Five outstanding UCLA employees were recently honored by the UCLA Administrative Management Group at its annual Excellence Awards ceremony. Among them was Samantha Hamman, senior project manager lead in UCLA Digital and Technology Solutions, who received the Rising Star Award.
Hamman was honored for consistently delivering transformative solutions, modeling inclusive and empowering leadership, and exemplifying the potential of UCLA’s next generation of leaders. Nominators also noted she demonstrates extraordinary leadership promise through her track record of high-impact project delivery, cross-campus engagement and unwavering commitment to continuous growth.
In addition to being a standout participant in the UCLA Leadership 20XX program, Hamman brings insight, humility and initiative to every session and professional encounter and her contributions to some of UCLA’s most complex, high-profile programs have been nothing short of remarkable, said nominators.
Among her accomplishments, Hamman played a pivotal role in the Bruin Connect & Secure initiative—UCLA’s security transformation and network unification effort—where she led planning and execution to deploy the Trellix endpoint protection solution to all university-owned devices. Concurrently, she was instrumental in standing up the Tiger Team charged with centralizing UCLA’s technical asset inventory—both critical components of UCOP’s 2025 systemwide security mandate. In addition, she has served as a core leader in the FACET program, UCLA’s modernization of its financial aid system. Hamman’s leadership helped drive the successful delivery of key milestones, directly supporting timely and equitable financial aid distribution for tens of thousands of students, including UCLA’s incoming class of 2029.
In addition to Hamman, Scott Carter, deputy director/director of planning and strategic initiatives, Enrollment Management, received the Distinguished Career Award. The Excellence in Leadership (EXCEL) Award went to Jenny L. Lee, student affairs officer, neuroscience department, for the Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program. In addition, Bruin Beacon Awards were presented to Tara Brown, senior business continuity planner, Insurance and Risk Management and Idriss Njike, executive director of Residential Life.
