Sending a 'We Are!' to these Penn Staters -- July 9

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 13 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

This week, on behalf of the entire Penn State community, we’d like to say thank you to: 

• Amy Beck, customer service representative in Auxiliary and Business Services, whose nominator wrote: “Amy greets every customer at the HUB food court checkout with a smile and friendly conversation. She is very fast at the register, remembers many of her customers, and knows how they are going to pay before they even offer the information. Her positive spirit brightens my day every time I eat there.” 
• Mary Dubbink, registrar at Penn State New Kensington, whose nominator wrote: “Mary is a problem-solver that is ready to spring into action the moment you let her know you need help. She likes to help students and will promptly try to find a solution to issues they may be experiencing. Mary is devoted to Penn State, and specifically to our campus. Thank you for all you do, Mary.” 
• Ethan Forry, grants and contracts administrator at Applied Research Laboratory, who received multiple nominations. One nominator wrote: “Ethan is always willing to help and find you the answer you need. He is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and he is always willing to share his knowledge. No matter how busy he is, he always has the time to help you and answer your questions. Ethan exudes calmness and tact, no matter the situation at hand.” A second nominator wrote: “Ethan goes above and beyond to help research faculty and fellow admins, always with a smile on his face and a kind word. He has become the unofficial ‘go-to’ person for SIMBA training and questions, and he embodies the kind of ‘esprit de corps’ that makes the contracts office a great place to work.” 
• Alicia Hawkins, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life in Student Affairs, whose nominator wrote: “Alicia started her position in our office in January and was absolutely invaluable to our success this past semester. Despite the challenges of transitioning into a new role, she has been nothing but poised and ready to jump in when needed. She’s a joy to work with and always keeps us laughing!” 
• Jeff Hughes, director of programming and operations at WPSU, whose nominator wrote: “It is a privilege to work with Jeff. He gives 110% or more of his time to the overall operations and look of WPSU, and we are lucky to have him.  As a supervisor or mentor, he has a gentle way of making you want to do your best. He is a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for WPSU.” 
• Janeann Lindsay, advancement office coordinator in the College of Arts and Architecture, whose nominator wrote: “Janeann is the ultimate team player and heart of our office. After several unexpected staff transitions, Janeann held off on retiring (something she'd been counting down the days to) to bridge the gap. She has truly kept us running like a well-oiled machine despite our office operating with fewer parts than usual.” 
• Tammy May, academic program coordinator in the College of Agricultural Sciences, whose nominator wrote: “Tammy goes above and beyond to assist the faculty, staff and students in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education. She works tirelessly to support classroom scheduling and happily takes on other projects as needed.  She truly cares about making a difference, especially when it comes to supporting our advising office.” 
• Rebecca Ort, teacher education program specialist at Penn State Harrisburg, whose nominator wrote: “Becky is extremely passionate and dedicated to Penn State. She works tirelessly to address student issues and makes it a point to always be positive and cheerful.  Becky is our 'go-to' person for questions; she knows the various campus operations and how to get things done." 
• Kayla Pedmo, academic program coordinator in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, whose nominator wrote: “Kayla enthusiastically and cheerfully supports the undergraduate activities in Earth and Mineral Sciences.  During a period of staff turnover, she professionally and efficiently managed additional responsibilities. She learned new tasks quickly and completely with positive energy, humor and joy.”  
• Marta Plumhoff, food systems coordinator for the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, whose nominator wrote: “This is Marta's third year at Penn State, and she's already made a tremendous impact on students. She has started new projects related to food justice and empowered student advocates to enter this space. She goes above and beyond by working outside of typical business hours to facilitate educational cooking demos for students.” 
• Denise Poole, director of student success initiatives in Undergraduate Education, whose nominator wrote: “Denise is an extraordinary advocate for student success. Her ability to organize programming and provide support for students by investing her time and talent is admirable. She is a great representative and resource for success at Penn State!” 
• Craig Wagner, lieutenant at Penn State Mont Alto, whose nominator wrote: “Lt. Wagner goes above and beyond in support of the University. He currently supervises police services at five Penn State campuses, serves as a professional standards lieutenant, and works at football games and major events. He is an effective supervisor earning the respect of those he supervises.” 
• Lindsay Wells, I-Ask team lead in the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS), whose nominator wrote: “For over three years, Lindsay has led our ICDS Roar I-Ask Center, effectively our ‘first-line help desk’ for issues related to advanced research being conducted ICDS' high-performance computing system. She consistently and professionally handles all of the service calls, and she does it extremely well!” 

Thank you Amy, Mary, Ethan, Alicia, Jeff, Janeann, Tammy, Rebecca, Kayla, Marta, Denise, Craig and Lindsay — and to everyone who helps make Penn State such an incredible community! 

Do you know someone who deserves a shout out? If you do, consider nominating that person by filling out a short online form.