Each spring, Penn State recognizes outstanding faculty and staff with annual awards in teaching and excellence. These awards highlight many of the University's faculty and staff who go above and beyond in their work at Penn State. Three of these awards were administered by the Graduate School.

This year's honorees will be recognized at an invitation-only awards ceremony at noon on Thursday, March 28, in Presidents Hall at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.

The 2024 recipients are below:

Graduate Faculty Teaching Awards 

Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award 

Michelle Vigeant-Haas, associate professor of acoustics and architectural engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, is the recipient of the 2024 Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award.

The award honors and recognizes outstanding achievement by a faculty member with at least five years of service who effectively guides junior faculty. Palmer was the senior associate dean of the Graduate School at Penn State from 1984 to 1991.

Graduate Faculty Teaching Award 

Allison Henward, associate professor of education in the College of Education, has received the 2024 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award.

The award, established in 1992 by the Penn State Graduate School, is presented to faculty members in recognition of outstanding teaching performance and advising of graduate students.

Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award 

Jennifer Graham-Engeland, professor of biobehavioral health and professor-in-charge of the graduate program in the College of Health and Human Development, is the 2024 recipient of the Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award.

The award honors faculty members for exemplary leadership that benefits graduate students and faculty in an existing graduate program at the University.