Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses and the state’s community colleges have announced a new collaboration aimed at expanding educational opportunities in Pennsylvania and removing barriers to degree completion among college students. The collaboration builds upon long-standing relationships between the campuses and the community colleges and a shared commitment to access and affordability in higher education.
At an event held on Oct. 31, leaders from the Student Philanthropy Network announced that the class of 2024 has voted to create the University Park Undergraduate Association Basic Needs Endowment as their class gift. The fund will provide sustained support for students facing hardships in pursuit of their degree.
Penn State Berks officially welcomed its sixth leader when Radha Pyati assumed the role of chancellor and dean of Penn State Berks, effective July 1, following a national search. Formerly dean of the College of the Sciences and Mathematics at West Chester University, Pyati is an accomplished researcher, teacher, chemist, author, award-winning environmentalist, and a leader in STEM education.
Radha Pyati, former dean of the College of the Sciences and Mathematics at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, has been selected as the new chancellor and dean of Penn State Berks. She will assume her new role on July 1, 2023.
Inspired by the opportunity to memorialize her husband and support the community that brought them together, Penn State graduate Barbara Bradley has stepped forward with a gift of $350,000 to establish the John and Barbara Bradley Scholarship at Penn State Berks.
A series of seed grants from the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses has provided Penn State campus leaders with the support to implement transformative initiatives and best practices that have been successful at other University campuses.
The Penn State Berks Advisory Board Annual Scholarship will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students who are enrolled or who plan to enroll at Penn State Berks. First preference shall be given to students who graduated from a high school located within the Penn State Berks service area.
Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global; Andrea Dowhower interim vice president for Student Affairs; and Renata Engel, vice provost for online education, share resources available for individuals who have been impacted by the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, as well as ways to help with the rescue and recovery.
In a continuation of its longtime partnership with Penn State, Barnes & Noble College, a Barnes & Noble Education company, which operates the Penn State Bookstore, has awarded a 2022-23 round of grants to support a range of programs and initiatives across the University.