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2010 EXCEL Award Winners

AMG announced two winners of its annual Excellence in Leadership Award, which recognizes individuals who have had a significant and lasting impact on the people they lead; who exemplify management excellence; and who have made broad contributions to the campus as a whole. The honorees this year are Michelle Popowitz and Susan Abeles.
 
Michelle Popowitz, assistant dean for administrative and external affairs at the School of Dentistry, manages more than 200 staff members, the school’s budget, degree programs and extensive teaching, research, administrative and clinical space. From aggressively promoting staff recognition and development to playing a key role in upgrading the school’s IT network, Popowitz was lauded as a “champion of the dental school, its programs and its people.”
 
Susan Abeles, associate vice chancellor and controller, Corporate Financial Services, is one of the key individuals responsible for UCLA’s financial integrity, establishing high ethical standards and streamlining financial processes. She has served as a mentor to countless colleagues and paved the way for the creation of a CFS Leadership Development Program. She recently announced plans to retire, concluding a 40-year career at UCLA.