UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Recently tenured and promoted Penn State faculty members across the University were honored Sept. 28 through Penn State University Libraries’ 2026 Promotion and Tenure Recognition Program, now in its 24th year.
Honorees, joined by their guests and colleagues, were welcomed by Faye A. Chadwell, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, during a private event hosted by Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos held in the Paterno Family Humanities Reading Room on the second floor of Pattee Library at the University Park campus.
“Promotion and Tenure represents years of dedication, perseverance, excellence in teaching, research, creative accomplishment and service,” Chadwell said, addressing the honorees in attendance. “Your achievements also reflect the support of mentors, colleagues, students and others who have accompanied you along the way. Tonight, we're pausing to recognize and celebrate what you have achieved.”
To commemorate their achievement, each newly tenured or promoted faculty member may select a book title for the University Libraries’ permanent collection and include a personal statement explaining why they chose that book. The Libraries purchases titles that are not already in its collection.
Each faculty cohort’s book selections and personal statements are listed online, searchable by year and by last name. This year’s selected titles and words of dedication were on display at the Sept. 28 event.
Chadwell encouraged guests to view the nearly 100 book titles exhibited at the event.
“They reflect the remarkable range of experiences represented at Penn State,” she said. “They also tell a personal story. Some of the books inspired a research trajectory, others shake up ways of thinking, and still others sparked a lifelong interest. They all hold special significance beyond classroom or laboratory. Together, they serve as a powerful reminder that scholarship is both deeply personal and profoundly communal.”
Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos noted that the University Libraries, as “the heart of scholarship and discovery at Penn State,” is a perfect place to honor newly promoted and tenured faculty while welcoming the 161 faculty member honorees, of whom 64 received a promotion, one was awarded tenure, and 96 achieved both a promotion and tenure. Collectively, they represent 18 colleges and 10 Penn State campuses.
“You, the faculty, are the foundation of our University,” he said. “You create powerful educational experiences for our students. You ask questions, facilitate conversations and engage our students to become critical thinkers. Your work in the classroom impacts individual lives and moves the collective conscience forward. ... There would be no highly ranked academic programs or strong research portfolio or thoughtful scholarship without you. Thank you. From myself, from the students you’ve already reached, and the students to come — thank you for the mentorship you give them, the inspiration you sow and the guidance you provide.”
To read each faculty member’s entry, including faculty honorees from previous years, and to learn more, visit the University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition Program website.