The Penn State Beaver Advisory Board and the Beaver campus student body recently honored eight faculty and staff members at the annual campus awards dinner.
The Advisory Board presented the following six awards, which were underwritten by Linda Kuga Pikulin, retired president of PepsiCo Beverages Canada, in honor of her sister Donna J. Kuga, Beaver’s director of academic affairs. Karen Barr, senior instructor in business, received the Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. Last year, she received the Penn State George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching and in 2005, she received the Penn State Beaver Outstanding Academic Advisor Award.
Barr holds a master’s degree in business administration and corporate finance from California State University and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Ohio State University.
The Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award went to Nicholas Salpietra, lecturer in mathematics. He has been an adjunct faculty member since 1999, teaches statistics, calculus, trigonometry, and algebra, and also provides tutoring.
Salpietra holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Youngstown State University.
Talha Harcar, associate professor of business, received the Faculty Excellence in Research Award. In 2010, he received the 2010 Advisory Board Excellence in Research Award.
Harcar holds a doctorate in business administration and a master’s degree and two bachelor’s degrees in marketing from Istanbul University. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The Faculty Excellence in Service Award was presented to James Hendrickson, instructor in engineering. He received the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society Outstanding Teaching Award in 2010 and the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007.
Hendrickson holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State.
Amy Gartley, associate director of student affairs, received the Staff Excellence Award. She received Penn State’s Office of Student Affairs Development Achievement Award in 2010 and has spent her professional career at Beaver campus. She has served in her current position since 1996 and during that time, spent 18 months as acting director of student affairs.
Gartley holds a master’s degree in counseling services from Slippery Rock University and a bachelor’s degree in humanities and communications from Penn State.
Jay Means, laboratory preparation technician, received the Staff Service Award. He has worked on campus for more than 30 years and also spent part of that time as a member of the Office of Physical Plant Services. Means also has taught biology, chemistry, and earth sciences for Moon Area and Big Beaver Falls Area School Districts.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Geneva College.
The students presented Chris Wu, professor of mathematics, with the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award. He is the author of numerous scholarly publications and has given many international presentations in the field of mathematics.
Wu holds a doctorate in applied mathematics from the University of Arizona, a master's degree in mathematical sciences from The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Guizhou University, China.
The second student award went to Barbara Jean (BJ) Bertges, assistant athletic director, for Outstanding Club Advisor. She assists with implementation of varsity and intramural programs, services, and events and is head coach of the volleyball team. Bertges holds a master’s degree in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in communication and rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh.