UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Terry Watson, assistant director of academic advising and student disability services at Penn State World Campus, has been selected to receive the 2024 Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award.
The award, sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, was established in 1988 and renamed in 1998 to honor the late James Robinson, a distinguished alumnus and former member of the Alumni Council. It recognizes a full-time faculty or staff member with at least two years of active service who has promoted equal opportunity through affirmative action and/or contributes to enhancing the educational environment of the University through improving cross-cultural understanding.
Nominators said Watson is a key member of academic advising and student disability services, offering invaluable leadership to a team of 60 academic advisers and disability specialists. They said he’s instrumental in continually advancing the unit’s understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Watson manages more than 150 student cases, and nominators said his commitment to their success is inspirational. He’s also just as committed to former students.
“The award stands for equality for all people no matter the circumstances, past hiccups, their disability and the color of their skin. I believe that Terry embodies those qualities,” said a nominator. “He manages to make people feel optimistic even when they seem defeated. I met Terry for the first time before I was even a student at World Campus. He immediately let me know that he was going to be there every step of the way, and he has kept that promise. I am African American, a first-generation college student. I am disabled, I am from an inner-city where there weren’t many options. I don’t know how I could repay him, except by continuing to work through the difficult times so that at graduation I can meet the people that made it possible for me, such as Terry Watson.”
Watson’s expertise, experience and commitment to equality is sought after by many across campus. He serves on action-oriented committees to drive out discrimination for students, staff and faculty. He participates on search committees, advises on accessibility, shares innovative approaches to streamline processes. and improves cross-cultural understanding.
Watson is a member of the Task Force for on Policing and Communities of Color and the More Rivers to Cross Response Task Force. He serves on an initiative working to implement mandatory bias training for University employees. He currently co-chairs CORED (Commission of Racial/Ethnic Diversity), one of Penn State’s President’s Commissions for Equity. He also shapes the Student Disability Resource Office’s programming to promote opportunities for individuals to explore accessibility, equality and inclusion for people with disabilities, nominators said.
His work also impacts the local community. He serves on the boards of the State College chapter of the NAACP and 3Dots. He is chair of Community and Campus in Unity, and he is the founder of the public benefit organization Strategies for Justice, which addresses race, disability and gender in law enforcement.
“Terry’s impact is transformative. His wealth of knowledge, coupled with his ability to apply it effectively, his unwavering conviction, and the strength of his voice, empower and support those around him,” a nominator said. “His dedication to advancing equal opportunities and fostering robust support systems is truly commendable.”