Jul 30, 2024

HGSAC Co-Chairs Awarded for Service

Outgoing graduate advisers Avery Sicher and Jessica Walnut recognized by Huck Institutes for their leadership efforts during the 2023-2024 academic year

University Park, PA ­– Jessica Walnut and Avery Sicher, outgoing co-chairs of the Huck Graduate Student Advisory Committee (HGSAC), ended the academic year on a high note, receiving awards for their service to the student advocacy organization.

The mission of HGSAC is to represent students enrolled in Huck graduate programs by promoting their interests and advocating on important issues. The student-led organization is also known for orchestrating the annual Life Sciences Symposium, which continues to boast record numbers of abstracts and attendees from across the university.

During their tenure, Walnut, a doctoral student in the Plant Biology program, and Sicher, a doctoral student in the Neuroscience program, shared leadership duties. The two planned social and professional events and represented Huck students at regular meetings of the Huck Graduate Education Committee.

Both Walnut and Sicher were thanked by Huck leadership and presented with plaques in honor of their service to the graduate student community.

“HGSAC plays an important role in guiding the education and professional development of graduate students at Penn State,” said Patrick Drew, interim director of the Huck Institutes and professor of Neurosurgery, Biology, and Biomedical Engineering. “We are very happy that Avery Sicher and Jessica Walnut stepped up to the task of chairing HGSAC. We greatly appreciate their hard work, organization, and leadership that enriched the experiences of the life science graduate students. The strong turnout from the community for the Life Sciences Symposium and other HGSAC events shows their colleagues do, too.”

The outgoing co-chairs reflected on their experience during their term.

“Serving as HGSAC co-chair for the last year has been a very rewarding experience,” Sicher said. “I am most proud that we put on another successful Life Sciences Symposium. I love seeing how the event has grown over the years I have been a part of HGSAC. This year's LSS featured more career development opportunities for Huck trainees and continued to grow and reach more graduate students at Penn State.”

“My time as HGSAC co-chair proved to be an excellent experience in team leadership and event coordination,” Walnut said. “Coordinating this year’s symposium is the accomplishment I am most proud of. It was exciting to watch the event come together, and it provided opportunities to connect with wonderful people across Penn State and members of industry. I will continue to utilize the skills I obtained during my tenure as co-chair as I move forward in my career.”