UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Boni Richardson, administrative support assistant in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education, has been honored with the 2026 Support Staff Award.
The award recognizes the overall high-quality performance of a full-time member of the support staff with at least five years of active service in fulfilling the mission of the University and of his or her college or administrative unit. It also recognizes dedicated focus to customer service, commitment to quality improvement, outstanding skills and abilities, teamwork and professionalism.
In every capacity, nominators said, Richardson has demonstrated exceptional dedication, creativity, and care — consistently performing well beyond the expectations of her position.
“Richardson brings remarkable empathy and attentiveness to every interaction with students, faculty and staff. She understands that university policies and procedures shape the lived experiences of individuals and approaches each situation with care,” a nominator said. “Students have frequently shared that she has been the person who ‘helped them make it through,’ not only logistically but emotionally. Her ability to listen, assess needs and act compassionately has made her a trusted and steady presence in our department.”
Nominators said customer service is her strong suit. She’s always looking out for students and anticipating their needs. Recognizing that international students are often unprepared for Pennsylvania winters, Richardson began organizing a cold weather clothing drive, which she’s run for the past five years. Another focus is the LBGTQ+ community. She attended advanced training to be more supportive of these students and organizes events both on and off campus to make these members feel welcome.
“Richardson is constantly seeking the people in our community that are most in need of support and finding ways to get them what they need,” a nominator said. “It is a statement on both her attentiveness to the needs of our community as well as her willingness to use her experience and deep knowledge of our University to quickly respond when she identifies a need.”
Colleagues praised Richardson’s ability to lighten their workload by recognizing areas for improving efficiency and organization. She takes on a lot of tasks while being a model of collaboration, patience and generosity, colleagues said. She maintains deadlines for registration, orientation and graduate benchmarks while managing her current responsibilities as departmental staff support.
“Richardson embodies the spirit of this award through her outstanding service, continual improvement, teamwork and professionalism,” a nominator said. “She has made a profound difference in the academic and personal success of our students and strengthened our departmental operations through her diligence, empathy and leadership.”