UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Another Penn State New Kensington staff member was recognized recently in “We Are,” a new weekly feature of the daily email publication, Penn State Today.

Susan Dale, administrative support assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs, was featured Aug. 5. “We Are” is a University-wide initiative that was launched in February to provide students, faculty and staff with a platform to give kudos to fellow Penn Staters for work that goes above and beyond their job duties or responsibilities.

Dale is the sixth staff member from the New Kensington campus to receive the honor in the past six months. Previously, Nancy Miller, co-director of continuing education; Corinne Coulson, enrollment specialist; Kevin Churik, information technology generalist; Jennifer Marino, assistant director for financial aid; and Danielle DeStefano, assistant director of enrollment management, were accorded the prestigious honor. All six were nominated by campus colleagues for personifying Penn State’s commitment of service to the community.

Kevin Snider, chancellor of the New Kensington campus, praised the recipients for shining the Penn State spotlight on New Kensington. He encouraged the campus community to recommend other colleagues for the honor.

“We need to get the word out about what a great campus and community we are,” Snider said. “It's a great way to continue to get our fantastic community recognized outside the campus.”

A “We Are” candidate could be a maintenance worker taking extra steps to make sure a project is completed, a student organizing a charitable event, an administrator doing something special for employees, or a faculty member taking additional time to advise students.

A graduate of Carlow University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Dale joined the campus community in 2008. In her position, she provides support to the assistant director of academic affairs, Hal Smith. The Academic Affairs office manages the workload for all full-time and part-time faculty. Dale is the primary contact person for adjunct faculty.

“I enjoy working with the people at our campus, helping students, parents and coworkers, and resolving challenges that arise,” said Dale, a lifelong resident of Lower Burrell.

Her nominator wrote: "Susan fields requests from parents, students and faculty — all with grace and a smile so that they feel well taken care of. She provides the primary staff support for adjunct faculty and helps each to feel like a true part of our campus, even if they are only on campus for a few hours each week."

Academic Affairs, under the guidance of director Andrea Adolph, is responsible for all academic functions of the campus. The office administers nine bachelor’s degree programs and five associate degree programs. Dale plans and coordinates the annual academic awards ceremony and the high school math league series. She also assists with faculty orientation and graduation.

In addition to her work responsibilities, Dale serves as captain of Academic Affairs' Green Paws Team. Sponsored by the Penn State Sustainability Institute, Green Paws are groups of faculty and staff volunteering to take specific actions to help their offices or departments operate in a more efficient, innovative and healthy way. The groups work in conjunction with the institute’s Green Paws program to earn certificates of achievement. New Kensington is the only Penn State campus with 100 percent participation by its faculty and staff.

Green Paws is a four-step program for resource efficiency in the office. Each level comprises nine sustainability categories: energy, recycling, waste reduction, purchasing, outreach and production, events and meetings, transportation, kitchens and break rooms, and publications. Each category has a checklist of certain criteria to meet, and each level makes the office "greener." Certification is bestowed upon those who complete the checklist at each level.

Dale’s connection to the campus goes back to 1958 when her father, John “Jack” Sennett, enrolled in the first classes at what was then called the New Kensington Center. Sennett was a member of the first graduating class in 1960, earning an associate degree in mechanical engineering. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in economics and industrial management from Duquesne University, and a master's in industrial labor relations from St. Francis University. Sennett delivered the spring commence speech in 2008. A retired director of industrial engineering at Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp., he was a member of the Penn State New Kensington Advisory Board for 12 years.

To nominate a “We Are” candidate from the campus community, visit http://news.psu.edu/WeAre.

To view “We Are” stories, visit http://news.psu.edu/story/359184/2015/06/01/we-are-thankful-these-penn-staters.

For information on joining the campus Green Team, contact Ruthann Herstek at 724-334-6032 or rah32@psu.edu. 

For more about sustainability on campus, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Information/45255.htm.