UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — University leaders are sharing next steps, information about community engagement opportunities, and new details about workstream leadership as the next phase of the yearslong Road Map for Penn State’s Future gets underway.
As part of a University-wide State of State discussion at the end of September, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi announced the launch of 11 workstreams led by Penn Staters and focused on positioning the institution for continued excellence across its teaching, research and service mission. Faculty and staff are encouraged to get involved and play a critical role in shaping the work that will position the University for long-term success, even as higher education faces headwinds.
Get involved
Penn Staters from across the University will play a central role in shaping each workstream. Community discussions will be held in the coming weeks, with timing and format tailored to each workstream. Input from the community will help leaders identify the individual initiatives within each workstream, and will ultimately help Penn State continue to deliver on its mission.
“The planning phase is an open, collaborative process, and we absolutely need Penn Staters to raise their hands, roll up their sleeves, and contribute their expertise, experience and perspectives,” Bendapudi said. “Our staff and faculty are world-class, and I am pleased that so many of you already have expressed your interest to engage. Your input is critical to our shared success, and we encourage the entire community to take an active role in this work.”
Bendapudi emphasized that this work also will require collaboration across colleges, campuses, units and areas of expertise.
“No single group has all the answers, and our shared success will depend on our willingness to listen to one another, share ideas and expertise, challenge assumptions constructively, and work together toward solutions that serve Penn State as a whole,” Bendapudi said. “The way we engage in this planning process is an important opportunity to demonstrate the cross-collaborative approach we will need to carry forward as Penn State moves into the future.”
To begin, Penn State’s leaders have announced engagement sessions for eight workstreams, with opportunities for the remaining workstreams to be shared in the coming weeks. Community members attending an engagement session are encouraged to bring actionable ideas for consideration and discussion.
Engagement sessions will begin the week of Oct. 12; select the workstream title below for key dates and times:
- Administrative Operations
- Advancement
- Healthcare Costs
- Procurement
- Research & Development
- Student Success
- Undergraduate Enrollment & Aid
- World Campus
Additional information about the timing and nature of community engagement opportunities for the remaining workstreams will be shared soon; these include Academic Operations; Auxiliaries, Real Estate & Capital Planning; and Commonwealth Campuses. Each workstream is in a different stage of development, and the timing and format of each engagement will reflect the nature of the work.
New workstream leadership
This week, University leaders have announced workstream leads, all of whom bring substantial expertise to these roles.
The leads will play an important role in day-to-execution across each workstream’s initiatives and priorities, in close partnership with the workstream sponsors charged with shaping the direction and ambition of each. A list of workstream sponsors (who were announced in September), and workstream leads, is available for review on the University’s Road Map website.
“We are grateful to these leaders for stepping up and serving Penn State at such an important moment,” Bendapudi said. “Each brings substantial expertise, a strong understanding of our University, and the trust and respect of colleagues. Their leadership will be essential to engaging our faculty and staff, shaping the work ahead, and helping all of us make the best decisions for Penn State’s future.”
New coordinating body to be led by former Senate chair
University leaders also announced the appointment of Frantisek Marko, distinguished professor of mathematics at Penn State Hazleton and immediate past chair of the University Faculty Senate from 2025 to 2026, as strategy implementation lead and senior adviser to the president for the newly formed Strategy Implementation Unit (SIU). The SIU is the central team that will work across all workstreams in the coming years, acting as the connective tissue across workstreams, helping to oversee the portfolio of initiatives that will comprise each workstream, and escalating key decisions to leadership to keep work moving forward.
“I am very energized about the transformation of Penn State and honored to be able to contribute to this work in such a meaningful way,” Marko said. “This role feels like a natural progression of the work I have done as Senate chair and as chair of the Joint Committee on the University Budget. As a mathematics faculty member for more than 25 years, I look forward to bringing my faculty perspective, particularly as a Commonwealth Campus faculty member, and my quantitative background to this work. This is a comprehensive transformation, and now is the time for our faculty to bring their ideas to the forefront. I have many of my own, and I am eager to work collaboratively with so many talented and committed Penn Staters to implement our collective vision for Penn State’s future.”
Marko will continue in this role until the implementation work is complete, after which he will return to his faculty position.
The SIU will include leaders from across finance, human resources, information technology, organizational development, and strategic communications, as well as liaisons to both the University Faculty Senate and University Staff Advisory Council. A full membership list and more information about the SIU are available here.
To stay up-to-date as workstreams continue, visit Penn State’s Road Map website. Community updates also will be shared in Penn State Today.