Tell us about yourself! What do you enjoy doing outside of OPAIR?
I’m relatively new to Pennsylvania – my wife Pam and I moved to State College in 2019 when Penn State recruited her as a professor in Criminology. I grew up in a small town in Eastern Kentucky called Prestonsburg. My folks (92 and 80) still live there. Dad, a civil rights lawyer, still practices law and is getting an honorary doctorate from the University of Kentucky this month. I have one sister – she’s a clinical social worker. I got my bachelor’s degree at Duke in English with a certificate in Women’s Studies. When I learned that higher education was actually a job field, I went to the University of Arizona and got my master’s in Higher Education. I got my doctorate some years later at the University of Kentucky.
My “outside life” often revolves around food. We cook a lot and love to play with new flavors. One of Pam’s former students sent a care package of spices, snacks, and mixes from South Korea not long ago, so we’ve been having fun working through those! I really enjoy spending time out in the garden when the weather’s nice. We really enjoy visiting new places home and abroad. I’m a college sports nut and I’ve written a newspaper column about wine for many years. I also try to be a good doggie daddy to two ridiculously cute pups, Charlie and Rosie.
What does your professional background look like? What roads led you to working for Penn State?
Oh boy, here we go! After finishing graduate school, my first job was in residence life at a small college in Michigan (Albion College). I didn’t care for the weather, so I took another residence life job at the University of Richmond, where I decided that residence life just wasn’t for me. From there, I entered the world of academic advising and support. I did this work for a number of years at the University of Kentucky and the University of Cincinnati. I left UC to become the first Director of Transfer at Gateway Community and Technical College in Northern Kentucky.
Through that work, I became professionally connected to the Gardner Institute, a nonprofit consulting firm that works to improve educational outcomes for first-year and transfer students. We took the information that came from a planning grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and compiled a handbook called “The Transfer Experience,” which was published in 2021. At the beginning of December, I gave a conference keynote address to the New Jersey Transfer Counselors Association based on the book.
Describe your unique role within OPAIR—what are some of your duties as a Senior Policy Analyst?
One of the exciting aspects of working in Planning, Policy, and Measurement is the breadth of projects that I get involved with. Strategic planning work involves connections with every budget unit at the university – whether colleges, campuses, or administrative units. I’ve gained a real perspective on the workings of such a large, complex university.
Our team thinks of ourselves as problem solvers. We get requests from all over the university to facilitate conversations, answer policy questions, and assist with helping the university meet its mission and vision. Since we work on reports often, I like to think that I’m in a place where I can finally put my English major to use!
Are there any current or upcoming projects within the Planning, Policy, and Measurement team that you’re particularly excited about?
Dr. Bendapudi recently released her Presidential Vision and Goals for Penn State. With the current strategic plan set to expire in 2025, we’re guessing that the new strategic plan will be centered on these aspirations. There’ll be a lot of work to do across the university to set us up to pursue these goals, and that will be challenging and rewarding.
With the new year quickly approaching, do you have any big resolutions?
I’ve taken up meditation over the last few years. As part of that practice, I’ve resolved to both seek and provide more kindness over the year to come. Kindness is a welcome antidote to much of the negativity that we see in the world. I want to add to that.