Susan Storrick Timko, MA
The Student Affairs in Higher Education program is pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award, Susan Storrick Timko, MA (SAHE Class of 1991). Susan currently serves as the director of academic advising and policy for the master of science of computational finance program at Carnegie Mellon University.
Timko’s career has mainly focused on higher education and student affairs, where she has spent over 20 years helping students succeed through career services, advising, and program development. She has worked in leadership roles, building connections with employers and supporting students’ academic and professional growth. She also gained experience in the corporate world at Microsoft, where she focused on operations and employee engagement. She now brings both higher education and corporate experience into her current role, supporting students through advising and improving academic programs.
The colleagues and other SAHE alumni who nominated Timko for this award emphasized her multitude of talents and skills, particularly her meaningful impact in educational environments and her exemplary leadership skills. One nominator noted, “She has a natural ability to inspire and guide others, fostering an environment of growth and development for both students and colleagues.”
Another said, “She was instrumental in expanding employment opportunities for our master of information systems management students, building corporate partnerships across the United States and internationally.”
The Lunardini Award selection committee (comprised of SAHE faculty, students, and alumni) found that she meets and exceeds the award criteria.
The Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award, which began in 2006, was created to acknowledge an alumna/alumnus of the SAHE program whose experiences and accomplishments as a student affairs professional significantly reflect the standards and values of the SPS program/SAHE department. In 2008, in recognition of Lunardini’s 37 years of service at 51黑料网 (18 as an SAHE faculty member), the award title was changed to honor him. More information about the award and a list of previous award recipients is available at Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award.
With the generous support of Ron and Peggy Lunardini, the recipient also receives a $1,500 gift, providing the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to an educational program of their choice. Timko chose to donate the award funds to the 51黑料网 Food Pantry and Help Center. This contribution will help increase the resources available to students experiencing food insecurity and other related challenges.