UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Office of Faculty Affairs and Human Resources Talent Management have announced the selection of 27 faculty and academic leaders for the fall 2026 Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders (PSEAL) program.
PSEAL prepares faculty and academic administrators for current and future leadership roles at Penn State through leadership development, mentoring, engagement with senior University leaders, and opportunities to deepen participants’ understanding of academic leadership and the University.
For fall 2026, PSEAL includes two participant cohorts: 22 Emerging Academic Leaders who are developing their leadership capacity and exploring future leadership opportunities, and an Accelerated Leadership cohort of five current academic unit heads who will engage in an adapted PSEAL experience focused on leadership development within the context of their current administrative responsibilities.
Meet the 2026 Emerging Academic Leaders:
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Abu Asaduzzaman, Associate Professor, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Penn State Harrisburg, mentored by Jennelle Malcos, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Eberly College of Science.
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Christyne Berzsenyi, Professor of English and Interdisciplinary Studies, Penn State Wilkes- Barre, mentored byAgnes Kim, Professor of Physics and Director of Academic Affairs, Penn State Scranton.
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Larry Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, mentored by Christina Grozinger, Director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology.
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Khytam Dawood, Teaching Professor of Psychology, mentored by Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Professor of African American Studies.
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Jennifer Emigh, Associate Teaching Professor and Professor in Charge of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, mentored by Meighan Julbert, Associate Athletic Director for Integrative Human Performance and Strategic Initiatives.
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Colleen English, Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Penn State Berks, mentored by Jeff Adams, Senior Associate Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education.
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Lauren Griggs, Associate Teaching Professor, Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion, Director of Multicultural Engineering Program, Director Clarks Scholars Program, mentored by SeriaShia Chatters, Interim Vice Provost for Educational Equity.
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Tara Grove, Associate Librarian for Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures, mentored by Jennie Knies, Associate Dean for Penn State Commonwealth Campus Libraries, Penn State Scranton.
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Abbygale Hackenberger, Associate Teaching Professor of Nursing, Nese College of Nursing, mentored by Jennifer Eury, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education, Smeal College of Business and Associate Clinical Professor of Management and Organization.
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Meg Hatch, Associate Professor of Biology, Penn State Scranton, mentored by Matthew Fury, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Leadership Professor of Mathematics, Penn State Abington.
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Mary High, Teaching Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, mentored by Laura Rotunno, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Schreyer Honors College.
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Xianbiao Hu, Associate Professor of Transportation Engineering, mentored by Farshad Rajabipour, Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
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Hai Huang, Professor of Engineering, Penn State Altoona, mentored by Ron W. Darbeau, Associate Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, Penn State Altoona.
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Titichia Jackson, Assistant Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law, mentored by Nicole Webster, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Health and Human Development, and Professor of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management.
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Michael Mohney, Teaching Professor of Plant Science, mentored by Angela Linse, Executive Director of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and Associate Dean for Teaching.
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Dawn Pfeifer Reitz, Associate Teaching Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State Berks, mentored by Renata Engel, Vice President for the Commonwealth Campuses and Executive Chancellor and Professor of Engineering Design, and Engineering Science.
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Adam Plucinski, Associate Teaching Professor of Engineering, Penn State Altoona, mentored by Ivan Esparragoza, Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation and Program Assessment.
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Vittaldas Prabhu, Professor and Charles and Enid Schneider Faculty Chair in Service Enterprise Engineering, mentored by Karen Thole, National Security Institute Director, Evan Pugh Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
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Rashmi Sharma, Associate Clinical Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems, mentored by Santhosh Girirajan, Department Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, T. Ming Chu Professor of Genomics.
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Sofia Vidalis, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Penn State Harrisburg, mentored by Shirley Clark, Director of the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Penn State Harrisburg, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Engineering, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology.
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Hui Yang, Gary and Sheila Bello Chair and Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, mentored by Eric T. Donnell, Senior Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
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Maria Yoder, Assistant Teaching Professor of Nursing, mentored by Lisa Lenze, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, College of Information Sciences and Technology.
2026 Accelerated Leadership Cohort
The Accelerated Leadership cohort extends the PSEAL experience to current academic unit heads, including department heads, division heads, school directors, and campus chief academic officers who are not serving in interim appointments. Participants engage with the broader PSEAL cohort while completing leadership development activities designed specifically around the responsibilities and challenges of leading an academic unit.
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Guoray Cai, Department Head of Human-Centered Computing and Social Informatics and Dewey Walker Professor in Information Sciences and Technology, mentored by Luis Ayala, Department Head and Professor of the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
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Sharon Huang, Department Head of Informatics and Intelligent Systems and David Reese Professor of Informatics and Intelligent Systems, mentored by Doug Wolf, Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Nuclear Engineering, and Additive Manufacturing and Design.
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Rebecca Krisher, Department Head of Animal Sciences and Professor of Reproductive Biology, mentored by Kathy Bieschke, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Education, and Professor of Education (Counseling Psychology).
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Dongwon Lee, Frymoyer Chair in Information Sciences and Technology, Head of Department, and Professor of Privacy and Cybersecurity Informatics, mentored by Vincent Meunier, Department Head of Engineering Science and Mechanics, P.B. Breneman Chair, and Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics.
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Lauren Reiter, Head of the William and Joan Schreyer Business Library and Louis and Virginia Benzak Business Librarian, mentored by Deborah Ehrenthal, Director of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) and Professor of Biobehavioral Health.
“PSEAL is designed to develop academic leadership capacity across Penn State, and this year’s program allows us to do that at multiple points in the leadership journey,” said Ann Clements, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs and director of the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement. “By bringing emerging leaders together with colleagues who are already leading academic units, we can provide development that is responsive to participants’ current roles while also creating opportunities for learning and connection across the broader cohort.”
The Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders program is offered through the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement within the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Visit the Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders Program page for additional information about PSEAL.
For inquiries, contact Ann Clements, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs, at acc13@psu.edu.