Shirley Hendrick Award

2024 Recipient

Michelle C. Wiley

Director of Academic Development at Penn State World Campus

Michelle C. Wiley serves as the Director of Academic Development Services in the Office of Online Student Success at Penn State World Campus where she champions the work of Academic Support Resources and New Student Orientation by guiding strategic planning to set goals and create projects that promote student success. Michelle serves as the co-lead for Retention Initiatives at World Campus and represents Academic Development Services on numerous administrative committees, such as the First-Gen Forward Advisory Council, the Coalition for Student Success, and Starfish Tenant Admin group, sharing ideas and best practices for supporting World Campus students.

Michelle considers herself to be a lifelong educator and lifelong learner. She is enthusiastic about education and serving students at all levels. Michelle taught middle school special education for 13 years before making the move to higher education at Penn State. She is currently working on her D.Ed. in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education at Penn State University with a focus on best practices for supporting non-traditional students in distance education. Michelle has found significant value in understanding adult learning theory and applying those ideologies to serving and supporting adult students at World Campus and across all Penn State campuses.

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Shirley Hendrick Award

The Shirley Hendrick Award recognizes a University employee  whose visionary accomplishments have contributed significantly to foster and to  increase Penn State’s efforts to serve the adult learner. The award is open to any University employees who

  • Demonstrates leadership, support, and advocacy for adult  learners throughout the University community.
  • Champions strategic initiatives to integrate best practices for adult learners into the overall landscape of the University.
  • Encourages innovative activities to foster and inspire a culture of collaboration while improving access to adult learner programs and services.
  • Exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurial and visionary leadership in creating new opportunities for adult learners to access Penn State programs.

2025 Nomination Information and Deadline

Nomination Instructions

  • Complete the online nomination form and two short letters of support to nominate a colleague for the Shirley Hendrick Award.
  • Nominations for the 2025 award will close on December 20, 2024.

Submit a nomination

 

Information

Typically, an individual will receive the award only once, unless the subsequent nomination demonstrates that  the current work being recognized is new and distinct from the body of work previously recognized.

An individual who has received the award is not eligible to receive it again for five years.

The selection committee may, after reviewing the nominations, elect not to select a  recipient for a given year.

Award selection committee contact:  William Fritz, wjf12@psu.edu

 

Past Award Recipients

Click here to view past recipients of the Shirley Hendrick Award.

Note: All award nominees should be prepared to present at the 2024 Hendrick conference as part of the recognition for the award recipient. Further information will be shared with those individuals by the Hendrick Award and Conference planning committee following award winner selection.