Shenango PTA faculty member receives Teaching Award

Faculty member demonstrates physical therapy procedure to a watching student

Gizelle Dean, associate teaching professor of physical therapy at Penn State Shenango, was recently named the 2022 Faculty Teaching Award recipient for Excellence in Instruction.

Credit: Penn State

SHARON, Pa. — Penn State’s University College Faculty Council named Gizelle Dean, associate teaching professor of physical therapy at Penn State Shenango, as the 2022 Faculty Teaching Award recipient. 

The University College Teaching Award is presented annually to a Penn State faculty member who incorporates innovative teaching practices into their curriculum that leads to student engagement and satisfaction, while also providing a positive and lasting impact. The Teaching Award is one of three awards presented by the University College Faculty Council and is voted on by a committee of Penn State faculty members from across the commonwealth. 

"I am extremely honored to have been awarded the 2022 Penn State University College Teaching Award for Excellence in Instruction,” said Dean. “I am very appreciative of the campus administration, faculty, staff, and students at the Shenango campus and across the Commonwealth Campuses who supported me. I have the deepest respect for my colleagues who continually give me inspiration to strive and improve. The knowledge and talent among the Penn State University faculty is phenomenal.” 

“Gizelle has been a stable force for the PTA program and works endlessly to support her students,” said Campus Director Jo Anne Carrick. “She is student focused, detail oriented, and has the patience and personality to help students succeed. She’s one of the best.” 

Additionally, Dean was recently elected as the SWD Nominating Committee Member for APTA Pennsylvania, a chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. 

For more information about the physical therapist assistant program at Penn State Shenango, visit the website