UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Menah Pratt, vice president for strategic affairs and professor of education at Virginia Tech, has been named regional chancellor for Penn State's Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre campuses, effective Aug. 1.
Pratt brings extensive experience in higher education leadership, strategic planning, student success and community engagement. Throughout her career, she has served in executive leadership roles at Virginia Tech, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Vanderbilt University, working with institutional leaders, faculty, staff and community partners to strengthen organizational effectiveness and expand higher education opportunities.
“Menah is a highly accomplished academic leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to student success, institutional strategy and community engagement,” said Renata Engel, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor. “She understands the important role Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses play in expanding opportunity and strengthening the regions they serve. I am confident she will provide thoughtful leadership for our northeast campuses while building strong relationships across the University and throughout the community.”
At Virginia Tech, Pratt has served as vice president for strategic affairs since 2016 and previously served as vice provost for inclusion and diversity. In those roles, she has led university-wide strategic planning efforts, supported enrollment and student success initiatives, and worked across academic and administrative units to guide institutional priorities and support shared governance efforts.
Prior to Virginia Tech, Pratt served as associate chancellor for strategic affairs and associate provost for diversity at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she worked on institutional strategy, governance and academic planning, while also helping to lead community engagement, workforce development and student pipeline initiatives. Earlier in her career, she held leadership and legal affairs roles at Vanderbilt University. In addition to her administrative leadership experience, Pratt is a tenured faculty member and scholar whose work has focused on higher education, leadership and social change.
“I am honored to join Penn State and to serve the Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre communities,” Pratt said. “These campuses have longstanding traditions of student-centered education, community engagement and regional impact. I look forward to building on the conversations I began during the interview process and working alongside students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners to deepen and enhance the campuses’ impact throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Pratt holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in sociology and a law degree from Vanderbilt University, as well as a master’s degree in literary studies and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Iowa.
As regional chancellor, Pratt will oversee Penn State’s northeast campuses, working closely with faculty, staff, students and community partners to support academic excellence, student success and regional engagement.
“I am grateful to Durell Johnson and David Callejo Pérez for their service and support of Penn State’s northeast campuses throughout this transition period,” Engel said. “Their commitment to students, faculty and staff across the campuses provided invaluable continuity and support as we completed the search process.”