Nine people were honored during the College of Education’s Faculty, Staff and Student Awards Program April 1 at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus of Penn State.
Dean David H. Monk presided over the 23rd annual event. Scott Metzger is chairman of the Faculty Council that organized the ceremony, and the student group, Education Ambassadors, assisted with the program.
The award winners were selected through nomination letters prompted by their outstanding service and dedication to their jobs. They are:
--Undergraduate Student Leadership and Service Award: Taylor Manalo.
--Graduate Student Recognition Award: Allison Lockard.
--Outstanding Staff Awards: Chris Andrus and Carol Fantaskey.
--Climate Enhancement Award: Dirk Copland.
--Outstanding Teaching Award: JoLynn Carney.
--Outstanding Researcher Awards: Mark Threeton and Greg Kelly.
--Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award: Greg Mason.
Undergraduate Student Leadership & Service Award
Taylor Manalo is a 4.0 student in her childhood and early adolescent education major with a PK-4 option and a special education minor.
“Educators are among the most selfishly selfless people in the world,’’ said Manalo, who also danced in this year’s Thon.
Stephanie L. Knight, the college’s associate dean for undergraduate and graduate studies, said that Manalo “is one of the most outstanding undergraduate student leaders that I have worked with here at Penn State and in the top 5 percent of students that I have encountered during my career.’’
Graduate Student Recognition Award
Allison Lockard, who was honored for outstanding scholarship, research, dedication to education and the promise of professional excellence, thanked her family and the College’s faculty and said, “This award is as much yours as it is mine.’’
Lockard is a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology and gained master’s clinical experience in Cincinnati and professional clinical experience in Tallahassee, Fla.
“Allison has a passion for research that is unsurpassed among the nearly 30 doctoral students whom I have mentored,’’ said Jeffrey A. Hayes, professor of education and psychology. “She possesses an intellectual curiosity and hunger for empirical knowledge that is a hallmark of successful researchers.’’
Outstanding Staff Awards
Chris Andrus was cited for outstanding service and commitment to faculty, staff and students of the Penn State community.
She is an administrative support assistant in the education psychology, counseling education and special education department and has worked for Penn State for 11 years.
“It’s easy to be a good staff member in our department,’’ Andrus said. “I’m so thankful to work with all these people. It’s a passion for them; they do it to help people.’’
Richard J. Hazler, professor of counselor education, said, “Chris could easily qualify as an adviser to our students. She answers most of their questions during the application process and when 70 to 80 applicants arrive for interviews, she knows all their names and background. No faculty member can match her knowledge of all the applicants.’’
Carol Fantaskey, an administrative support coordinator for seven years in the college’s Learning and Performance Systems (LPS) office, earned the other Outstanding Staff Award.
“I know how hard my peers across the college work so receiving this award is very special,’’ said Jane Moore, Fantaskey’s sister who received the award in Fantaskey’s absence and read an acceptance speech prepared by Fantaskey.
Laurie Heininger, an LPS colleague who also nominated Fantaskey, said, “She’s not only knowledgeable about the financial and student process, curriculum, promotion and tenure, the department operations, as well as the graduate school policies, she is a supportive team player who works tirelessly to make sure things continue to run smoothly. Carol consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the department thrives and is meeting its goals.’’
Climate Enhancement Award
Dirk Copland accepted this award, which recognizes contributions to the pursuit of the College of Education’s diversity agenda. Copland, an administrative assistant in Learning Performance Systems, has helped to design and update the LPS website and coordinate graduate course scheduling for Workforce Education as well as Learning, Design and Technology and Adult Education.
“I’m proud to say I’m in the same company as previous award winners,’’ Copland said.
From 2000-12, Copland served as procurement and inventory specialist in England’s Royal Air Force.
“I have witnessed first-hand his passion for enhancing diversity and creating a positive work climate,’’ said Wesley E. Donahue, associate professor of education and coordinator, online master of professional studies in organization development and change.
“His outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and focus on diversity issues have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of the College of Education and hence the reputation of the University as a whole.’’
Outstanding Teaching Award
JoLynn Carney was honored as a faculty mentor who demonstrates teaching excellence, shows respect to all students as individuals and creates an environment conducive to learning.
Carney is an associate professor of counselor education in educational psychology, counseling and special education.
Her current major initiative is Project TEAM, a school-wide ecologically based bullying prevention program. Her research and publications focus on youth violence, peer-on-peer abuse and adolescent suicide.
“I work with the best students in the world, so how could I not be the best teacher as possible to them?’’ Carney said.
Deirdre O’Sullivan, assistant professor of education in Rehabilitation and Human Services, said, “JoLynn has endless reserves of empathy and creativity when it comes to relating to students. This cannot be overstated in our field of training counselors and counselor educators. Essentially, the greatest gift she provides students is her exemplary model of how to relate and communicate with them.’’
Doctoral candidate Carly A. Scarton said, “I aspire to be a teacher, mentor and light to my students much like JoLynn has been to me. Her connection to the students, the University and the counseling profession is to be admired.’’
Outstanding Researcher Awards
Greg Kelly is this year’s Senior Award winner that goes to a faculty member who has achieved national and international recognition as a result of his or her legacy.
Kelly is associate dean for research, outreach and technology. His research explores issues of knowledge and discourse in science education settings, and it brings together the fields of sociology and anthropology of science with sociolinguistics to examine the ways teachers and students frame disciplinary knowledge, negotiate uses of evidence and engage in inquiry practices.
“I’ve been privileged to work with excellent people throughout my career here,’’ Kelly said.
“I view Greg as one of a small number of education scholars, world-wide, bringing innovation to both the methods of doing classroom-based research and the ideas about reforming and restructuring classrooms. The record indicates that he is a highly productive scholar,’’ said Richard A. Duschl, Waterbury chair of secondary education.
Mark Threeton earned the second researcher award for the significance of a particular contribution to the research literature.
Threeton, assistant professor of education who was honored last year with the Outstanding Teacher Award, is the coordinator of field-based career and technical teacher education within the Workforce Education and Development Program.
He thanked his colleagues for their support and joked that through all of his research that his “laptop has become a part of my body.’’
Cynthia Pellock, director of the Professional Personnel Development Center for Career and Technical Education, said, “Dr. Threeton is earning an international reputation for his work on safety in career and technical education instruction.
“His work is acknowledged by professional educator associations, government agencies, teacher educators, classroom teachers and industry training programs. He continues to publish in the top peer-reviewed CTE journals. He is one of very few young professors whose names appear in all of the top publications read by CTE researchers.’’
Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award
Greg Mason received the Cotterill Award, made possible by Joan and David Cotterill, to recognize faculty or staff for exemplary performances and leadership efforts. The award includes resources for professionally related activities, including participation in conference, seminars and sabbaticals.
Mason has been an academic advisor in the advising and certification center since 2011. He works with students and faculty in secondary education -- social studies and education and public policy majors.
In addition to serving on the LionPATH academic advising advisory committee, he also has been an active member of the college’s recruiting and retention task force. Mason is also a doctoral candidate in higher education, where his research interests revolve around academic advising in international contexts.
“I could not be more pleased about Greg Mason as the recipient of the Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award,’’ said Carla Zembal-Saul, professor of science education and department head of curriculum and instruction.
“Greg has played a leadership role in collaborating with the curriculum and instruction faculty responsible for our teacher education programs to help us develop innovative strategies for the recruitment of excellent students.’’
Mason tried to explain to his 2-year-old son that he was receiving an award from Penn State, and he asked rhetorically, “Isn’t that great?’’
And his son’s response: “I am great horned owl.’’
Mason smiled and told the program attendees, “That keeps my professional ego in check.’’