Academics

Yocum honored with Award for Administrative Excellence

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sherry Yocum, director of the Social Science Research Institute Administrative Core in the Office of the Vice President for Research, has been honored with the 2015 Award for Administrative Excellence.

The award, established in 1970, is given to a faculty or staff member whose performance, methods and achievements exemplify the highest standards of administrative excellence.

Yocum has served Penn State for her entire professional career, beginning in 1983 when she joined Pattee Library as a clerk and typist. She subsequently worked her way up into positions of increased responsibility, joining the Population Research Institute (PRI) in 1992 as the assistant to the director and coordinator of research and administrative services in 1998. When SSRI was launched in 2001, Yocum assumed administrative leadership. PRI is now a unit within SSRI, and Yocum oversees its administration with SSRI’s nine other units which employs about 200 staff members.

“Yocum has been the institutional glue for the outstanding grant performance record of the PRI faculty,” said a nominator. “Her expansive knowledge of Penn State and numerous federal agency and foundation grant procedures has been invaluable for the research productivity of hundreds of members of faculty.”

Another praised Yocum’s continued effort to remain at the top of her field by remaining active in various university and national groups. “Simply put, it is hard to imagine a more deserving candidate for the award,” the nominator said.

Last Updated April 9, 2015