When Hopkins Dining moved to a self-operated model in spring 2022, newly hired Director of Marketing Brianna Williams was tasked with building the brand and helping create a greater sense of community around dining services.
Over the next three years, Williams dug in with characteristic enthusiasm and energy, helping to transform the dining experience through special events, targeted marketing efforts, and social media campaigns.
Along the way, she took on the supervision of two student employees, embracing the responsibility for not just training them but also ensuring their work experience was enriching, rewarding, and, yes, even enjoyable.
"I try to provide guidance, support, and the tools they need to excel in their career," Williams says. "I also try to cultivate a work environment that inspires fun and creativity. We get to develop positive and memorable experiences for the Hopkins community, and I aim to make sure that my entire team is involved in that creative process."
Her efforts clearly made an impact: Williams was recently named Supervisor of the Year by University Experiential Learning. The award recognizes supervisors who consistently bring the student employment portion of experiential learning full circle by guiding, encouraging, and mentoring students.
"I think she's a rock star and is someone I have admired from the start," says Milton Diaz, a political science major who joined Williams' team in January 2024 and nominated her for the award. In addition to appreciating her transparency, kindness, professionalism, and positivity, Diaz, who hopes to pursue a career in marketing and communications, finds inspiration in Williams' dedication to making Hopkins Dining a more integral part of the student experience. "She really wants it to be about building community, not just about food," he says. Her community-building efforts have included, among other things, conceiving and launching Team Member Tuesdays—a regular social media campaign to highlight Hopkins Dining team members—and playing a key role in launching Culture Kitchen, a Hopkins Dining series that celebrates culture and community through cuisine.
For Williams, it's all part of changing the way students view and experience dining services. "I really want students to see Hopkins Dining as not just providing nourishment but also providing a place where you can have fun and create memories," she says. Williams says her hope is that students will connect with each other, the food, and the people preparing and serving it so much that they consider Hopkins Dining locations a home away from home.
Prior to joining Hopkins Dining in April 2022, Williams honed her marketing skills with dining services company Thompson Hospitality, at Chick-fil-A, and as a wedding and event planner. A bachelor's degree in hospitality management from Morgan State University and a master's degree in Communication Management from Towson University helped prepare her for the demands of marketing for Hopkins Dining. In addition to her two student employees, Williams supervises a full-time marketing specialist.
In their nomination letters, Diaz and fellow student worker John Cintron lauded Williams as an exceptional mentor devoted to developing her team members' professional and personal growth. "She actively provides guidance, constructive feedback, and opportunities for our team to expand their skills," Diaz wrote. Case in point: When Diaz proposed leading an inventory project, Williams approved the plan and provided support. "That was very empowering," Diaz says. "If I had an idea, she took it seriously and really wanted me to execute it on my own. She really wants to make sure the work I'm doing aligns with my future goals."
Such an approach fits well with Williams' goals for her team members. "My role is really to be the visionary when it comes to our program, whether that's [with] social media or messaging or branding," Williams says, "so I can come up with ideas and then let my team members run with them because it's important to me to allow them to make decisions and learn on their own."
When Williams learned of her award at an April 16 Student Employee and Supervisor of the Year Award ceremony, she was stunned. "There are so many great leaders and managers here. I thought, There's no way!" she recalls. "But it feels good to know the work I've been doing has made an impact, and it reignited the fire I have to do really great work."
Experiential Learning also recognized two JHU Student Employee of the Year awardees at the event. William Middlezong, an undergraduate assistant in the School of Medicine's Pathology Department, was named Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year, and Caitlin Rempson, a manager and analyst graduate assistant at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, was awarded Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year.
This year saw a record number of nominations—more than 200—for supervisor and student of the year. "Nominations more than doubled from last year," says Nickolas Lantz, executive director of University Experiential Learning. "The increase in nominations shows just how deeply valued our student employees and supervisors are. I think it reflects a growing culture of appreciation."
To determine the supervisor and student employee of the year, 28 evaluators volunteered their time to review nomination letters and select the winners. The awards reflect the importance of the work of student employees and their supervisors, who are essential to the university's operations and culture, Lantz says. "Taking the time to celebrate [the students]—and the supervisors who guide them—helps reinforce the value of their contributions."
Posted in News+Info
