Awards
Penn State Intercom......November 29, 2001

Penn Staters of the
Quarter make their mark

The Commonwealth College Penn Stater of the Quarter awards for July-September have been announced.

The following recipients were honored:

* Beaver: Chad Lamp, student, contributed a majority of the technical expertise and support for the new Penn State Beaver Web site. He dedicated many hours on the layout and also solved organizational problems within the site.

* Delaware County: With a number of staff changes over the past few months, Luanne Fox, admissions counselor, filled in the holes and maintained the pace during the hectic 2001 recruitment season. She consistently displayed a positive attitude and unfailing optimism which gave the rest of the Admissions Office staff renewed energy.

* DuBois: Deborah Gill, assistant professor of Spanish, was selected because of her commitment to bringing another culture into the campus environment. Her accomplishments include coordinating a springtime trip to Spain, revitalizing the Spanish Club and developing outreach activities open to the campus and community to help develop a deeper appreciation for the Spanish culture.

* Fayette: Lynn Petko, instructor of English, has been a significant leader in the growth of the Fayette Service Learning Program, which improves lives for Fayette County residents, develops students and promotes the University. In addition, she has brought in more than $30,000 this year in grants to Fayette.

* Hazleton: Suzanne Bahrt, staff assistant in Academic Affairs, was honored for the ongoing dedication she shows to the faculty, staff and students. She is consistently helpful to the Hazleton administrators and faculty by being responsive to their inquiries and needs.

* McKeesport: In September, McKeesport was infected by a debilitating computer virus. Without the dedication, hard work and expertise of David Gribble, supervisor, Computer and Information Systems; David Boykin, computer systems specialist; and Don Cassidy, wage payroll, Information Systems, the impact would have been much worse. By working more than 24 continuous hours, they prevented the virus from spreading further and restored the computers that had been infected.

* Mont Alto: During the quarter, TiDeana Clevenger and Kathy Swope, staff assistants in Student Affairs, worked as a team, assuming extra duties while Student Affairs was temporarily understaffed.

* New Kensington: After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Theresa Bonk, assistant to the director, Student Affairs, extended extraordinary effort by attending to students' emotions and needs as her No. 1 priority. During the start of the fall semester, she prepared an extraordinary orientation program for new students.

* Shenango: The hard work of Scott Yeager, admissions counselor, resulted in a substantial increase in new baccalaureate and associate degree students admitted for the fall semester. High school counselors have mentioned how much they enjoy working with Yeager and appreciate the valuable information he shares with them and the students.

* University Park: While William Curley, senior director of Continuing Education, has been interim campus executive officer at Mont Alto, he has been able to ensure that his College Continuing Education role was not neglected. In the spring, Curley led the Northern Tier Continuing Education Enhancement Review Team, and also implemented the Mont Alto Continuing Education Enhancement Review Team. While serving both jobs, he completed and defended the dissertation for his doctoral degree.

* Wilkes-Barre: Reese Smith, supervisor, Facilities Resource Services, coordinated all phases of two construction projects -- the Arboretum Pathway and the Pond Renovation -- while maintaining the normally busy summer maintenance schedule. In addition, he solicited and obtained the donations of time and materials for the pond project from outside organizations, and was able to complete the pond in time for a dedication during the Arts at Hayfield festival.

* Worthington Scranton: Still in her first year as financial officer, Kim O'Neill demonstrated professionalism, patience and a true knack for accounting during numerous budget hearings and the follow-up allocations hearings. She went out of her way to be available for those who had questions and concerns about the budget.

* York: Jane Emery, counselor, Advising Center, has become a very knowledgeable curriculum expert during her tenure and has been instrumental in working with faculty to develop the campus check sheets for new baccalaureate degrees. She has been a strong and quiet source of support for students, always finding time for "walk-in students," even though there are equally important priorities on her plate.

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