UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Each year, Penn State honors several members of its faculty and staff for the highest levels of academic excellence, outstanding leadership and meritorious service. The 2015 Faculty/Staff Award recipients — 33 outstanding University employees and one program — reach across campuses, colleges and administrative units and exemplify best practices and achievements among Penn Staters reflecting the University's mission of teaching, research and service.
The honorees will receive their awards at a private ceremony at noon Wednesday, April 15 at The Nittany Lion Inn.
Articles about this year's award recipients are linked below, listed below by award category.
Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Awards
The Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching: Robert Loeb, associate professor of biology and forestry, Penn State DuBois; and Dan Stearns, J. Franklin Styer Professor of Horticulture Botany, College of Agricultural Sciences
The George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching: Lisa Reeves Bertin, senior lecturer in information sciences and technology, Penn State Shenango; LuAnn Demi, senior instructor, Penn State DuBois; Michael J. Krajsa, instructor of management, Penn State Lehigh Valley; Jennelle L. Malcos, lecturer and academic adviser, Eberly College of Science; Irene J. Pertick, senior lecturer, College of Information Sciences and Technology; and Felisa del Carmen Preciado, clinical associate professor of supply chain management, Smeal College of Business;
The Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching (2015 Penn State Teaching Fellows): Jane C. Charlton, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, Eberly College of Science; Richard Doyle, Liberal Arts Research Professor of English, The College of the Liberal Arts; and Allen Larson, associate professor of communications, Penn State New Kensington
The Penn State Excellence in Advising Award:
-- Faculty: Elizabeth M. Seymour, instructor of anthropology, communications, history and women’s studies, Division of Arts and Humanities, Penn State Altoona
-- Staff: Margaret A. Sebastianelli, senior DUS programs coordinator and director of student services for College of Health and Human Development, Division of Undergraduate Studies and College of Health and Human Development
The President's Award for Excellence in Academic Integration: Jane C. Charlton, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, Eberly College of Science
The President's Award for Engagement with Students: Diane Zabel, Louis and Virginia Benzak Librarian and head librarian, University Libraries
The Undergraduate Program Leadership Award: Richard (Rich) A. Carlson, associate head and director of undergraduate studies and professor of psychology, The College of the Liberal Arts
Graduate Faculty Teaching Awards
The Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award: Karen A. Thole, professor and department head of mechanical and nuclear engineering, College of Engineering
The Graduate Faculty Teaching Award: John Yen, professor of information sciences and technology, College of Information Sciences and Technology
The Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award: Simon J. Bronner, graduate program coordinator and distinguished professor of American studies, Penn State Harrisburg
Faculty Scholar Medals:
-- Arts and Humanities Medal: Robert C. D. Nairn, professor of music, College of Arts and Architecture
-- Engineering Medal: Qiming Zhang, distinguished professor of electrical engineering and materials science and engineering, College of Engineering
-- Life and Health Sciences Medal: Song Tan, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Eberly College of Science
-- Physical Sciences Medal: John V. Badding, professor of chemistry, Eberly College of Science
-- Social and Behavioral Sciences Medal: Robert Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health, College of Health and Human Development
Faculty and Staff Achievement Awards
The McKay Donkin Award: Jacqueline Edmondson, associate vice president and associate dean for undergraduate education, Undergraduate Education
The Award for Administrative Excellence: Sherry Yocum, director of the administrative core, Social Science Research Institute, Office of the Vice President for Research
The Staff Excellence Award: Patricia A. Yarian, administrative support coordinator, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine
The Support Staff Award: Susan Seman, conflict of interest assistant, Office of Research Protections, Vice President for Research
The Barash Award for Human Service: James W. Dunn, professor of agricultural economics, College of Agricultural Sciences
The Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award: Danna Jayne M. Seballos, assistant director for the World in Conversation Center, College of the Liberal Arts
The W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty and Staff Achievement Award:
-- Faculty: Jacqueline S. McLaughlin, associate professor of biology and founding director of CHANCE, Office of the Director of Academic Affairs, Penn State Lehigh Valley
-- Staff: Donna J. Howard, assistant director of international student support services and campus life and intercultural affairs, Penn State Harrisburg
The Penn State Award for Faculty Outreach: Laurie Grobman, professor of English and women’s studies, Penn State Berks
The Shirley Hendrick Award: Hampton N. Shirer, associate dean for education EMS, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Community Engagement and Scholarship Award: Partners in Music, lead faculty: Robert Gardner, associate professor of music education, and Linda Thornton, associate professor of music education, College of Arts and Architecture
A full description of each of the Faculty/Staff Awards with contacts for further information is online at http://www.psu.edu/ur/awards/faculty.html.
