PASSHE Honors Three Commonwealth University Staff

The State System named three individuals as recipients of its fifth DEI Keepers of the Flame Award at its annual DEI Summit.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in People

PASSHE Honors Three Commonwealth University Staff

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The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education named three Commonwealth University individuals as recipients of the fifth Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Keepers of the Flame Award. The award recipients were announced during PASSHE's annual DEI Summit held at Kutztown University.

Why it matters

The award recognizes individuals for their contributions to creating and promoting diverse, equitable and inclusive environments that cultivate a sense of belonging. It recognizes one individual from each of the 14 State System campuses, highlighting how DEI work is credited across the state's public university system.

The award is the fifth iteration and recognizes one individual from each of the 14 State System university campuses. Honorees were selected from the system's campuses, but the extraction does not detail how many nominations were received.

The players

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)

PASSHE is the public university system overseeing 14 campuses across Pennsylvania, which presents the Keepers of the Flame Award as part of its diversity initiatives.

Albert Jones

Albert Jones is the Athletic Director at Lock Haven and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Commonwealth University, and a Lock Haven alumnus.

Madelyn Rodriguez

Madelyn Rodriguez is Executive Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Affairs at Bloomsburg University.

Taylor Donahue

Taylor Donahue is Director of Housing & Residence Life at Lock Haven and Mansfield, and previously served five years as assistant director of residence life at Mansfield.

The details

Albert Jones, Athletic Director at Lock Haven and the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Commonwealth University, is a Lock Haven alumnus and was the first African American to serve as athletic director there. Madelyn Rodriguez, Executive Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Affairs at Bloomsburg, and Taylor Donahue, Director of Housing & Residence Life at Lock Haven and Mansfield, were also named.

November 10, 2026: PASSHE announced the award recipients.

Market Landscape

The Keepers of the Flame Award is now in its fifth year, extending a recurring series that PASSHE presents at its annual DEI Summit. The recognition reflects how the state's public university system formalizes diversity work through individual campus honors.

Students and staff at PASSHE campuses may see continued DEI programming shaped by honorees like Albert Jones, Madelyn Rodriguez and Taylor Donahue. The recognition signals how campus leaders are credited for inclusion work that affects residence life, athletics and student belonging across the state's public universities.

The takeaway

Recognition programs like the Keepers of the Flame Award give campus leaders a visible way to see DEI work credited across Pennsylvania's public universities. Readers interested in similar honors can follow how PASSHE campuses report on their inclusion initiatives.