Sending a 'We Are!' to these Penn Staters — June 9

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 20 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: 

• Lynn Atanasoff, career counselor at Penn State World Campus, whose nominator wrote: “Lynn is an amazing human being who is caring and kind and always ready to support you. She is an amazing supervisor, colleague and mentor. I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate to work with every week!” 
• Krystal Bloom, financial associate at the College of Medicine, whose nominator wrote: “Krystal works diligently behind the scenes to ensure students are taken care of and things are paid for. She does so thoughtfully and in a timely manner that is appreciated by all.” 
• Genevieve Christ, Penn State Extension educator, whose nominator wrote: “Genevieve led our team from the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training in organizing the second annual ACAP Ag Conservation Con! This three-day conference was a success and grew even larger than last year. Great job, Genny!” 
• Jennie Dare, Human Resources strategic partner, whose nominator wrote: “Jennie is one of the hardest working people I know with a fair and compassionate response to everyone's needs. The hours she spends to ensure efficient customer service and support are above and beyond. Jennie is a huge asset to our team and is always a strong contributor.” 
• Mike Evans, assistant dean for undergraduate nursing education at the Commonwealth Campuses, whose nominator wrote: “I want to acknowledge Mike for his incredible fellowship and camaraderie. Mike’s collective efforts make every day at work enjoyable and productive. Mike, thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm to the entire community at the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing!” 
• Stephanie Hill, administrative support assistant for Student Engagement at Penn State Harrisburg, whose nominator wrote: “Ms. Stef is kind, caring, compassionate and willing to assist anyone. She selflessly and graciously picks up snack items for our pantry every Thursday night, and delivers them on Friday, even on her days off. She shows the true spirit of being a Penn Stater!” 
• Melissa Hugill, administrative assistant in Enrollment Management at Penn State DuBois, whose nominator wrote: “Melissa is a godsend to the One Stop area of our campus. She wears many hats, and her contributions to the Enrollment Services office are endless. We are blown away by her level of efficiency and work ethic. Her consistent performance and dedication are the pillars of our team's success.” 
• Rosanne Keiper, budget analyst at WPSU, whose nominator wrote: “Rosanne is a phenomenal team member, always going above and beyond in her job and offering to help others. Rosanne is accurate, organized and efficient in her work. She has a great relationship with staff and is a valued member of the station!  Keep smiling, Rosanne!” 
• Jean McAneney, financial associate at the Penn State Abington and Great Valley campuses, whose nominator wrote: “Jean demonstrates patience, professionalism and a willingness to share her expertise. Her courteous and helpful approach fosters an atmosphere of learning, responsibility, respect and positive relationships across our organization. Jean is an irreplaceable resource. It is a joy to work alongside her.” 
• Melissa Miner, director for undergraduate nursing education at Penn State Fayette, whose nominator wrote: “Melissa is always going above and beyond not only for students, but for everyone on the campus. She is always very positive and cheerful no matter what she is facing. She encourages students, faculty and staff to always do their best and supports them whenever needed. She is a true asset!” 
• Jenn Monroe, Penn State Extension administrative support assistant, whose nominator wrote: “Jenn is awesome! She is efficient and timely in her work. Her support is critical for our Extension faculty who are often traveling and out of the office but need that in-office help. Jenn is always willing to spend the extra time to get things done, and we appreciate her dedication.” 
• Sofia Mykut, registered nurse at University Health Services, whose nominator wrote: “Sophia possesses compassion and innate curiosity. As a nurse volunteering on the quality improvement committee, she helps our organization to examine better ways to execute older processes.  She also matches the energy and enthusiasm of new students as a volunteer at new student orientation.” 
• Laura Pauley, executive director of University Faculty Senate, whose nominator wrote: “Laura is an outstanding executive director!  She approaches the day-to-day operation of the Senate with a constant lens of how to make things better for the senate, the faculty and the university. She has instituted processes that make record-keeping both more efficient and simpler to use.” 
• Meaghan Schadle, development assistant in the Bellisario College of Communications, whose nominator wrote: “Meaghan goes above and beyond for Bellisario and the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. She has a can-do attitude about every project and is the epitome of a team player. She held the development team together during a leadership change and another team member's maternity leave.” 
• Andrew Stager, officer in University Police and Public Safety, whose nominator wrote: “Andrew supports the community in huge ways, not only with his strong investigative skills but also with his compassion, empathy and care as he helps students through really challenging times. Hard work is Andrew's baseline. He puts 100% into his work and everything that is asked of him.” 
• Kristin Sznajder, assistant professor of public health sciences in the College of Medicine, whose nominator wrote: “Kristin is a great leader. She guides, navigates, leads and supports her team in every possible way. Her dedication, commitment and leadership have led our team on the path to success. She has a 'never-give-up' attitude and inspires other to march forward and succeed.” 
• Chris Taschner, research and development engineer at Applied Research Laboratory, whose nominator wrote: “Chris is a fantastic colleague. He is thoughtful, creative, and supportive. He is known for digging deep and carrying the load, not stopping until the job is done. He captures important moments and helps us see the world in a beautiful way.” 
• Tony Toto, IT support specialist in Penn State IT, whose nominator wrote: “Tony resolved recent user account issues with speed, expertise and excellent communication. He also went the extra mile to discuss our account questions and dig into Penn State policies to confirm that our approaches align with expectations. His prompt and collegial support was so helpful!” 
• Jade Veit, alumni relations and stewardship officer at Penn State Great Valley, whose nominator wrote: “Jade is an exceptional individual. She consistently goes above and beyond to foster connections between students, alumni, community partners, faculty and staff. Her work is flawless. She is always upbeat, kind, caring, creative and incredibly supportive.” 
• Garry Walker, IT support specialist in Penn State IT, whose nominator wrote: “Garry goes above and beyond to provide IT support to the Penn State community. He does so with a positive attitude and a sense of humor that puts a smile on everyone's faces. Garry works diligently to resolve challenging tickets and goes the extra mile to help others and provide exceptional service.” 

Thank you to Lynn, Krystal, Genevieve, Jennie, Mike, Stephanie, Melissa, Rosanne, Jean, Melissa, Jenn, Sofia, Laura, Meaghan, Andrew, Kristin, Chris, Tony, Jade and Garry —  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.