UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The American Association of University Administrators (AAUA) has awarded Michael J. Pennington, senior associate director of Career Services, the 2024 Leo and Margaret Goodman-Malamuth Dissertation Award.  

The award recognizes outstanding doctoral research in higher education administration, highlighting both academic rigor and practical relevance. Pennington’s dissertation, “The Perceptions of Senior Administrators on the Role of Mentorship in the Development of Higher Education Professional Staff” examined the value and impact of mentoring on the career development of professional staff in American colleges and universities.  

Any doctoral dissertation in the country that meets the award criteria can be nominated and will be thoroughly evaluated by the AAUA awards committee. Nominations are blindly reviewed annually, and presentations are made only in years where a notable and suitably worthy dissertation is selected; awards have been made in only 27 of the last 50 years.  

Those reviewing Pennington’s dissertation specifically noted that while considerable study has been given to issues related to professional development of collegiate faculty, relatively little attention has been given to professional staff who play an ever increasingly important role in advancing the mission of higher education institutions.  

As the senior associate director of Career Services, a unit in the division of Student Affairs, Pennington provides leadership and oversight to two important Career Services units directly servicing Penn State students: Programs & Events (workshops, professional headshots, career fairs, and the Professional Attire Closet) and Career Counseling (career counseling and coaching sessions, mock interviews and career courses). By overseeing both areas, he brings students and those staff members servicing students together to form a strong and collaborative student-centered division, while helping students reach their career goals and aspirations.

Pennington earned his doctorate in higher education leadership from Widener University.