As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 18 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:
- Jonna Belanger, associate teaching professor of kinesiology and chair of the University Faculty Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs, whose nominator wrote: “Jonna tirelessly serves the Penn State community. She works to ensure her students develop critical thinking skills, empathy and resiliency to complement their academic skills. She also is dedicated to ensuring that the curricular process serves everyone in the best way possible.”
- David Boyd, research technologist at Penn State Harrisburg, whose nominator wrote: “Dave is one of the reasons I love the Harrisburg campus. Not only does he have endless technical knowledge, but he is also quick with a joke and life advice. His door is always open for questions or a quick chat. Dave has an uncanny ability to make your day better, no matter how bad you're feeling.”
- Nina Campbell, admissions counselor at Penn State Behrend, whose nominator wrote: “Shoutout to Nina, the rockstar admissions event planner at Behrend! Her behind-the-scenes magic makes every event seamless, ensuring families feel welcomed and students see their future here. From logistics to life-changing moments, she does it all — often thanklessly, but always brilliantly!”
- Kevin Churik, IT service manager in Penn State IT, whose nominator wrote: “Kevin does an amazing job as project manager for the Commonwealth Campus websites. He's technically skilled but also focuses on user experience and campus needs. He's dedicated to quality and continuous improvement and is always positive, cheerful and helpful. Kevin is a pleasure to work with!”
- Erin Eckley, office manager for University Faculty Senate, whose nominator wrote: “Erin manages the UFS office with efficiency and good humor. She anticipates problems and is able to find solutions before hiccups become major issues. She helps keep the entire office running smoothly and be nimble enough to adjust to a work environment that changes frequently.”
- Karen Gallia, administrative support assistant at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, whose nominator wrote: “Karen has stepped up and assumed responsibility for multiple new areas with cheerfulness and a can-do attitude, including personally supporting our campus chancellor. She has had to learn new processes and technology, yet she never complains and is always ready with a smile or laugh.”
- Jan Haring, administrative support assistant in Student Affairs and Residence Life at Penn State Behrend, whose nominator wrote: “Jan goes above and beyond to support students. She excels in organizing events, sending communications and offering assistance. Her positive attitude and care make her an invaluable asset to the Behrend community.”
- Wendy Jo Hartsock, associate director of alumni relations at the Smeal College of Business, whose nominator wrote: “Wendy Jo plays a key role in Smeal’s alumni mentoring program, which has been active for 16 years and welcomed 445 pairs this year. She assigns meaningful matches and develops new resources. Wendy Jo is a long-time friend of the Smeal Alumni Society Board and has cultivated impactful alumni relationships.”
- Jess Highbaugh, financial associate in Student Affairs, whose nominator wrote: “Jess consistently goes above and beyond to support staff and students at University Park and across the commonwealth. Her expertise in financial processes and policy is crucial to our success. Jess' leadership ensures we can provide resources and tools to support student engagement and success.”
- Emily Hoffman, marketing coordinator in Penn State Outreach, whose nominator wrote: “Emily has worked tirelessly to ensure the success of a new initiative of Penn State Outreach, which is launching the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State Harrisburg. Her marketing strategy, creativity and organization are unmatched. We're so lucky to have her!”
- Lindsay Jimeson, administrative assistant in the College of Agricultural Sciences, whose nominator wrote: “Lindsay effortlessly stepped into her role in the dean’s office organizing several department head interviews happening at the same time. We are thankful for her work in our department head search!”
- Donna Kincaid, registrar at Penn State World Campus, whose nominator wrote: “Donna gives her unwavering support to both her staff and our stakeholders every day, with her knowledge of the University and her sense of humor. With her experience in our office, she is able to guide us when new things come along. She is always on top of all the moving parts of our office.”
- Sharlene Luo, database architect and ETL data warehouse developer for the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR), whose nominator wrote: “Sharlene is the lead data engineer for our Oracle data integrator project. She pioneered the project — including accomplishing tasks consultants said were not possible — to ensure that the project was a success!”
- Kim Marchek, director of institutional reporting in the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR), whose nominator wrote: “Kim leads a team that produces numerous reports and analyses for Penn State, the community, and state and federal use. Kim's can-do attitude and smiling face ensure all who work with her know they are respected and valued. We want Kim to know that she is respected and valued by us too!”
- Steve Navarra, academic adviser at Penn State World Campus, whose nominator wrote: “Steve consistently advocates for students and staff. He ensures that students have resources as they are pursuing their educational goals. He goes above and beyond to provide care for the staff he supervises and consistently reaches out to offer his support. He is the epitome of a great leader.”
- Juyeon Schulman, academic adviser in the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), whose nominator wrote: “Juyeon is a thoughtful and dedicated team member who looks out for her colleagues and advocates fiercely for both students and staff. She represents DUS with heart and integrity, bringing kindness, attention to detail and deep Penn State knowledge to every conversation.”
- Shelly Stevick, officer in University Police and Public Safety, whose nominator wrote: “Officer Stevick represents the department with heart and a desire to serve students. Officer Stevick supports the Community Oriented Policing Unit at University Park and works hard to make connections with students. Shelly's desire to support and educate students goes above and beyond expectations.
- Leana Topper, teaching professor of biology in the Eberly College of Science, whose nominator wrote: “Not only is Leana an amazing adviser and professor, but she is a fantastic colleague as well. She often goes above and beyond for everyone she meets — for example, she recently thanked a visiting professor with a kind and thoughtful gesture that instills the 'We Are!' spirit."
- Cameron Wilkinson, IT support specialist in the College of Health and Human Development, whose nominator wrote: “I would like to shout out the exceptional efforts of Cameron in supporting our unit. He has consistently gone above and beyond to help set up computers and ensure program access is seamless. Cameron’s positive attitude and friendly smile make him an absolute joy to work with.”
Thank you Jonna, David, Nina, Kevin, Erin, Karen, Jan, Wendy, Jess, Emily, Lindsay, Donna, Sharlene, Kim, Steve, Juyeon, Shelly, Leana and Cameron — and to everyone who helps make 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.