School of Labor and Employment Relations Announces Summer 2025 Capstone Project Award Winner

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - Maria Martinelli, a human resources compliance analyst in the hospitality industry and recent graduate of Penn State’s Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources and Employment Relations program, has received the Summer 2025 Outstanding Capstone Award from the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations.

Her capstone project, “Improving Employee Engagement in Response to a Return-to-Office Policy,” examined the sharp decline in engagement and well-being following the rollout of a mandatory three-day in-office requirement at her organization.

Maria’s research revealed a 21% drop in employee engagement and an 8% decline in well-being, with the steepest impact on work-life balance. She evaluated her organization’s past initiatives alongside hybrid strategies at other companies, ultimately recommending flexible scheduling for in-office days as the most effective and sustainable solution. This approach would offer employees autonomy in setting start and end times within core hours and improve work-life balance while maintaining collaboration. She also advised relaunching existing wellness resources as a complementary initiative to reinforce a culture of care.

Her findings underscore how thoughtful, evidence-based adjustments to workplace policies can rebuild trust, strengthen culture, and reduce turnover risk.

“The capstone allowed me to apply the concepts I’ve learned throughout the program to a real organizational issue, which gave me a deeper understanding of both the problem and potential solutions,” she said. “More importantly, it gave me the confidence to approach organizational challenges with a structured, evidence-based methodology that can lead to better outcomes.”

Maria is SHRM-CP certified, bilingual in English and Spanish, and brings more than five years of HR experience in compliance, mobility, and global programs to her current position. She practiced law in Argentina prior to beginning her HR career, which adds an international dimension to her expertise.

Please join us in congratulating Maria on this well-earned recognition!