UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 9th Annual University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) Summit, held on June 17 at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub, brought together Penn State staff for a day of professional development and team-building.
Sherrie Borden, organizational change manager from Talent Management, provided an interactive presentation titled “Advocating During Change.” Trivia and Family Feud-style games centered around USAC, the FIFA World Cup and Penn State facts helped to facilitate connection and camaraderie among attendees, which included USAC general council members as well as representatives from local staff advisory councils.
The summit was followed by USAC’s final general council meeting of the 2025-2026 term on June 18 at the Bryce Jordan Center 1855 Club.
During the meeting, council leadership recognized six at-large members who completed their three-year terms of service:
- Lisa DeGregorio, senior student services assistant and Veterans Affairs point of contact, Penn State Mont Alto
- Jacqueline Dillon-Fast, library operations supervisor, Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Global News Center, Penn State University Libraries
- Patrick Dunne, director of strategic communications and community engagement, Penn State Abington
- Elizabeth Fegert, USAC Past Chair, business consultant, Penn State Small Business Development Center
- Benita Smith, executive assistant to the dean, Penn State Dickinson Law
- Ashley Stauffer, associate director of solution alignment, Office of Research Information Systems
“Each of these members gave three years of their time and expertise to represent the interests of Penn State's staff, while balancing already demanding roles across the University,” said Paul Smith, who assumed the role of USAC chair on July 1. “Their contributions helped shape policies and initiatives that will benefit staff for years to come, and on behalf of USAC, I want to thank them for their service and dedication. I also want to recognize [past chair] Elizabeth Fegert, who helped guide the council through a pivotal period as we implemented the new membership model. Her leadership and steady hand left a lasting mark on USAC, and we're grateful for everything she has done throughout her six years with the council.”
The council will host its start-of-year meeting on July 30 at University Park and welcome a new cohort of 16 elected and at-large members.
The University Staff Advisory Council strives to elevate the role of staff, promote staff general welfare, enhance working conditions and drive improvements that further the institution’s ability to accomplish its mission and goals.
USAC can be contacted via email at askUSAC@psu.edu. Individuals interested in staying connected, learning more or getting involved can also visit the official USAC website or engage with USAC on LinkedIn or Instagram.