The vice president for Student Affairs accepts the Suzanne S. Brown Distinguished Service and Outstanding Professional Award.
Dr. Nancy Pinardi, vice president for Student Affairs at California University of Pennsylvania, was recently presented the Suzanne S. Brown Distinguished Service and Outstanding Professional Award.
Established in 1997, the award was created to recognize an outstanding Student Affairs professional from the 14 schools in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
It is presented annually by the Council of Chief Student Affairs Officers to an individual who has demonstrated innovative or creative actions that have benefited his or her institution and the State System or has provided noteworthy, distinguished service to his or her institution or to the System.
The award is named for Suzanne S. Brown who served with great distinction as the associate vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the state system headquarters in Harrisburg.
In her 31st year as a Cal U employee, Pinardi earned three degrees from Cal U and a doctoral degree while working in Student Affairs. She has led that division since 2012.
“I work with a wonderful group of professionals, and I was so excited they were there because Student Affairs is about all of us combined getting the work done that needs to be done to help the students,” Pinardi said.
“This is a wonderful honor, but it’s more a reflection on our whole team because their dedicated efforts make me look good.”
Pinardi is the PASSHE Alcohol & Other Drugs Consortium grant administrator, the chair of the PASSHE Chief Student Affairs Officers, and the University liaison to the Cal U Student Association Inc. She also served on the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Advisory Council.
At Cal U, she has promoted women’s rights as the creator and director of the first stand-alone Women’s Center and has advocated for diversity and inclusion for staff and students.
Under her leadership, the University created the first food pantry for students with food insecurities, the first Alcohol and Other Drugs Recovery Center, and a new position for the first dedicated wellness support liaison for all students.
She received the award at the 2019 Pennsylvania Student Affairs Conference, which was held May 15-17 at Clarion University.