As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 23 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.
This week, on behalf of the entire Penn State community, we’d like to say thank you to:
- Matt Callenberger, inventory control and distribution specialist in the Office of Physical Plant, whose nominator wrote: “Matt is so attentive to the needs of the organization. He sees to it that material requisitions are processed quickly. Matt goes out of his way to make sure he communicates with whoever is placing requisitions and to look for materials from alternative suppliers with quicker lead times and less cost.”
- Denise Campbell, academic adviser in Smeal College of Business, whose nominator wrote: “Denise puts her heart and passion into coaching a peer mentoring organization in Smeal. When first-year enrollment doubled, she prepared the organization to absorb the growth. She teaches students essential communication and organizational skills to ensure they carry out their mission successfully.”
- Heather Cass, publications manager at Penn State Behrend, whose nominator wrote: “For the past five years, Heather has successfully led the efforts for the annual 5K race hosted by Behrend’s Women’s Engagement Council, bringing people together to showcase our campus in a fun and unique way. She is the heart behind this amazing event for our organization and campus!”
- Eddie Cerritos, administrative support assistant in Student Disability Resources, whose nominator wrote: “Whether students are celebrating achievements or navigating difficult moments, Eddie meets them with kindness, respect and compassion. His calm presence helps every student feel welcomed, supported and valued from the moment they walk through our doors.”
- Whitney DeShong, academic program coordinator in the College of Education, whose nominator wrote: “Whitney is quietly dependable, dedicated to doing things the right way, and always takes great care in ensuring her work is accurate and complete. She has built strong relationships across her team and beyond, creating trust, collaboration and a positive work environment.”
- Megan Gilpin, education program specialist at University Libraries, whose nominator wrote: “Megan has a talent for identifying what students need and creating meaningful programs and support systems. Her positivity and passion for student success shines through. Those of us in Student Affairs who work with Megan are always confident referring students to the University Libraries programs!”
- Rich Guy, facilities manager at Penn State New Kensington, whose nominator wrote: “We are grateful for Rich’s incredible teamwork and flexibility. He stepped in to pinch‑hit at a neighboring campus, taking on double duty and resolving complex issues and emergencies with efficiency, calmness and an unwavering, unflappable presence.”
- Jenna Hart, academic program coordinator in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), whose nominator wrote: “Jenna is a rockstar! She helps our faculty and graduate students with their assistantships through her timely responses and can-do attitude, all with a smile on her face, making even the toughest situations a breeze. Jenna is such a team player and an amazing resource for our grad students and faculty.”
- Deb Hauf, student aid coordinator in the College of Medicine, whose nominator wrote: “Deb always goes above and beyond for her students and her fellow co-workers. She has been instrumental in getting things completed in a timely manner for the College of Medicine students. I appreciate her hard work during difficult times.”
- Samantha Hendershot, associate coordinator of grants and contracts in the College of Health and Human Development, whose nominator wrote: “Sam is highly knowledgeable and efficient and genuinely cares about helping research teams with the process of submitting proposals for funding. She brings calm at the most nerve-wracking times, order to chaotic systems, and solutions to address complex (and sometimes unexpected) challenges!”
- Amanda Henry, coordinated care specialist in the College of Engineering, whose nominator wrote: “Amanda has brought an organized eye and a caring ear to her work with the coordinated care unit in Engineering advising. She has been a lighthouse in a summer of whirling storms. Her calm demeanor with students and staff is much appreciated. We are so grateful you are on our team!”
- Michelle Hutnik, director of research analytics in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, whose nominator wrote: “Michelle is big on giving credit where credit is due. She always makes sure everyone who contributed gets named in her reports before they go to leadership — even if it means putting up a bit of a fight.”
- Keith Jedlowski, systems administrator in Penn State IT, whose nominator wrote: “We had a Windows update that caused a significant change in our login process to one of our systems. While our University Park Student Affairs team found a fix for this and was able to deploy it to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff, we needed Keith’s help to deploy it to the rest of our Commonwealth Campus users. Thank you, Keith!”
- Lynn Monoski, administrative senior manager in the College of the Liberal Arts, whose nominator wrote: “Lynn intrepidly led Weaver Building units through a demanding period in spring 2026 in which Weaver was operating with two-thirds of its staff and transitioning to the new finance system. She personally took on extra work at a very busy time at the end of the year to help all departments and programs succeed.”
- Heather Paris, associate director of advising and career services at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, whose nominator wrote: “Huge shoutout to Heather! An unwavering champion for student success, she provides exceptional guidance, advocacy and personalized support. A trusted resource for faculty advisors and a highly valued colleague, she strengthens student success through her dedication and expertise.”
- Jon Peters, IT strategic partner for Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Lehigh Valley, whose nominator wrote: “Jon has been helping our department create a Power Automate flow and has been an incredible collaborative partner throughout the process. This is just one example of the work he does on a regular basis — he has shown so much expertise, kindness and patience, and he is so appreciated!”
- Crystal Ramsay, assistant vice provost for the AI Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning, whose nominator wrote: “Crystal deserves a shoutout for her exceptional leadership in AI awareness and upskilling across Penn State. Her tremendous efforts to develop AI training and resources are helping prepare faculty, staff and students to understand and navigate the rapidly evolving role of AI in higher education.”
- Karin Sprow Forté, associate teaching professor and chair of the Teacher Education Division at Penn State Harrisburg, who received multiple nominations. One nominator wrote: “We are celebrating Karin for her leadership in bringing a school district partnership to fruition — creating an opportunity for high school students to earn nine college credits in education and get an early start on their college journey.” A second nominator wrote: “Karin was instrumental in establishing a partnership with the local school district, creating an opportunity for junior and senior students to take three required elementary education courses, earn nine transferable college credits and explore continuing their education at Penn State.”
- Michael Swogger, associate teaching professor of social studies at Penn State Harrisburg, whose nominator wrote: “Michael is an outstanding colleague whose leadership and commitment to teacher education have enriched our programs and supported student success. His dedication to students, colleagues and program excellence reflect the very best of Penn State Harrisburg.”
- Sarah Tichenor, assistant registrar at Penn State Scranton, whose nominator wrote: “Sarah is an invaluable partner to the Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre campuses. She is always responsive, friendly and helpful, and consistently goes above and beyond to support registration and enrollment efforts. Her additional outreach to Hazleton students was greatly appreciated!”
- Jeff Trimpey, maintenance worker utility in the Office of Physical Plant, whose nominator wrote: “Thank you to Jeff for his thoughtfulness, attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile. His kindness and consideration in making sure my workspace was comfortable did not go unnoticed and was greatly appreciated.”
- Krista Westfall, administrative assistant at Penn State Behrend, whose nominator wrote: “Shoutout to Krista Westfall for going above and beyond, including working over the weekend to process prerequisite overrides and help students get enrolled. Krista is always helpful, responsive and friendly. Her dedication to our students is greatly appreciated!”
- Hannah Williams, IT project manager at Penn State IT, whose nominator wrote: “During a quick win project, I reached out to Hannah to ask for assistance with a fast deadline. She was willing to offer support and provide needed data. I appreciate her willingness to go above and beyond in helping me on short notice and during a time of transition in her office.”
Thank you to these individuals and everyone across the University who contributes to making Penn State such an incredible community!
Do you know someone who deserves a shout out? If you do, consider nominating that person by filling out a short online form.