UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Education honored faculty, staff and students who have made substantial advancements and accomplishments within their respective fields, the college and the University at its annual spring awards ceremony on April 20.
“I am so proud of the people in our college who have continued to strive and excel, going the extra mile when needed to make our community a welcoming, helpful place for our students, as well as for each other,” said Kim Lawless, dean of the College of Education. “The work they are doing really does make a difference, and I wish I could honor more of them for what they have accomplished over the past year. I appreciate each and every member of our college community.”
Following is a summary of the winners of each of the awards:
Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award
The Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award was created through an endowed donation from Joan and David Cotterill to recognize and reward exemplary leadership in the College of Education. The award includes resources for professionally related activities, including participation in conferences, seminars and sabbaticals.
This year’s winners are Brandy Henry, assistant professor of education (rehabilitation and human services), and Brenda Martinez, student advocate specialist in the Office of Education and Social Equity.
In delivering the award, Lawless cited Henry’s dedicated work in the equity space, particularly where she has volunteered at the intersection of the criminal justice system and education.
“Brandy has been everywhere around the college, volunteering and helping out with the Restorative Justice Initiative, not because she has to, but because she wants to and it’s what her heart leads her to do.”
Lawless thanked Martinez for the tremendous amount of work she does for students, staff and faculty.
“There really are no words you can put in place to thank Brenda for all of the work she does,” Lawless said. “She is listed as the student advocate, but I think she’s an advocate for all of us. And it is tireless work.”
Lawless said both Henry and Martinez have provided the University and the college with invaluable leadership during their time at Penn State.
“Thank you, Brandy and Brenda, for what you do with us, and for us, and because of our mission, every single day,” she said.
Climate Enhancement Award
The Climate Enhancement Award honors an individual who promotes the college’s diversity agenda. This year’s winner is Andy Alexander, facilities coordinator for the college.
“I had the honor of nominating Andy, because he provides visible, responsible and trustworthy leadership in his role, and comfortably and effectively interacts with colleagues and stakeholders within the college,” said Karen Brewster, director of business operations for the college.
Brewster said Alexander promotes social connections and supports employees’ abilities to stay positive and to bring their positivity to the workplace, using his empathy to enhance the college climate.
“He takes pride in his work, regularly walking through each building making sure that it presents well, and that upgrades and repairs are made when needed,” Brewster said.
She said that before the start of classes each semester, Alexander ensures that the college is a welcoming environment for students and faculty and that classrooms are unlocked according to schedule.
“We as a college are better because of Andy’s presence,” she said.
Outstanding Junior Researcher Award
Janice Byrd, assistant professor of education (counselor education), is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Junior Researcher Award, which typically recognizes the significance of a particular contribution to the research literature.
Byrd is a leading scholar in counseling and education with a research agenda consistent with the college’s strategic plan, while also authentically aligned with her core values as a researcher seeking to foster systemic change through empowering interventions.
“Her research agenda represents relevant topics, significant to the well-being of students in educational spaces. She is prioritizing empirical projects that address systemic change for K-12 students while also promoting individual-level interventions that empower students currently navigating educational systems layered in racism and oppression,” said Elizabeth Prozek, associate professor of education (counselor education), who nominated Byrd.
Prozek said Byrd is leading the conversations of anti-racist counseling practice, and her research influences how counselors operate in K-12 settings.
“She brings research to practice with her community engagement at State College Area School District, where she authentically follows the principles of community-engaged research, responding to the needs of the students. Finally, the significance of her research is evidenced by her appointment to the first cohort of Equity Fellows in the college. With her fellowship, Dr. Byrd is researching race-based affinity groups for graduate students of color,” Prozek said.
Outstanding Senior Researcher Award
Hollie Kulago, associate professor of education (curriculum and supervision), is the Outstanding Senior Researcher Award winner. This award recognizes the overall impact of one’s research. It typically is given to a faculty member who has achieved national and international recognition due to his or her legacy.
Her nominator, Charlotte Land, said that when Kulago arrived in the College of Education, she hit the ground running, building research relationships, starting new projects and even co-editing a book with other leaders in the field of Indigenous educational research. She has been an active member and leader in AERA SIG 48: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, and has been publishing in top-tier journals and presenting at important research conferences.
Kulago recently edited a book, “Indigenizing Education: Transformative Research, Theories and Praxis,” which Land said is a reflection of the type of research that Kulago does — bringing together scholars and community members to do real, on-the-ground work with and for Indigenous peoples.
“Dr. Kulago’s research argues that while it is important to engage Indigenous students in critical Indigenous consciousness, we must also be promoting a critical settler consciousness across our teacher education programs in order to — in her words — ‘recognize settler colonialism mechanisms in everyday life, speak up about them, decenter white normativity, and invest in Indigenous futurity.’ Her work is impressive and important, and she brings the College of Education recognition while also remaining true to her goals of advocating for Indigenous populations,” Land said.
Outstanding Teaching Award
The Outstanding Teaching Award recognizes exemplary teaching performance in the classroom. This year, there are two winners: Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership and demography); and Jessica Henry, associate teaching professor of education (rehabilitation and human services).
“Dr. Frankenberg can only be described as a blessing. Her understanding of civil rights concepts, dedication to seeing students succeed, willingness to connect students with people in their intended careers, and care for the next generation is outstanding,” said her nominator, undergraduate student Gabriella Achampong.
Achampong said as the class read court cases on civil rights issues, they saw that even Supreme Court justices cite Frankenberg as a testament to her expertise. She said Frankenberg uses her status as a professional to effectively give students a scaffold from which to reach their fullest potential in critically thinking about the nation's education system and the intricate ties of civil rights.
“Dr. Frankenberg's individual care for her students is a breath of fresh air. I have been irrevocably changed by having a professor who I know has my back and wants me to succeed. She truly affirms her students,” Achampong said.
Henry has consistently taught a broad range of courses for RHS. Her dynamic presence in classrooms serves the program well as a welcoming ambassador in large 100-level RHS courses. Students enthusiastically engage in her introductory courses, which connects new students to declare RHS as their major. She also teaches a career counseling core course in the Counselor Education master’s program. Her approach with graduate students learning to be counselors is developmentally responsive. For example, one master’s student noted in the nomination letter, “she encourages us to learn for our clients, not a grade.”
“Often, in human service professions, self-care and wellness are taught as important, and yet modeling such behavior is rare in academic settings. Dr. Henry embeds wellness practices into her teaching, demonstrating how the students can create their own plan for daily self-care, ensuring the chances of a longer career in human services without succumbing to burnout,” said Elizabeth Prosek, associate professor of education (counselor education), who nominated Henry.
“My nomination letter contained quotes from several of Dr. Henry’s students, but I’ll share just one more here: ‘Dr. Jess, thank you for not only showing me how to believe in myself but also proving to me that I can provoke change in the world,’” Prosek said.
Outstanding Staff Award
The Outstanding Staff Award recognizes the accomplishments of staff members in the College of Education for their outstanding service and commitment to faculty, staff and students of the Penn State community. The winner this year is Boni Richardson, administrative support assistant in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
During the department’s staffing shortage over the past year, when Richardson was promoted to her role as the department’s administrative support assistant and learning many new responsibilities pertaining to that job, she simultaneously continued working in her former role as the department’s graduate support assistant while the department searched for her replacement.
“Boni worked tirelessly, keeping long hours to ensure that the unrelenting schedule and requirements of the graduate program were effectively communicated and implemented,” said Kim Powell, professor of education. “Without her efforts, the graduate program would have suffered setbacks in terms of graduate student registration, orientation and benchmark deadlines. It should be noted that Boni conducted both roles while also enrolled in doctoral studies in curriculum and instruction.”
In his letter of support for Richardson, Joseph Valente, associate professor of education (early childhood education), shared how Richardson is learning American Sign Language because she always had an interest in learning to sign but when she began working with him the interest alighted anew.
“This shows that Boni truly is a walking and breathing example of what it means to be inclusive and what it takes to create a sense of belonging,” said Valente, who is deaf.
Graduate Student Recognition Award
The Graduate Student Recognition Award recognizes an advanced graduate student’s contribution to research and/or teaching. Publications, conference presentations, external recognition from one’s professional association and exemplary teaching are examples of outstanding performance that may be recognized. This year’s recipient is Farhan Sadique, a doctoral student in the Workforce Education and Development Program.
“As a professor within the program and his academic adviser, I have had many opportunities to interact with him in class and at other University functions. He impressed me from the beginning of our association as a very hard-working, caring and dedicated individual with great leadership skills and every opportunity I have had to interact with him since that time has only served to reinforce my original assessment,” said nominator Mark Threeton, professor of education (workforce education).
Threeton said Sadique possesses a growth-based mindset, which he uses to promote his ongoing professional development. As a doctoral student, Sadique has demonstrated his skills, abilities and character through his continuous productivity.
“My nomination letter shared information about his many national and international conference proceedings, contributions to published books, leadership roles and speaking engagements. Suffice it to say that his CV (curriculum vitae) demonstrates advanced contributions as a graduate student and professional,” Threeton said.