UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new Employee Resource Group, or ERG, has launched at Penn State, offering support to Penn State employees with disabilities and their allies. The "Pawsitively Different ERG" will launch programming with a hybrid event.
Pawsitively Different was unveiled earlier in the summer during the livestream celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) hosted by Penn State World Campus on July 30. Its launch, a hybrid event, is set for noon on Oct. 2 in the W043 Dewey Room of Pattee Library, at the University Park campus. Attendees can connect with ERG members, as well as ERG and University leaders, while learning about current disability services at Penn State and helping shape future directions. All employees are welcome, and those interested in attending can RSVP for the launch event via this form.
In addition to empowering Penn State employees with disabilities and recognizing their integral role in contributing to and shaping the workplace, Pawsitively Different aims to foster a collaborative community that advocates for inclusivity, accessibility, and offers understanding through lived experience, while supporting personal and professional growth.
The group formed over several months, after Penn State employees across a variety of units and departments reached out to Penn State Human Resources with an interest in starting an ERG to support employees with disabilities. This group of employees developed a framework to finalize the ERG’s mission and vision over a few months.
“Living with a disability can be very isolating, especially in a professional environment where we may feel embarrassment or shame for our different ways of functioning and fear to advocate for ourselves,” said Jessica Aguilar, graduate education curriculum and assessment specialist in the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School and co-lead of the ERG. “It can be difficult to relate to colleagues, locate resources and accommodations, and find our unique place in the Penn State community.”
Aguilar said the group is a way to bring the community together: To share information, experiences and best practices, while enjoying camaraderie and support, and collectively advocating for improved practices and policies at Penn State.
“There’s a tremendous amount of diversity in the disability community, but regardless of the ways in which we navigate the world, we’re united in the experience of being different. ‘Pawsitively’ so, you might say,” she said.
Robin Tate, senior professional analysis and planning consultant in library assessment at Penn State Libraries, co-leads the new ERG with Aguilar. While completing her doctorate in educational psychology at Penn State, she came across the concept of individual differences and methods to help learners transition from surviving to thriving.
"I really thought I understood individual differences,” she said. “Then, one day, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A car accident left me with an occipital concussion and post-concussive syndrome, resulting in lifelong vision, migraines and balance problems. That was when I truly learned about individual differences."
Her goal now, she said, is to assist fellow Penn Staters in transitioning from surviving to thriving, within a psychologically safe, respectful, welcoming and uplifting community of practice.
The group reached out to Seria Chatters, interim vice provost for Educational Equity, to serve as its executive sponsor, and she readily accepted their invitation.
“I am so excited about the launch of Pawsitively Different and the incredible efforts of Jessica Aguilar, Robin Tate and all who came together to make this vision a reality,” said Chatters. “Their leadership, vulnerability and determination to create a supportive community for Penn Staters with disabilities and their allies is deeply inspiring.”
Chatters said she feels honored to serve as the executive sponsor for this new ERG. She hopes that every employee with a disability — as well as allies and those they care for — feels a strong sense of connectedness and belonging through this community.
“No one should ever feel alone,” she said, “and Pawsitively Different is a reminder that together, we can create spaces where every voice is valued and every experience matters.”
Nalini Krishnankutty, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging program manager in Penn State HR, who helped launch the group, is thrilled to see Pawsitively Different continuing the legacy of existing ERGs Rainbow Roar, Vet-aLIONce, SustainaLions and Penn State Cares in not only supporting employee well-being and development but also assisting with Penn State’s objectives.
“ERGs can play an instrumental role towards helping achieve all six goals in Penn State's Strategic Plan, from enhancing student success to serving our land-grant mission, achieving research excellence and more,” she said.
ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups formed around common identities, backgrounds or interests. The groups are open to all Penn State staff and faculty at all campus locations to help promote community and belonging. Employees interested in joining or learning how they can contribute to developing and shaping the Pawsitively Different ERG can email pawsitivelydifferent-erg@psu.edu.