SRU recognizes employees for outstanding service and milestones

Slippery Rock University recognized recipients of the 2022 President's Awards for Outstanding Service at its Spring Assembly, March 29, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. From left Dan Brown, Emily Keener and Lenora Karenbauer.

March 29, 2022

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Slippery Rock University recognized several employees for their service to the institution at its Spring Assembly, March 29, in the Smith Student Center Ballroom, including three SRU employees who received the 2022 President's Awards for Outstanding Service.

This year's recipients are Daniel Brown, director of housing; Lenora Karenbauer, registered nurse supervisor of Student Health Services; and Emily Keener, associate professor of psychology.

Established in 1981 and funded by SRU supporters, the late Donna and Robert McMullen, '51, the award recognizes extraordinary commitment to University service and citizenship beyond the scope of an employee's job function as demonstrated through active participation in on- and off-campus activities that benefit the University. Doug McMullen, an SRU Foundation, Inc. board member, and his wife, Linda, continue to sponsor the award.

Nominations for the award are solicited from and reviewed by nominees' supervisors before they are forwarded to members of the president's cabinet who select the winner or winners.

Daniel Brown

Brown leads the Housing Office at SRU, which consists of four staff members who oversee on-campus housing accommodations for approximately 2,800 students in nine residence halls and the ROCK Apartments. He was instrumental in coordinating the University's transition during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when on-campus living was suspended for the remainder of the semester. He also navigated a new environment during the 2020-21 academic year, when residence halls operated at reduced capacities with fewer than 700 residential students, before they were restored to regular capacity in fall 2021.

"Our job in the Housing Office is to make students in the residence halls feel comfortable and secure and to make them feel at home," said Brown, who has worked at SRU for 10 years including eight years in his current role. "I've always liked working with the students. Students can walk into my office and say they have an issue, and even if the issue is not in my wheelhouse, I can find the right person. There are so many people here that are (like that) and who are focused on the students.

"A lot of our work is behind the scenes, and to look at the other folks who have received this award in the past, I'm so proud to be part of this."

Lenora Karenbauer

Karenbauer is another SRU employee whose role has been critical during the pandemic. She's worked in the Student Heath Center since 2005 but she became nurse supervisor in fall 2020 as students were returning to campus in the midst of the pandemic. More than 20 nurses, both full-time and substitutes, report to her to provide 24/7 medical care to SRU students. Karenbauer made sure that the SHC was following CDC updates and other policy and procedure revisions to meet state and federal guidelines.

"I was honored and very humbled to receive recognition by my peers, especially after the last two years," Karenbauer said. "We've been through some precedented challenges, but I could not have been successful without my team and I appreciate them. The nursing staff here is exceptional, but I also really enjoy working with the other departments and the young adult population. Our students are learning how to get started (in life on their own) and how to access their own health care, and I really feel privileged that I can help keep them healthy to ensure their success in life."

Emily Keener

Keener has been a catalyst for shaping campus culture and the climate related to the areas of diversity and inclusion. A member of the President's Commission on Gender Identity & Expression and Sexual Orientation, Keener has served on several committees, promoting social justice, advocating for women, advancing gender studies, and searching for the University's first chief diversity officer, to name a few. Keener played a critical role on the successful initiative to add a diversity, equity and inclusion requirement in the Rock Studies program, which resulted in all undergraduate SRU students being required to take a three-credit course that meets a DEI designation.

"It's nice and exciting to be recognized, but one of the first things I thought is that I have really good colleagues who nominated me for the award," Keener said. "Almost all my service is focused on social justice. My goal is to make an impact toward social justice and make social change and not to win awards, but (this recognition) is icing on the cake."

Keener has served on SRU faculty union's social justice committee since fall 2017, including two terms as co-chair.

"Social justice is a thread that goes through every part of my life: my teaching, research and service, and into my life as a parent and a member of the community," Keener said. "Even before I was an academic, the way I've always addressed injustice is by taking action. My career easily lends itself to being able to (take action) and working at a university and in academia is one of those contexts where you can do that."

Each of the recipients of the President's Awards for Outstanding Service will receive a $1,000 cash award. More information about the award, including past winners and the nomination process, are available on the SRU website.

In addition to the President's Award for Outstanding Service, the following SRU employees were recognized with milestone awards (name and department) for their time of service at the University:

10 Years
Michelle Amodei, Elementary Education/Early Childhood
Kelly Bailey, Alumni Engagement
Jen Bartek, Library
Bill Bergmann, History
Stacy Bluedorn, Student Affairs
Elizabeth Boerger, Psychology
Natalie Burick, Disability Services
T.J. Campbell, Facilities and Planning
Dallas Cott, Facilities and Planning
Lynn Cousins, Facilities and Planning
Jim Culligan, Safety
Nicole DaFoe, Biology
Carol Feevey, Facilities and Planning
Jason Fitzgerald, Facilities and Planning
Cathy Fuhs, College of Education
Ian Grady, Athletics
Mary Hennessey, Academic Affairs
Jason Hilton, Secondary Education/Foundations of Education
Kris Hoffman, Accounts Payable
Hannah Holl, Physical and Health Education
Michael Holmstrup, Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences
Jessica Jordan, Library
Samantha Kelly, Finance and Analytics
Cheryl Kerchis, Political Science
Cindy Koi, Facilities and Planning
Jeremy Lynch, Special Education
Molly Mistretta, Counseling and Development
Sunshine Mushrush, Student Support
Joel Protivnak, Enterprise Database Administration
Stacey Rice, Athletics
Torry Rollins, Athletics
Dil Singhabahu, Mathematics and Statistics
Jennifer Willford, Psychology
Tricia Wissinger, Facilities and Planning

15 Years
Wei Bian, Physical and Health Education
Brian Danielson, Center for Teaching and Learning
Gisela Dieter, Modern Languages and Cultures
Kathy Dombeck, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Nancy Ejzak, Graduate Admissions
Courtney Gramlich, Storm Harbor Equestrian Center
Tyler Gray, University Police
Andy Hasenpflug, Dance
Joanna Hastings, Financial Aid and Scholarships
Patty Hemshrodt, Health Services
Kim Keeley, Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences
Betsy Kemeny Parks, Conservation and Recreational Therapy
Min Lim, Chemistry
Kelly Lindenberg, School of Physical Therapy
Sean MacMillan, Art
Karen Marmie, Facilities and Planning
Lori Marttala, History
Karen Mason, Library
Brian Overly, Facilities and Planning
Lia Paradis, History
Matt Parr, Facilities and Planning
Tina Proper, Administration, Global Engagement and Economic Development.
Debbie Schell, Smith Student Center
Betsy Strawbridge, College of Education
Pavani Tallapally, Accounting, Economics and Finance
Robert Traylor, Facilities and Planning
Dan Wallace, Facilities and Planning
Jackie Williams, Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences
LuAnn Znosko, Academic Affairs

20 Years
Richael Barger-Anderson, Special Education
Sandy Busch, University Communication and Public Affairs
David Glover, Music
Lisa Gray, University Communication and Public Affairs
Istvan Kovacs, Physical and Health Education
Lisa Luntz, Alumni Engagement
Maria Malacaman, Residence Life
Catherine Massey, Psychology
Shelly Ogoreuc, Health Services
Annette Salsovic, Exploratory Studies and Academic Progress
Tamra Schiappa, Geography, Geology and the Environment
Lang Smith, Geography, Geology and the Environment
Julie Varnish, Student Engagement and Leadership
Sean Voorhees, Graduate Admissions
Terri Wajda Soltis, Management and Marketing
Brenda Warner, Facilities and Planning
Carlis White, History
Frederick White, English

25 Years
Patty Campbell, Geography, Geology and the Environment
Colleen Cooke, Parks, Conservation and Recreational Therapy
Bill Covey, English
Kim Forrest, Public Health and Social Work
Don Green, Facilities and Planning
Susan Hadley, Music
Sue Lubinski, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Rebecca Morrice, Theatre
Derrick Pitard, English

30 Years
Andy Chatterjee, Management and Marketing
Dean DeNicola, Biology
Jack Layne, Biology
John Shaffer, University Police
Kim Tissue, Admissions

35 Years
Padma Anand, Secondary Education/Foundations of Education
Leigh McGuirk, College of Business
Linda Moore, Accounts Payable
Lynne Motyl, Human Resources
Margie Riddell, Payroll
Deborah Wells, Elementary Education/Early Childhood

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854  | justin.zackal@sru.edu