UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Health and Human Development Society honored its 2015 award winners at the Nov. 6 College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society Board Awards Dinner. All recipients are graduates of the college and have distinguished themselves in their careers and service.
Emerging Professional—Undergraduate Degree AwardJessica Testa
Testa, who graduated in 2010 with a degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management, is currently working in the Philadelphia area as the business relationship manager for AM Resorts, a branch of Apple Vacations. Previously, Testa was living in Bogota, Colombia, and was the general manager for Hampton by Hilton – Cartagena de Indias.
Under her guidance, the 135-room hotel opened on schedule in March 2013, and by the end of the year her hotel was ranked first in sales on Booking.com for Central America and Northern South America. As a result of her tremendous success and excellent guidance, Testa was promoted to general manager in January 2014 and managed to make the Hilton Cartagena the most profitable hotel in the company.
Testa was able to build an exemplary team of personnel in Cartagena. She made a huge impact on the lives of her fellow team members by providing them with countless growth, professional development and recognition opportunities. In addition to her outstanding performance as a manager, she pioneered her company’s philanthropic effort.
Her involvement in Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon while at Penn State inspired her to get involved with a foundation in Colombia called Fundevida, which provides support to families with children suffering from pediatric cancer and hematologic disorders. She involved the hotel in her philanthropic efforts and was so successful that eventually, the entire company followed in her footsteps.
After graduating from Penn State, Testa began her career in the Manager Development Program in the renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. During her two years at the Waldorf, Testa worked as a meetings and banquets operation manager, stewarding manager and rooms division manager.
Emerging Professional—Graduate Degree AwardCaptain David M. Lutz
Captain Lutz, who earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2009 and a master’s degree in health policy and administration in 2011, is the medical resource management flight commander for the U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps at the Charleston Air Force Base in Charleston, South Carolina.
He is responsible for managing a $26.3 million budget and coordinates manning requirements for a 267-person staff. His current efforts impacted and supported more than 60 flying missions that supplied direct aid to Ebola-stricken areas of the world over the past year. Lutz previously served as medical logistics and information systems flight commander by guiding all medical supply and equipment procurement, facility and project management, and network infrastructure management.
Lutz is an accomplished military leader, receiving numerous awards and recognitions, including the Company Grade Officer of the Quarter Award, which he received three times; the Company Grade Officer of the Year for 2013; and Air Mobility Command’s Young Healthcare Administrator of the Year for 2013, which is an extremely competitive award of which one individual is selected from across 12 Air Force bases.
In addition to his superior leadership qualities, Lutz has portrayed a deep passion for the local community in Charleston. He served as coach for a local club baseball team of 12- and 13-year-olds. He also led a group of volunteers at the local Ronald McDonald House, cooking for families whose children were admitted to the hospital for medical treatment. Lutz serves as president of the Company Grade Officers Council on the base, providing volunteer, professional development, and social opportunities to more than 300 officers. He also supports medical mission trips to Togo, Africa, and is a member of the team slated to provide front line missions this fall.
Alumni Service AwardMable B. Anderson
Anderson, who graduated in 1965 with a degree in child development and family relations, dedicated a 40-year career to teaching early childhood development and psychology across multiple states at multiple universities. She was appointed to several national and state advisory groups on topics ranging from developmental disabilities to changing sex roles in the family. She built this career at a time when it was challenging for women, let alone women of color, to navigate the male-dominated field of higher education.
Anderson began her career in 1950 as an instructor at the Fayette County Training School in Alabama. She eventually earned her master’s degree from Michigan State University and her doctoral degree from Penn State in 1965. She established graduate programs in early childhood development at both Tennessee State and Western Kentucky where she was ranked as full professor.
Anderson eventually became professor of psychology and education at Miles College, which would be her longest academic tenure. Throughout her career, Anderson focused her work on serving diverse populations including migrant workers, the homeless, the developmentally disabled, and the disadvantaged youth.
After retiring from her academic work, Anderson turned her attention to addressing environmental justice issues in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. As the founder of Village Creek Human and Environmental Justice Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization, she has focused on cleaning up the 44-mile watershed known as Village Creek. Anderson has worked as both a political advocate and grassroots organizer to build support for the revitalization of this area and to empower the communities impacted by the project, all in a volunteer capacity.
Alumni Recognition AwardMichael James Manfredo
Manfredo, who graduated in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and in 1976 with a master’s degree in recreation and parks, is the head of the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University (CSU). He received both his degrees from Penn State before moving to Colorado to complete his doctorate at CSU. Since then, he has had an exceptionally distinguished career and has been a leader in research, teaching and community service.
Manfredo has dedicated more than 30 years to research on environmental problems. His research seeks to understand human thought about wildlife and natural resources. He is the founder of CSU’s Human Dimensions in Natural Resources Unit. He has been principal investigator on nearly 100 research projects and has written more than 75 peer-reviewed articles in natural resource and social science journals. He is also founding co-editor of the journal Human Dimensions of Wildlife and has written six books on wildlife and conservation, several of which have won awards. His global expertise has been requested by university presidents, U.S. senators and governors associations.
Manfredo recently spearheaded Conservation Leadership Through Learning (CLTL), an innovative interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to graduate-level conservation education. In 2013, CLTL was given a national award by the Western Association of Graduate Schools for Excellence and Innovation.
Manfredo grew up among the woods and creeks of Pennsylvania where he learned to hunt and fish. His early childhood experiences developed his passion and love for wildlife and natural resources and have made him who he is today: a leader, an educator, an innovator and a scientist.