As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.
Credit: Michael Owen
April 17, 2024
As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize nine Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.
This week, on behalf of the entire Penn State community, we’d like to say thank you to:
- Jodi Butler, financial assistant in the College of Agricultural Sciences, whose nominator wrote: “Jodi is so helpful and knowledgeable with everything regarding University purchasing cards. She's attentive and goes out of her way to find out how to help faculty, staff and students. She is pleasant and positive!”
- Bridget Hall, records manager at Penn State Outreach, whose nominator wrote: “Bridget takes the initiative to research system issues and find potential solutions. She discovered a payment option that is free and will allow us to save a large sum of money in software add-ons. Bridget is always looking for ways to improve our processes.”
- Susan Hollywood, office manager in the College of the Liberal Arts, whose nominator wrote: “Susan always greets you with a smile, and she is kind, genuine and easy to talk to. She lets her staff know they are appreciated. She is welcoming with an open-door policy for questions and concerns. She goes above and beyond not only for her staff but the entire department. We are blessed to have Susan!”
- Yojana Kanade, clinical research project manager at the College of Medicine, whose nominator wrote: “Yojana is the glue that holds our large team together. She makes sure we keep working towards our goals and she keeps us all on track. She leads our program coordinator at all four study sites and oversees the work of the site study teams. She ensures everyone feels supported in their role.”
- Molly Kline, Human Resources consultant, whose nominator wrote: “We honor Molly's remarkable 35-year journey at Penn State and her enduring commitment. As a beacon of knowledge and compassion, she has transformed lives, leaving an indelible mark on the institution's fabric. Her legacy is a testament to the power of dedication and profound influence through the community.”
- Joanne Loebig, student services assistant at World Campus, whose nominator wrote: “Joanne is a significant contributor to the student success initiatives in the Office of Online Student Success. She cares deeply about our World Campus students, recommends ways to improve and streamline our operations, and arranges social gatherings for our team to keep us connected.”
- Micah Martin, project coordinator at Multimedia and Print Center, whose nominator wrote: “Micah provided outstanding customer service when we had to stop the mailing of an event invitation twice — once in production and once in the mailing process — eventually scrapping it altogether. Once received, Micah had the new version produced and mailed less than 48 hours later. What a great partner!”
- Judymae Richards, administrative support assistant at WPSU, whose nominator wrote: “Judymae is not only very helpful with any task that needs to be done, but she also shares opportunities for additional learning, volunteers for events that make WPSU a great place to work and brings a sense of creativity and joy to even the most mundane tasks. We're so grateful for her!”
- Dodi Schaak, clinical research coordinator at the College of Medicine, whose nominator wrote: “Dodi consistently goes above and beyond to meet and exceed expectations. She not only works hard, but she also thinks critically about our work and provides ideas to improve our work. Her ideas have led to changes across our multisite study. She is hardworking, a joy to work with, and a problem solver.”
- Renata Shaw, staff assistant at Penn State Beaver, whose nominator wrote: “Renata has been a huge support and has helped to make my transition to my role enjoyable. Her positive attitude and ‘let's get things done’ mentality allows us all to function at a high level. She is an important part of what we do, and I can't thank her enough! She is a joy to work with.”
- Andrea Solinski, lab coordinator at Penn State Schuylkill, whose nominator wrote: “Andrea is always a 'go above and beyond' person. She organizes and executes the campus Carnival of Hope, helps our Earth Day festival run smoothly, and looks for innovative ways to improve Sustainability. She also cares so much for our students and regularly ask students about their research.”
- Tina Vance-Knight, director of career and professional development at Penn State Abington, whose nominator wrote: “The career and professional development office, led by Tina, presented an amazing Career Week to prepare students for the career fair. Innovative and creative programming included a tips and advice breakfast series, a Career Ready Fashion Show and a record number of alumni joining programs to prepare students.”
- Kaitlin Wagner, integrated security specialist at Applied Research Laboratory, who received multiple nominations. One nominator wrote: “Outstanding support to everyone she interfaces with!” Another nominator wrote: “Constant and persistent professionalism with a friendly, relaxed “get-it-done” approach. Super co-worker!” A third nominator wrote: “Katie is extremely knowledgeable, an excellent communicator, and has a calmness and presence that makes everything better. She brings so much to her role and has made such a positive difference for so many of us. Kudos, Katie!”
Thank you Jodi, Bridget, Susan, Yojana, Molly, Joanne, Micah, Judymae, Dodi, Renata, Andrea, Tina and Kaitlin — and to everyone who helps make Penn State such an incredible community!
Do you know someone who deserves a shout out? If you do, consider nominating that person by filling out a short online form.
