UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Learning named Cooper Ofak and Mary Zelis as the fall 2025 recipients of the Outstanding Guided Study Group Leader Award for their academic support and mentoring of their peers.
The Guided Study Group (GSG) leader is a unique position at Penn State, allowing undergraduates the chance to work closely with course instructors and create a welcoming environment and supportive learning community for the assigned course. Leaders host drop-in study sessions where they review course materials and help students hone their problem-solving skills.
Ofak, an actuarial science major in the Smeal College of Business, is a GSG leader for STAT 200. One of his nominators, Jenny Shook, assistant teaching professor of statistics, Eberly College of Science, said he is “confident, well-prepared and ready to help in lecture during active learning activities.”
Shook said she surveys students during week nine of each semester, and typically about 75% of students said they’ve never attended a guided study group session. This semester, only 55% of her STAT 200 students said they had never attended.
“That means they view GSG as a valuable resource this semester more than previous semesters, and I’m sure Cooper’s skills are the reason,” she said.
John Correll, guided study groups coordinator at Penn State Learning, said Ofak stepped into the top GSG leader role after just one semester of leading STAT 200 sessions.
“He has quietly and effectively been leading the STAT team since then and has mentored them all into becoming effective GSG Leaders,” Correll said. “Cooper has supported several STAT 200 faculty, and they have all had good things to say about him. He is thoughtful, professional and extremely reliable.”
Ofak said the Guided Study Group program has helped him grow tremendously in confidence and ability.
“GSG has shaped both my academic and professional development,” Ofak said. “This experience has given me invaluable material to reference in interviews, and I attribute a significant part of my early professional success to it.”
After graduation in 2026, Ofak will move to Texas for his first full-time professional role as an actuarial analyst with USAA.
Zelis, a GSG leader for CHEM 110, is a third-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, in the College of Engineering.
“Mary consistently takes the initiative to encourage the students by providing them with learning strategies and fostering good problem-solving skills,” said one of Zelis’ nominators, Lisa Funari, lecturer of chemistry and assistant director of general chemistry labs, Eberly College of Science. “She is self-motivated and extremely reliable. I was most impressed with her ability to work well with her peers in a leadership role.”
Mary Jo Bojan, teaching professor of chemistry, Eberly College of Science, said in her nomination that Zelis is “reliable, well-prepared and an excellent communicator. She has almost never cancelled a GSG session and any deviations from her regular schedule have been communicated well in advance.”
Zelis said she is grateful to be able to help others grow their knowledge of chemistry.
“I really look forward to each session and the opportunity to help others,” she said. “I enjoy working with the students, listening to their challenges, learning how they approach the material and, especially, seeing them work together and collaborate. It is inspiring to be part of this community that values learning and mentorship.”
The Outstanding Guided Study Group Leader Award is supported by philanthropy and awards two leaders each semester a stipend of $500 in recognition of their contributions. Additional information about the award is available at pennstatelearning.psu.edu. In addition to providing no-charge Guided Study Groups supporting a wide range of courses, Penn State Learning also provides tutoring in mathematics, world languages, public speaking and writing.