Penn State names interim VP of commonwealth campuses amid ‘time of great change’
Penn State has named an interim vice president for commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor, the university announced Wednesday, a day after the president publicly released a recommendation report to close seven campuses.
Renata Engel, Penn State’s vice provost for online education, will serve as interim vice president for commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor effective May 19. She replaces Margo DelliCarpini, who announced in March she was leaving for a role at the College of New Jersey.
Karen Pollack, associate vice provost for online education, will serve as acting vice provost for online education while Engel is in the campus role.
Engel has been at Penn State since 1990, a release from the university states, holding of variety of roles including professor of engineering mechanics and engineering design, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Engineering and director for the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence.
During her decades of experience, she’s worked closely with administration, faculty and staff, and collaborated on task forces, committees and more. Engel said she’ll continue her collaborative approach as interim VP for commonwealth campuses.
She also acknowledged the “great change” that the commonwealth campus system is about to undergo. On Tuesday, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi publicly released a 143-page recommendation report outlining seven campuses that should close. The public release of the report came after the recommendation and internal documents were leaked to the media.
“I am humbled to have been entrusted with this critical interim assignment. I want the students, faculty and staff on our campuses to know that I believe deeply in the educational mission that our campuses have helped to fulfill for decades,” Engel said. “I know this is a time of great change for our Commonwealth Campus communities as the University’s leadership team and Board of Trustees consider changes that will position Penn State for success long into the future.”
Engel emphasized that no decisions have been made on closing campuses. The board of trustees were scheduled to meet privately Thursday morning to discuss Bendapudi’s recommendation.
“While no final decisions have been made and important deliberations continue, I can say to all of our campus communities that I am committed to supporting students and their success, and will continue to work with care to minimize the impact of changes on our employees in the coming years,” she said.
Tracy Langkilde, interim executive vice president and provost, said Engel’s experience will be of great importance in this role.
“Renata has valuable experience in supporting student success and learning across many locations, and engaging faculty across units to meet this mission,” Langkilde said. “She brings strong leadership to this interim role, at a critical moment in time. I know Renata’s collaborative approach and deep experience will help to drive success.”
As vice provost for online education, Engel provides leadership of online programming with deans, chancellors, vice presidents and vice provosts across the university. With these collaborations, the release states she has sought to create a comprehensive portfolio of online degree programs that reflects the needs of adult and online learners.
Under her leadership, additions include starting the Penn State online MBA led by the Smeal College of Business, a bachelor of science in software engineering from Penn State Behrend, a doctor of education from the College of Education and doctor of engineering from the College of Engineering, and a master of social work from the College of Health and Human Development.
“Engel has also focused on creating innovative pathways to a Penn State education online, such as the stackable credentials that are offered in partnership with the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School, the Great Valley School of Professional and Graduate Programs, the College of the Liberal Arts and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences,” the release states.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was part of a team that found ways to address learners’ needs and co-lead a committee to support Penn State’s shift from in-person to remote learning.
Among several career highlights listed in the release, Engel also helped create programs designed to address the financial, academic and personal challenges students face in college, including the summer bridge program Pathway to Success: Summer Start (PaSSS) at certain campuses and Smart Track to Success for Penn State World Campus.
Engel is from Connellsville and earned her bachelor’s degree at Penn State in 1982, starting at the Fayette campus and graduating from University Park. She also has a doctorate in engineering mechanics from the University of South Florida.
