UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jessica Clontz, assistant teaching professor and program coordinator of human development and family studies (HDFS) at Penn State DuBois, is the recipient of the 2023 Undergraduate Program Leadership Award.
The award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary leadership benefiting a Penn State undergraduate degree program. Specifically, it recognizes those individuals who have major responsibilities for the delivery of undergraduate education within a unit and who are providing leadership that has transformed or revitalized the undergraduate program in some way.
Nominators said Clontz continuously enhances the undergraduate curriculum by keeping the course material current while offering interactive and external learning opportunities. She’s responsible for organizing in-person events, panel discussions and student field trips.
She created programs for students to develop real-world skills. For example, she created a learning service project in partnership with a local nonprofit to inform and assist grandparents in raising their grandchildren as legal guardians due to the ongoing opioid crisis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Clontz formed a group to help faculty members effectively transition experiential learning courses to a virtual format and secured grant money for the endeavor.
Clontz works to enhance student recruitment and placement for the HDFS program, which boasts 100% placement for its graduates in recent years.
“Our department attributes student placement successes to Clontz’s efforts to connect students with community agencies that offer them internships and, in many cases, jobs,” a nominator said. “She is relentless in finding ways to connect our students to meaningful and paid opportunities.”
Clontz created and now hosts the annual HDFS Employer Panel, which connects students to potential employers. Additionally, she hosts an alumni panel, which allows students to make connections while seeing possible career paths.
She’s also active in the HDFS community, which nominators said allows her to stay current while continuing to make connections.
“Through her service with the local community, Clontz has created partnerships for experiential learning, and she sits on the board of directors for the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, the advising council of the Child Advocacy Center, and is a counselor advocate for Passages Inc.,” a nominator said. “Her engagement with these agencies also informs her curriculum development, as she is able to stay up to date on changes and policy, service provision, and best practices, while connecting students with modern programs.”