Edwin West, manager of the Devlin Family Café in the College of Education’s Lindquist Center, has been selected for the Richard E. Gibson Merit Staff Award for Innovation and Excellence in Customer Service, one of the 2025 University of Iowa Staff Council Awards. He was nominated by faculty, staff, and students from the college.
“I am very grateful to have been nominated. The student staff and I work hard at providing the best customer service possible, and to be recognized by our friends in the College of Education is a great honor,” says West. “I truly appreciate the partnership and support from the college. Without it, my team and I would not be as successful.”
Funded by a generous gift from the estate of Richard E. Gibson, this award is given annually to up to two individuals in the Merit classification. It recognizes an employee’s outstanding creativity and innovation in process improvement or exceptional achievement in providing customer service. These accomplishments must be outside the employee’s normal job responsibilities or must go above and beyond a position’s standard requirements.
West has been described as someone who consistently displays exceptional dedication to creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. His warm and friendly demeanor, coupled with his unwavering commitment to serving others with a smile, has made the Devlin Family Café a beloved spot within the COE community. College faculty, staff, and students agree that West’s ability to make everyone feel valued and respected is truly extraordinary and appreciated.
According to one of his nominators, “Edwin creates a community atmosphere that encourages students, faculty, and staff to share ideas. The first thing visitors to the Lindquist building see, and often the first interaction with the College of Education is with the team Edwin supervises. His team is cheerful, and helpful, and creates a welcoming space for student-led learning communities. Visitors repeatedly offer unsolicited positive comments about the help Edwin offers.”
West’s efforts extend beyond his daily interactions. He has played a crucial role in fostering a welcoming collegiate environment for anyone who visits the café.
Another nominator wrote: “Edwin is the heart and soul of Lindquist Center. He does much more than just manage the Devlin Café. He is like a concierge, greeting and directing everyone who comes into the building. He is a friendly face for students, faculty, staff, and visitors, setting the tone for the college as a welcoming environment for everyone.
“An aspect of Edwin’s work that impressed me is that he coaches his employees to be great at their jobs, starting with greeting customers all the way to fulfilling orders in a timely and accurate fashion. The service we get from Devlin is as good (and often better) than any commercial establishment in downtown Iowa City. Edwin also gives his student managers space and autonomy to run the operation, allowing them to become better managers while developing confidence to become future leaders.”
Located on the second floor of Lindquist Center North, the Devlin Family Café opened in December of 2021. It was named in honor of the Devlin family who has generously supported the college’s UI REACH program. Jack Devlin, who is a graduate of the REACH program, has been a student manager and program assistant for the Iowa men’s basketball team since 2019.
West and other UI award recipients will be formally recognized at an institutional awards ceremony that will take place at Hancher Auditorium on Tuesday, May 6.