College of Education honors outstanding faculty, staff and students with awards

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Monday, April 7, the College of Education held its annual faculty, staff and student awards ceremony in Robb Hall at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

Several members of the College of Education faculty and staff as well as one graduate and one undergraduate student were recognized for their outstanding achievements in the past year.

Below is the list of this year’s award winners.

• Career Achievement Award: Rose Zbiek, professor of education (math education)
• Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award (faculty): Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg, assistant professor of education (special education)
• Cotterill Leadership Enhancement Award (staff): Jeanette Tressler, administrative support specialist, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
• Outstanding Senior Researcher Award: Allison Sterling Henward, associate professor of education (early childhood education)
• Outstanding Junior Teaching Award: Tiffany M. Nyachae, assistant professor of education (literacy) and women’s, gender and sexuality studies; and Jason Griffith, assistant professor of education (social studies education)
• Outstanding Senior Teaching Award: Tyler Hollett, associate professor of education (learning, design and technology)
• Climate Enhancement Award: Efraín Marimón, associate teaching professor of education (curriculum and instruction), director of Restorative Justice Initiative, co-director of DC Social Justice Fellowship
• Outstanding Staff Award: Miranda Moyer, administrative support assistant, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
• Graduate Student Recognition Award: Jared Van, doctoral candidate, special education
• Undergraduate Award for Leadership and Service: Abigail Camp, early childhood and elementary education major with a minor in special education

Additionally during the ceremony, Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Rayne Sperling was presented with the Service to Penn State Award from the College of Education Alumni Association.

Award winners, other than the Cotterill Award winners, which are chosen by College of Education Dean Kimberly Lawless, were selected from among those nominated by their peers by the College of Education Awards Committee.

The committee was chaired by Elizabeth Hughes, an associate professor from the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education. She is also the chair-elect of the Penn State College of Education Faculty Council.

Other members of the committee included Kai Schafft, a professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies; Seong Ji Jeon, an assistant professor in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems; Charlotte Land, an assistant professor from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Karen Brewster, the director of operations for the College of Education; and Ruby Humphris, a doctoral student in the special education program.