Engineering

Engel-Herbert honored with 2021 Support Staff Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mandy Engel-Herbert, educational program assistant in the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering in College of Engineering, has been honored with Penn State's 2021 Support Staff Award.

Mandy Engel Herbert Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

The award recognizes the overall high-quality performance of a full-time member of the support staff with at least five years of active service in fulfilling the mission of the University and of his or her college or administrative unit. It also recognizes dedicated focus to customer service, commitment to quality improvement, outstanding skills and abilities, teamwork and professionalism.

Nominators said Engel-Herbert is dedicated to exceptional customer service to those both inside and outside the department. Her duties include working with undergraduate and graduate students, scheduling and maintaining course schedules, assisting with prospective student visits and aiding faculty and staff.

In 2020, Engel-Herbert was credited with creating a unique virtual experience for graduating students and their families. Nominators said she worked tirelessly to build the virtual experience by reaching out to students and their families, faculty and staff to gather photos and well-wishes for slideshows. She also helped to gather information about graduating students for future mailings. Nominators said her efforts created an exceptional experience for students and their families.

Engel-Herbert was also instrumental in preparing for the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accreditation visit in October 2020. She again created a virtual experience that led to a successful re-accreditation without any deficiencies. 

In Canvas, Engel-Herbert created a portal for students to gain easy access to departmental and University information. 

Mirroring the University’s Lion Ambassadors, Engel-Herbert created a similar feature for the department. She helped appoint students to assist with prospective student tours, which resulted in higher quality and more personalized tours for prospective students and their families. Establishing this cadre of ambassadors, better prepared the department for virtual tours during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of several measures Engel-Herbert took was creating a virtual trivia night for students. These ambassadors are also able to reach out to students in a local school district to discuss industrial engineering.

“Mandy continually looks for ways to make processes more efficient and she has become an invaluable member of our staff,” a nominator said. “One of her many strengths is the ability to problem-solve and there is no task too small or too big for her.”

 

Last Updated April 22, 2021