UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Steve Scanlon, senior analyst in the Human Resources (HR) Compensation team, is the recipient of the 2023 Ray T. Fortunato Award for Excellence in Human Resources for his outstanding contributions to Penn State HR.
Established by the late Ray T. Fortunato, the flagship award acknowledges HR employees’ exceptional contributions and dedication to bettering human resources at Penn State. This year’s award was presented to Scanlon by President Neeli Bendapudi and by Jennifer Wilkes, vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer at Penn State, during an HR Town Hall event in June.
“Steve is an outstanding leader and team player. He not only guides the compensation team strategically – he digs in to accomplish the enormous amount of work his team faces every day,” said Wilkes. “I cannot thank Steve enough for his tireless efforts on the Compensation Modernization Initiative. He has given up nights, weekends, and holidays during the most crucial phases of the initiative, all to keep Penn State’s compensation structures modern and competitive. He is more than deserving of this award.”
Scanlon has been a key leader throughout the Compensation Modernization Initiative, including the drafting of a new compensation philosophy, the production of a new job architecture for all staff positions, and the creation of new pay guidelines. He continues to guide the compensation team and human resources partners through the implementation of the initiative. Scanlon regularly provides leadership in areas including the administration of the University’s non-academic compensation programs, job evaluation, arbitrations, and the creation and modification of compensation resources.
“I am completely overwhelmed, humbled, and honored by this recognition,” said Scanlon. “There is no greater accomplishment than recognition by peers who work so hard each day, and Penn State HR is full of incredible talent. I look forward to continuing the improvement of staff compensation initiatives for years to come.”