UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Seven faculty members, two staff members and two graduate students earned individual honors for their accomplishments and excellence during the past year at an awards ceremony in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
The annual Deans’ Excellence Awards recognize success for faculty and staff while the Djung Yune Tcho Graduate Teaching Award recognizes graduate students.
In addition, the Centre Film Festival eared the inaugural Inclusive Excellence Award created by the Bellisario College to recognize individuals and programs that have evidenced extraordinary commitment to enhancing our environment of mutual respect for differing backgrounds and points of view.
Individual award winners were:
- Djung Yune Tchoi Graduate Teaching Award: Christen Buckley and Olivia Reed.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Staff: Nikki DiOrio, an academic adviser, and Paris Palmer, coordinator of strategic communication.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Affiliate Faculty: Carmina Perez, an adjunct lecturer of advertising/public relations.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Teaching: Kevin Hagopian, a teaching professor of media studies.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Service: Matt Jackson, an associate teaching professor of telecommunications and media industries.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Research & Creative Accomplishments: Sara Liao, assistant professor of media studies.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Integrated Scholarship: Holly Overton, associate professor of advertising/public relations.
- Deans’ Excellence Award, Integrated Scholarship: Patrick Plaisance, the Don W. Davis Professor of Ethics.
Three members of the Bellisario College community were honored for their 25 years of service at Penn State. That trio includes two faculty members — Rod Bingaman, associate teaching professor of film production, and John Sanchez, associate professor of journalism — and one staff member, Steve Reighard, a production and technical coordinator who also serves as a part-time lecturer.