Robert Melloy Receives 2025 Kelley-Willits Award for Excellence in Online Teaching
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Robert Melloy, an online instructor in labor and employment relations for Penn State World Campus, has received the 2025 Kelley-Willits Award for Excellence in Online Teaching from the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations.
Established in 2011, the Kelley-Willits Award honors faculty who exemplify excellence in teaching; demonstrate care for students; and contribute meaningfully to the school’s mission of preparing students for success in human resources, organizational leadership, employment relations, and similar fields.
The Kelley-Willits Award selection committee noted Melloy’s dedication to student development and his ability to cultivate curiosity and engagement, even in a virtual setting, in honoring him with this award. For many students, his courses offer a first introduction to organizational leadership—a field that, as Melloy noted, can lead to career paths they hadn’t previously considered. His efforts have left a lasting impression, with many students citing his approachability, passion, and consistent support as key factors in their academic success.
“Effective teaching begins with genuine engagement—when a teacher is passionate and present, students are more likely to be motivated and curious,” Melloy noted when receiving the award. “I also find the subject matter I teach fun and interesting, so I love sharing my excitement about it with my students,” he shared.
Melloy is also a Penn State alumnus, having received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology from the University before joining the World Campus faculty. His deep connection to the institution—both as a student and as a faculty member—continues to shape his teaching approach.
“Between earning my Ph.D. at Penn State and now teaching for World Campus, I have made such great memories here,” he said. There’s no place like Penn State and the full experience it offers, and I’m grateful to continue to be a part of it—even in a small way.”
The School of Labor and Employment Relations is proud to recognize Melloy with the 2025 Kelley-Willits Award and celebrate his continued contributions to the Penn State community and to the students he inspires every day. The School offers undergraduate degrees through World Campus and at University Park in Labor, Human Resources, Employment Relations, and Organizational Leadership.
