The Penn State Beaver student body and the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board honored eight staff and faculty members at the campus’ recent annual awards banquet.
Students presented the Outstanding Academic Adviser Award to Karen Barr, senior instructor in business, who also received the award in 2005. She won the Penn State George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012 and received the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004. Barr holds a master’s in business administration and corporate finance from California State University, Long Beach, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Ohio State University.
Justin Vorbach, admissions counselor and social media coordinator, received the student body’s Outstanding Club Adviser Award. He is the assistant coach for the Fightin’ Beavs inline hockey club, which recently won the 2014-15 Western Pennsylvania College Roller Hockey League Championship. In 2012 he won a Student Keystone Press Award in the category of Cartoon/Graphic Illustration for his photos, cover illustrations and editorial cartoon contributions to The Roar, Beaver’s student newspaper. Vorbach holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Penn State Beaver.
The Advisory Board presented four awards underwritten by Eaton Corp., one award underwritten by Eat’n Park Hospitality Group and a sixth award underwritten by NOVA Chemicals Inc.
Robin Bower, associate professor in Spanish, received the Eat’n Park Hospitality Group Faculty Excellence in Service Award. In 2012, she was one of two University-wide faculty members to receive Penn State's Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching. In addition, she received the 2011 NOVA Chemicals Inc. Faculty Excellence in Service Award. Bower holds a doctorate in medieval literature, a master’s in Latin American literature and a master’s degree in medieval and Golden Age from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in English and comparative literature from West Chester University. Cassandra Miller-Butterworth, assistant professor of biology, received the NOVA Chemicals Inc. Faculty Excellence in Research Award. In 2011 she was honored with the Markwest Energy Partners Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. She conducts research on the white nose syndrome currently afflicting the little brown bat population and frequently works with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Miller-Butterworth holds a doctorate in zoology, a post-graduate bachelor’s honors degree in zoology, and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. James Hendrickson, instructor in engineering, received the Eaton Corp. Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2010 he was honored with the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society Outstanding Teaching Award and is the recipient of the 2007 Michael Baker Jr. Inc. Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. Hendrickson holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also completed a mechanical engineering fellowship, post-graduate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State. Robert Staby, lecturer in administration of justice, received the Eaton Corp. Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. He is a field intelligence officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has taught part-time at Beaver for four years. Staby earned a master’s degree in management and public administration from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Barbara Kugel, health services nurse, Beaver, received the Eaton Corp. Staff Excellence Award. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from Carlow University, a school nurse certification from Slippery Rock University and an associate degree in nursing from Thomas Nelson Community College. She is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. Diantha Mooney, staff assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs, received the Eaton Corp. Staff Service Award. Mooney has held several administrative-support positions for various Beaver campus departments, including the Office of Continuing Education, and the Office of Housing and Food Services. She also received the Eaton Corp. Staff Service Award in 2011. Mooney attended Northwestern State College.
For information about the annual faculty and staff awards, contact the Office of Student Affairs at 724-773-3951 or dxt24@psu.edu.