UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – On Apr. 10, Penn State University Libraries faculty and staff gathered to celebrate some of the incredible achievements undergraduate and graduate student employees have made across the commonwealth.
The 2025 Student Showcase and Outstanding Student Employee Awards honored part-time student staff, undergraduate interns and graduate assistants who work closely with librarians, archivists, and staff to ensure that educational and research resources are readily available to the Penn State community.
"We are dedicated to creating meaningful work experiences for our students that provide them with a variety of hard and soft skills that they can easily apply to future opportunities, be it continuing education in a master's degree, professional career readiness, or personal and volunteer undertakings” said Monica Gingerich, coordinator for student experience & engagement. “It is a joy to watch students reflect on their employment experiences at the Libraries and I am blown away by their accomplishments."
The virtual event included remarks from various Libraries faculty and staff and included spotlight presentations on a wide range of projects, collaborations and ideation brought forth by Libraries student workers, much of which could not be accomplished without their hard work and enthusiasm.
“Our student employees and interns are an integral part of the University Libraries community,” said Faye A. Chadwell, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, during the event. “Today’s Showcase is an opportunity to highlight the many meaningful learning experiences we try to afford students in the library, experiences that advance student academic studies, career readiness, and approach to lifelong learning.”
Ten student employees gave short presentations on their yearlong work with the libraries. The student presenters were:
- Abigail Cogliandro, Life Sciences Library Intern
- Zachary Davis, Bednar Statistical Assistant
- Cate Ferguson, Bednar Conservation Intern
- Nathaly Arias, Bednar Makerspace Intern
- Grace Kelly, Business Library Intern
- Abigail Morris, Bednar Special Collections Library Social Media Intern
- Deeksha Banala, Bednar Data and Technology Intern/Document in the News
- Ralf O’niel Salagan Guianus, Bednar Open Publishing Intern
- Emma Reed, Public Relations and Marketing Intern
- Valeria Guerra, Science Communications Intern
“I have bound and re-bound books, created exhibit stands, made archival housing for special collections materials, and mended numerous books and works on paper,” said showcase presenter Catherine Ferguson, a Libraries Conservation intern and fourth-year art history major at University Park. “My favorite part of the job is being able to access these unique materials and preserve them for future students and researchers.”
Presenter Ralf O’niel Salagan Guianus, explained key takeaways from working with the Open Publishing Program. “I have been a part of several efforts on accessibility in the Open Publishing Office, including participation in accessibility conferences and hands on PDF remediation for screen readers,” said Guianus, a fourth-year Finance major at University Park. “Accessibility never hurts anyone, but it helps people who need it.”
In addition to hearing first-hand from students about the important work they do, the University Libraries awarded four students with Outstanding Student Employee Awards. The award recognizes exceptional students whose dedication goes above and beyond their tasks to make the libraries and Penn State communities a better place. Students were nominated by their supervisors or colleagues with additional letters of support to the committee that outlined the valuable contributions each student has made. Each recipient received a certificate and $250. The Spring 2025 Outstanding Student Employee Award winners are:
- Claire Williams, graduate intern for Research Informatics and Publishing, awarded the Outstanding Service Award for her diligence and hard work in making content digitally accessible.
- Collin Krasnai, Libraries Strategic Technologies Intern, awarded the Student Leadership award for his ability to uplift and support those around him and take on additional responsibilities to ensure smooth library operations.
- Amanda Reed, Berks Thun Library Intern, awarded the Libraries Outreach Award for her creative and impactful approach to promoting Thun Library’s programming and initiatives.
- Nathaly Arias, Berks Thun Library Makerspace intern, awarded the Libraries Innovation Award for her passion in creating new ideas for using technology, equipment, and materials to design projects that engage and motivate other students.
Nathaly Arias, third-year writing and digital media major at Penn State Berks and Libraries Innovation Award winner, said her favorite learning experiences as the Makerspace Intern at Penn State Berks Thun Library were working in the newly opened space and learning how to use the new technology, including the 3D printer, Cricut Cutter, button maker, heat press and many other tools.
“Helping students, faculty and staff with any questions about the space and how to utilize it while also supporting them in bringing their ideas to life is fantastic” said Arias, describing her work in the newly opened Thun Library Makerspace. “I also get to plan and oversee fun, crafty events using the tools in the space to promote awareness.”
The following students received honorable mentions:
- Connor Bullers, Libraries Strategic Technologies (University Park campus)
- Mikalya Glover, Libraries Strategic Technologies (University Park campus)
- Ayden Herold, Libraries Strategic Technologies (University Park campus)
Members of the 2025 Awards Committee were co-chairs J. Harlan Ritchey, library services associate, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library, and Amy Miller, library operations supervisor, Common Services, Pattee Library and Paterno Library; Shelbie Howard, library operations supervisor, J. Clarence Kelly Library, Penn State Greater Allegheny; Dirk Copland, IT Consultant, Libraries Strategic Technologies, Pattee Library and Paterno Library; and Melissa Millar, library services manager, Berks Thun Library, Penn State Berks.
Endowments for undergraduate internships, such as the Bednar Internship Program and the Sandra K. Stelts and Ronald L. Filippelli Undergraduate Internship in Special Collections, make many of the Libraries’ student employment opportunities possible. Such endowments support and enhance the University Libraries by providing monies for paid internship programs that enable students to participate in an active and collaborative learning experience and gain career experience while earning academic credit.
Established in 2000, the Bednar Internship Program was created through an endowment by Donald Hamer and Marie Bednar. This program enables the libraries to hire juniors and seniors to complete paid internships with the option of earning academic credit if they so choose. Each year, the libraries accepts proposals from units seeking an undergraduate intern. The internships allow students to gain active and collaborative learning experience with real-world skills applicable to their chosen career path. So far, the Bednar Internship program has supported more than 160 students, whose work has left a lasting impression on the University Libraries.
Established in 2007 by Sandra Stelts and Ronald Filippelli, the Sandra K. Stelts and Ronald L. Filippelli Undergraduate Internship in Special Collections supports an undergraduate student each year to work within two special collection units: Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Historical Collections & Labor Archives.
Members of the Penn State community can view the students’ individual presentations on a curated Kaltura Channel via WebAccess login. For details about University Libraries internships and graduate assistantships, visit the Libraries website. For more information about the Student Showcase and Outstanding Student Employee Awards, contact Gingerich at mcg5660@psu.edu.