UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Each spring, Penn State recognizes outstanding faculty and staff with annual awards in teaching and excellence. These awards highlight many of the University's faculty and staff who go above and beyond in their work at Penn State.
This year's honorees will be recognized at an invitation-only awards ceremony on April 9.
Additional information about each of these University-wide awards is available here.
The 2026 faculty and staff award winners are:
Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Awards
Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching
- Richard Harnish, professor of psychology at Penn State New Kensington
- Ben Lear, professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science
George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching
- Brianna Blackburn, instructor in nursing in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
- Lisa Goguen, program coordinator and associate professor of psychology at Penn State Hazleton
- Joseph Houck, teaching professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science
- Lisa Mangel, assistant teaching professor of biology and elementary and early childhood education programs at Penn State Behrend
- Michael Mashtare, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering in the College of Agricultural Sciences
- Elizabeth Womack, associate professor of English at Penn State Brandywine
Penn State Teaching Fellows: The Penn State Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching
- Grant Risha, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State Altoona
- Maria Truglio, professor of Italian and of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies in the College of the Liberal Arts
- Boni Wozolek, associate professor of early childhood/elementary education at Penn State Abington
Penn State Excellence in Advising Award
- Scott Medina, the William and Wendy Korb Early Career Professor and Dorothy and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Nano Bioengineering
- Heather Paris, associate director of the advising center and career services at Penn State Wilkes-Barre
President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration
- Sinfree Makoni, professor of African studies and of applied linguistics in the College of the Liberal Arts
President’s Award for Engagement with Students
- John Pachence, associate teaching professor and program chair of Integrative Arts at Penn State Abington
Undergraduate Program Leadership Award
- Maggie Messitt, Norman Eberly Professor of Practice in Journalism in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
Teaching and Learning with Technology Impact Award
- Lee Ahern, an associate professor of advertising/public relations in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
Rosemary Schraer Mentoring Award
- Beth Neumann, administrative assistant for Penn State’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
- Jessica Petko, associate professor of biology and science at Penn State York
Graduate Faculty Teaching Awards
Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award
- Edward “Ted” Jaenicke, professor of agricultural economics in the College of Agricultural Sciences
Graduate Faculty Teaching Award
- Qiushi Chen, Korb Early Career Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering in the College of Engineering
Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award
- Jason Kaye, distinguished professor of soil biogeochemistry in the College of Agricultural Sciences
Faculty Scholar Medals
- Amy Bridger, assistant research professor of higher education strategy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
- Cui-Zu Chang, professor of physics in the Eberly College of Science
- Alexander Hristov, distinguished professor of dairy nutrition in the College of Agricultural Sciences
- Michelle Newman, professor of psychology and psychiatry in the College of the Liberal Arts
- Xingjie Ni, associate professor of electrical engineering in the College of Engineering
- David Witwer, distinguished professor of American studies and history at Penn State Harrisburg.
Faculty and Staff Achievement Awards
McKay Donkin Award
- Rebecca Mallinson, assistant teaching professor of kinesiology in the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at Penn State Harrisburg
Award for Administrative Excellence
- Emily Martell, managing director for the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Staff Excellence Award
- Cindy Bittner, assistant director of the SAFE-T (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth) Center in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
Support Staff Award
- Boni Richardson, administrative support assistant in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education
Barash Award for Human Service
- Wael Jabr, assistant professor of supply chain and information systems at the Smeal College of Business
W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award
- Asher Rosinger, associate professor of biobehavioral health in the College of Health and Human Development and of anthropology in the College of the Liberal Arts
Shirley Hendrick Award
- Jon Emigh, director of marketing and digital education in the College of Agricultural Sciences