Penn State announces 2020 University-wide faculty and staff awards

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Each year, Penn State recognizes outstanding faculty and staff with annual awards in teaching and excellence. These awards highlight many of the University's faculty and staff who go above and beyond.

This year's 2020 faculty and staff awards include:

Undergraduate faculty teaching awards

• The Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching — Denise Bortree, associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications; and Charles Brown, associate professor of accounting at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.
• The George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching — Michael J. Bernstein, associate professor of psychology at Penn State Abington; Timothy Bralower, professor of geosciences in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; Kirk French, associate teaching professor of anthropology in the College of the Liberal Arts; MaryEllen Higgins, associate professor of English at Penn State Greater Allegheny; Jessica Petko, assistant professor of biology at Penn State York; and Jill M. Wood, teaching professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies in the College of the Liberal Arts
• The Penn State Teaching Fellows: The Penn State Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Teaching — Philip Bevilacqua, distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology in the Eberly College of Science (ECoS); Gary Gray, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering and Cory Scherer, associate professor of psychology at Penn State Schuylkill
• The Penn State Excellence in Advising Award — Elaine Barry, associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus, and Janet Spearly, director of academic advising in the Smeal College of Business
• The President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration — Laura Guertin, professor of earth science at Penn State Brandywine
• The President’s Award for Engagement with Students — Shannon Goff, associate professor in the College of Arts and Architecture
• The Undergraduate Program Leadership Award —Steve Kraycik, assistant teaching professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
• The Teaching and Learning with Technology Impact Award — Pierce Salguero, associate professor of Asian history and religious studies at Penn State Abington

Graduate Faculty Teaching Awards

• The Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award — Gregory Ziegler, professor of food science in the College of Agricultural Sciences
• The Graduate Faculty Teaching Award — JoLynn Carney, associate professor of counselor education in the College of Education
• The Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award — Stephen Schaeffer, associate department head of graduate education in the Eberly College of Science

Faculty Scholar Medals

• Iliana Baums, professor of biology in the Eberly College of Science; Carina Curto, professor of mathematics in Eberly College of Science; Jennie Noll, professor of human development and family studies in the College of Health and Human Development; Marica Tacconi, professor of musicology in the College of Arts and Architecture; and Donghai Wang, professor of mechanical engineering and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering

Faculty and Staff Achievement Awards

• The McKay Donkin Award — Matthew McAllister, professor of media studies in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
• The Rosemary Schraer Mentoring Award — Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar and clinical professor of law at Penn State Law
• The Award for Administrative Excellence — Amanda Jones, senior director for human resources – academic units and human resources strategic partner in the Eberly College of Science 
• The Staff Excellence Award — The Support Staff Award — Kim Schindler, administrative support assistant for the Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response
• The Staff Excellence Award — Janet Klinefelter, alumni relations and stewardship officer in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
• The Barash Award for Human Service — Josephine Dumas, associate teaching professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
• The Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award — Johnathan White, history lecturer at Penn State Greater Allegheny
• The W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty & Staff Achievement Award — Michael Jacobson, professor of forest resources in the College of Agricultural Sciences
• The Penn State Award for Faculty Outreach — Jacob Benfield, associate professor of psychology and social science at Penn State Abington
• Outreach and Online Education Emerging Faculty Award for Engaged Scholarship — Rebecca Tarlau, assistant professor of education and of labor and employment relations in a 75/25 split appointment in the College of Education and College of the Liberal Arts
• The Shirley Hendrick Award — Debra Roach, director of workforce development and continuing education at Penn State Beaver
• The Penn State Community Engagement and Scholarship Award — The Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative, led by Boaz Dvir, assistant professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

For additional information on these University-wide awards, go to http://awardsrecognition.psu.edu/.