MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Several Penn State Harrisburg faculty recently were recognized during Research and Discovery Day, hosted by the college’s Office of Research and Outreach.

The event brought together college faculty, students and administrators, as well as industry and governmental partners to showcase current areas of research and scholarly activities at the college, and how Penn State Harrisburg is working with regional partners on impactful and innovative projects.

“We are very proud of our faculty and their scholarly achievements, which have a significant impact on local communities, our nation and the international stage,” said Sharareh “Sherri” Kermanshachi, associate vice chancellor for research and associate dean of research. “The transformative power of their research outcomes shapes minds and changes lives.”

Awardees included:

Excellence in Community Impact Research Award – recognizes a full-time faculty member who has conducted scholarly efforts and/or research projects which engage communities and create significant impact locally, nationally or internationally. ​

Recipient: Jane Wilburne, professor of mathematics education, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education

Wilburne joined Penn State Harrisburg in 2004 as an assistant professor and was tenured in 2010 and promoted to full professor in 2018. Her expertise is in teacher practice related to enhancing teachers’ confidence and pedagogical knowledge to promote students’ mathematical problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Wilburne has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on grants in excess of $7 million from the National Science Foundation, the Mathematics and Science Partnership, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education related to research and innovations in teacher preparation, mathematics coaching and recruiting students into mathematics and science careers.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from D’Youville College and her master’s degree in mathematics education from Buffalo State University, both located in Buffalo, New York. Wilburne attained her doctorate from Temple University in mathematics education following several years as a mathematics teacher in public schools.

Excellence in Research Collaboration Award – recognizes a faculty member who has established significant collaborative relationships with researchers in other higher education/research institutions nationally and internationally.

Recipient: Indrit Hoxha, associate professor of economics, School of Business Administration  

Hoxha joined Penn State Harrisburg in 2010. His expertise in macroeconomics, financial economics and real estate fuels his work as an empirical researcher, where he consistently seeks out productive partnerships to elevate his scholarship. This collaborative approach is evident in his extensive network of collaborators and over 20 published articles, with several ongoing projects demonstrating his commitment to continuous scholarship. Notably, he has partnered with over 20 researchers across nine countries and four continents, showcasing his ability to bridge disciplinary boundaries through successful interdisciplinary research projects.

Since 2013, he has spearheaded the School of Business Administration Seminar Series, featuring renowned scholars, and hosted Fulbright Scholars. He actively shares his economic expertise with media outlets, ensuring informed public commentary on current events. He also serves as the assistant director of the Honors Program at Penn State Harrisburg.

Outstanding Early Career Scholar Award – recognizes a tenure-track faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding performance in research and can be evaluated in terms of research projects/proposals, publications, collaborations, intellectual properties, etc. ​

Recipient: Övgü Kaynak, assistant professor of psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education

Kaynak joined Penn State Harrisburg as an assistant professor of psychology in 2019. Her research focuses on the intersection of psychology and public health, and seeks to address risk and protective factors related to substance use and addiction, and psychological health and wellbeing in individuals and families. Her research is collaborative, and in addition to working with academics at other institutions, she also partners with schools, non-profits, treatment facilities, advocacy groups, law enforcement, and government agencies. Since arriving at Penn State Harrisburg, Kaynak’s research has focused primarily on two areas: addressing addiction stigma and understanding the psychological correlates of emerging drugs.

She is part of an interdisciplinary team at the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, which has been awarded over $6.5 million in external funding for its work on reducing addiction stigma in Pennsylvania. She has collaborated on projects with Penn State’s College of Medicine’s Project ECHO, the Addiction Center for Translation, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and faculty across Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses.

Outstanding Research and Scholarly Activity Award – recognizes a full-time faculty member for their creative accomplishment and important achievement in research and scholarly works. ​

Recipient: Shobha Rudrabhatla, associate teaching professor of biology, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology

Rudrabhatla joined Penn State Harrisburg in 2009 in the Department of Biological Sciences. She said she believes that science teaching can be enhanced significantly through hands-on research and STEM/STEAM based outreach activities.

Going above and beyond her full-time teaching responsibility as a faculty member, she has combined her passion for research and her multidisciplinary background in sciences, engineering and management to create an exceptional learning atmosphere for students at Penn State Harrisburg.

She has two master’s degrees in life sciences and agricultural engineering and management. Her doctoral and post-doctoral work were focused on molecular biology, bioengineering and bioinformatics.