2009 Faculty/Staff Award recipients announced, lauded for achievements

Each year, Penn State honors several members of its faculty and staff for the highest levels of academic excellence, outstanding leadership and meritorious service. The 2009 Faculty/Staff Award recipients -- 32 outstanding University employees -- reach across campuses, colleges and administrative units and exemplify best practices and achievements among Penn Staters reflecting the University's mission of teaching, research and service.

The honorees will receive their awards at a ceremony at noon Monday, March 23, at the Nittany Lion Inn.

Links to all 20 articles about this year's award recipients are available at http://live.psu.edu/tag/Faculty_Staff_Awards. The award recipients are listed below by category.

Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Awards

• The Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching: Ike Shibley, associate professor of chemistry, Penn State Berks; and David Wells, associate professor of math, Penn State New Kensington
• The George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching: Marie Hardin, associate professor of journalism; Themis Matsoukas, professor of chemical engineering; Robert A. Novack, associate professor of supply chain and information systems; and Evelyn Pluhar-Adams, professor of philosophy, Penn State Fayette
• The Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching -- Penn State Teaching Fellows: Ivan Esparragoza, associate professor of engineering, Penn State Brandywine; Sherry Roush, associate professor of Italian; and Rebecca Strzelec, associate professor of visual arts, Penn State Altoona
• The Penn State Excellence in Advising Award: Faculty -- Barbara Grabowski, professor of Education; Staff -- JoAnn Vender, coordinator of undergraduate advising and alumni relations in the Department of Geography
• The President's Award for Excellence in Academic Integration: Roger Finke, professor of sociology and religious studies
• The President's Award for Engagement with Students: Richard Bundy, professor of music education and director of the Penn State Blue Band
• The Undergraduate Program Leadership Award: Daryl Durran, associate professor of music

Graduate Faculty Teaching Awards

• The Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award: Joseph Reese, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology
• The Graduate Faculty Teaching Award: Darrell Steffensmeier, professor of sociology and crime, law and justice
• The Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award: Robert Milner, professor of neural and behavioral sciences

Faculty Scholar Medals

• Arts and Humanities Medal: Velvet Brown, professor of music
• Engineering Medal: Clive Randall, professor of materials science and engineering
• Life and Health Sciences Medal: Vladimir Zatsiorsky, professor of kinesiology
• Physical Sciences Medal: J. Martin Bollinger, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences Medal: D. Wayne Osgood, professor of crime, law and justice and sociology

Faculty and Staff Achievement Awards

• The Barash Award for Human Service: James Beierlein, professor of agricultural economics
• The McKay Donkin Award: Jennifer Morris, director of administrative services, College of the Liberal Arts
• The Award for Administrative Excellence: Candice Yekel, director of the Office for Research Protections
• The Staff Excellence Award: Vicki Blazer, administrative assistant in the Departments of History and Religious Studies and Classics and Mediterranean Studies, and the Program in Jewish Studies
• The Support Staff Award: Denis Balawejder, computer support assistant in Information Services, Penn State Great Valley
• The Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award: Marianne Karwacki, coordinator of ONE (Opportunity Network for Employment), Office of Human Resources
• The W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty and Staff Achievement Award: Faculty -- Judith Kroll, distinguished professor of psychology, linguistics and women's studies; and Richard Schuhmann, assistant professor of engineering and director of the Engineering Leadership Development Program; Staff -- Andrew Martin, farm management extension educator.
• The Penn State Award for Faculty Outreach: Robert Brooks, professor of geography and ecology and director of the Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

A full description of each of the Faculty/Staff Awards with contacts for further information is online at http://www.psu.edu/ur/awards/faculty.html.