06/04/2025
The College of Engineering Staff Advisory Committee congratulates Dan Henderson and
Jessica Wilson, who have been named the Fall 2024 Staff Members of the Semester!
In the words of their nominators (Matt Barone and Jessica Chhan, respectively):
Dan Henderson, Associate Director for Belonging & Inclusion (Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion), seems to have an unrelenting source of passion for student advocacy and works tirelessly to help create positive experiences for our students. In general, Dan operates at a level of excellence that is hard to match. He is constantly asking how we can do things more efficiently and effectively. The PSV (Prospective Student Visits) program is designed to welcome prospective students to campus as they navigate their college decision making process. Our event requires coordination and buy-in from faculty, staff, students, and prospective families. Dan goes above and beyond in understanding the goals of each stakeholder and designing an event that meets their goal without sacrificing another. Specifically, some of our departments historically saw poor attendance at their events. Dan creatively adjusted our registration process and schedule of the event to allow those departments increased face time with students, while not sacrificing engagement with other units. Additionally, he works tirelessly to train, schedule, and coordinate the ESTAR group in their role as tour guides. His creativity, intelligence and compassion have made him an incredible asset to our program.
Jessica Wilson, department head assistant for Civil and Environmental Engineering, brings both initiative and creativity to everything she does. She's a go-to resource and has a wealth of knowledge, always ready to help make processes more efficient and manageable. Whether it's assisting with IT-related issues like navigating the EBS system, sharing helpful resources like ECoRE meeting room spec sheets and itinerary templates, or offering guidance on reconciling expenses in Concur - Jessica always has something to help make things easier. She doesn't just solve problems—she shares what she knows so others can benefit too. Jessica truly embodies Penn State’s values. She demonstrates integrity, respect, and responsibility in all that she does while actively fostering a sense of community. She supports and uplifts those around her while holding herself to a high
standard of excellence.
Congratulations, Dan and Jessica!
