanced NC State’s reputation as a leader in cybersecurity.

Ferguson also coordinates the university’s mandatory Data Security Training for employees. From developing the script and video to managing technology integrations, she always keeps the audience in mind. Making this training digestible for a broad audience is critical to OIT’s efforts to decrease successful phishing, protect data and mitigate institutional risk, and build trust among the campus community.

“I’m so grateful for Gabbi’s hard work, dedication and the creativity she brings to every project. She is such a deserving recipient of this award,” said Katie McInerney, Design, Education and Outreach manager, who nominated Ferguson.

Kemp

• Award Category: Customer Service
• Title: eCommerce Application Administrator
• Unit: Enterprise Application Services

Kemp collaborates with departments across campus to create and maintain eStores that comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. In 2025, she supported more than 70,000 secure credit card transactions.

She recently assisted the Institute for Transportation Research and Education in overhauling the eStore pages for their North Carolina Local Technical Assistance Program (NC LTAP). She also helped reimagine their reporting after the pages were finalized.

From start to finish, Kemp was a true guide throughout the process. She was patient, clear and committed to meeting the program’s deadline. She encouraged them to think through possible solutions to meet their needs, never letting “no” be an answer.

“Keyta consistently goes above and beyond to make sure all issues get resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible. Whenever I reach out to her for assistance, I always have confidence that things will go smoothly thanks to her,” said nominator Ray Narvaez, NC LTAP program manager.

Sitton

• Award Category: Outstanding State Government Service
• Title: University Digital Accessibility Coordinator
• Unit: Outreach, Communications and Consulting

As NC State moves toward meeting new federal accessibility standards, Sitton is leading the way. Her tireless work to ensure all digital content is accessible demonstrates her dedication to making university resources available to everyone. And that work isn’t just about compliance — it’s about positioning the university as a leader and a model for accessibility among its peers.

Sitton takes a relationship-driven approach that is essential to success in a decentralized environment like NC State. She spearheads the Digital Accessibility Working Group and collaborates with leadership, instructors, content creators and developers. These efforts ensure institutional buy-in and help integrate accessibility standards into design and governance.

Sitton also launched Learn It, Audit It, Improve It, a campuswide initiative to support the community on their path to compliance. She has provided training on roles, responsibilities and digital accessibility fundamentals, as well as resources to help groups assess their digital environments and address issues.

“Rebecca embodies the Think and Do spirit by transforming complex federal mandates into a universitywide mission that ensures NC State’s digital landscape is accessible to everyone, everywhere,” said Kim Vassiliadis, assistant vice chancellor for Outreach, Communications and Consulting, who nominated Sitton.

Nominees

The following employees were also nominated for the OIT Awards for Excellence:

• Katie McInerney
• Rusty Earl
• Sandra Carstens
• Tony Copeland

Winners of the universitywide Awards for Excellence, NC State’s highest honor for non-faculty employees, will be announced at a ceremony on June 2 in Stewart Theatre.