Marilyn Corbin, Penn State Extension assistant director of programs, was recently named as a recipient of the College of Agricultural Sciences 2016 William Henson Diversity Award.

"Corbin is adept at working with people from diverse backgrounds," said her nominator. "She shows care, concern and respect for employees, students, extension educators and community members."

This appreciation for diversity has motivated her leadership of programs such as Dining with Diabetes, StrongWomen, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, and PROSPER, an initiative aimed at preventing youth substance abuse.

Corbin provided leadership for establishing the national Change Agent States for Diversity Consortium initiative and served as the president of the Association of Leadership Educators, for which she championed diversity and inclusion.

With a commitment to promoting the values of diversity at all levels of program planning and operations, Corbin has received more than $20.8 million in grants to implement extension programs in Pennsylvania that have emphasized nutrition, health and family-life education.

She has served as an advisor to the Penn State College of Medicine ProWellness Committee, Penn State Cancer Network, the Goodling Center for Family Literacy and the Penn State Children, Youth and Families Consortium. She initiated the Penn State Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers Workshop.

Through her leadership, Corbin has brought to fruition several publications exploring diversity in extension, including, "The Benefits of Diversity in the Cooperative Extension Program: How Communities Can Respond to Needs across a Diverse Community."

Corbin also has built partnerships to improve the effectiveness of Penn State Extension and to ensure that its programs meet the needs of diverse state citizens and extension employees. She also developed a working relationship with faculty and staff at the University of Guanajuato, Mexico, to establish youth development programming.