Appointments
Penn State Intercom......July 26, 2001

Africana Research Center gains
first director, associate director

Roy Austin, associate professor of justice, sociology and African-American studies, has accepted the position as director of the Africana Research Center.

Austin will serve a two-year term, which began July 1. During 2002-03, the University will conduct a national search for a director. Cary Fraser, assistant professor of African and African-American studies and history, will serve as associate director of the center.

Austin received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Yale and his master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Washington in 1970 and 1973 respectively. He joined Penn State as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1983. He has published extensively in sociology and criminal justice journals on juvenile delinquency, deviance, and race and the criminal justice system. His research also encompasses the sociology of the Caribbean. He served as director of the administration of justice program from 1994 to 1998. During his years at the University, he has served as adviser to the Black Caucus, the Black Graduate Student Association and the Caribbean Students Association.

Fraser earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Guyana, his master's degree from the University of the West Indies and his doctorate from the University of Geneva in 1990. He served as a program officer at the Social Science Research Council, a visiting fellow at the Center of International Studies, Princeton, and the Frederick Douglass Institute Fellow at the University of Rochester before joining Penn State in 1996. A specialist in the civil rights movement, the history of African-Americans in the 20th century and American foreign policy, Fraser has published a book, Ambivalent Anti-Colonialism, and several articles on American and British decolonialization policy. In 1999, he won a Ford Foundation grant for his conference on "African-Americans and the Age of American Expansion, 1898-1998."

The activities of the Africana Studies Research Center will be launched at the beginning of the fall semester. A center within the College of the Liberal Arts, it will have an advisory committee composed of faculty and students drawn from across the University. The center will encourage involvement of participants from many academic fields whose research includes issues related to Africans and African-Americans. An implementation committee will soon be appointed to work with the director and associate director to develop activities and programs for the 2001-02 academic year and beyond.

Wirth gains key post in
College of Agricultural Sciences

Mary Wirth of Duncansville has been named director of industry and legislative relations for the College of Agricultural Sciences.

A graduate of Penn State with a bachelor's degree in horticulture, Wirth will manage the college's relations with public- and private-sector groups, governmental agencies and elected officials. She will represent the college at special events and work with top management in industry and nonprofit organizations to foster support for the college. In addition, she will provide leadership for the Penn State Ag Council, an industry group whose members provide input, guidance and support for the college's research and educational programs.

From 1999 until joining Penn State, Wirth managed public relations and government affairs for Rossi American Hardwoods in Duncansville. She held the same position for B.A. Mullican Lumber and Manufacturing Co. in Kingsport, Tenn., from 1995 to 1998. While in Tennessee, Wirth was appointed by Gov. Don Sundquist to the Tennessee Forest Management Advisory Council. Previously, she was executive director of the Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group, Kane; executive director of the Pennsylvania Forest Industry Association, Kane; staff writer for the agricultural journal Country Folks of Pennsylvania, Palatine Bridge, N.Y.; and business manager for the plant department of the G.S. Grimes Seed Co., Smethport.

Kretchmar named acting head
of Department of Kinesiology

R. Scott Kretchmar, professor of kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Development, has been appointed acting head of the Department of Kinesiology.

He succeeds Karl M. Newell, who is now serving as the college's associate dean for research and graduate studies.

This will be Kretchmar's second stint as department head. In 1994, he joined the University faculty as head of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science (now Kinesiology). During his five-year term, he was regarded as an advocate for the faculty and for undergraduate education.

In 1985, Kretchmar was elected to the University Faculty Senate and served as its chairman in 1996. He also has served as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Instruction and the University-wide Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Education.

The college will conduct a national search for a permanent department head.

College of Education names
new department head

Kyle Peck, professor of education, has been appointed head of the Department of Adult Education, Instructional Systems, and Work force Education and Development in the College of Education.

He is responsible for overseeing budgets and providing leadership for the department's instruction, research and service at the University Park and Great Valley campuses.

Peck, who has been teaching in the Instructional Systems Program since 1987, earned his doctorate in educational psychology with an emphasis in education technology, and a master's degree in education with an emphasis in reading from the University of Colorado. He also earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Occidental College.

In 1995, Peck received the President's Award from the Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development for "long-standing leadership in reshaping Pennsylvania's educational vision and future." He has published more than 40 books, chapters and articles in professional journals, and he is the director of the new Collaborative and Active Learning Research Institute.

One of Peck's goals is to enhance collaboration among the three separate programs within the department.

Interim department head
chosen in College of Education

Jacqueline Stefkovich, professor of education, has been named interim head for the Department of Education Policy Studies.

She is responsible for exercising academic leadership, administrative authority and budget management over all departmental programs in instruction, research and service at University Park.

Stefkovich, who joined the University last August, served as the coordinator of Educational Administration at Temple University before joining Penn State. The one-year appointment began July 1.

Stefkovich holds a doctoral degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, and a juris doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She also earned a certificate of school psychology from Temple University and a master's degree in counseling from the University of Connecticut. Stefkovich is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

Stefkovich's primary research interests focus on students' rights and school officials' responsibilities under the Fourth Amendment. She has numerous publications in law journals and co-authored a book on her research of ethical decision making for educational leaders.

Director of planning and
administration named for Outreach

Mary Beth Crowe, administrative fellow in Outreach and Cooperative Extension, has been appointed director of planning and administration for the unit.

In this position, she will be responsible for providing leadership and oversight for strategic planning throughout Outreach and Cooperative Extension and for accountability and diversity initiatives and quality enhancements. She also will provide leadership and coordination for administrative functions and special projects in the Office of the Vice President for Outreach and Cooperative Extension.

Crowe recently completed a one-year term as administrative fellow. Before entering the Administrative Fellows Program, she was director of special projects for the Office of the President, where she had served since 1985. She joined the University staff in 1980 as a project assistant with Planning Studies in Continuing Education.

Crowe is co-author of a number of articles and book chapters on higher education and continuing professional education topics. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in psychology and education from Washington University in St. Louis and her master of arts and doctoral degrees in educational psychology from Northwestern University.

Schreyer business librarian
is honored as an Endowed Librarian

Diane Zabel, business librarian in the Schreyer Business Library, was recently named the Endowed Librarian for Business in the University Libraries.

Her record of professional practice, scholarship and service in the area of the endowed faculty position and academic rank of librarian were important factors in selecting her for this honor. The position is funded through the capital campaign by an anonymous donor.

Zabel's first undertaking will be to develop a career resource center within the Schreyer Business Library.

Zabel is a member of the American Library Association, having chaired committees relating to continuing education, information literacy and building library collections. She recently co-authored a book with Christine Avery, associate librarian and head of Penn State Commonwealth College Li-braries, titled The Flexible Workplace: A Sourcebook of Information and Research, published by Quorum Books.

Before coming to Penn State in 1986 as a social sciences reference librarian, Zabel received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and two master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one in library and information sciences and the other in urban planning.

Alumni name director of
program development, enrichment

The Penn State Alumni Association recently appointed Deborah Marron as director of program development and enrichment. Previously, she was director of alumni career services for the Penn State Alumni Association.

In her new position, Marron will oversee the areas of alumni career services, Alumni Travel, recognition programs, student-alumni involvement programs and events management. She also will oversee alumni continuing education in collaboration with Outreach and Cooperative Extension. Responsibilities include long- and short-range planning and development of new programs to address the changing needs of alumni.

Marron has worked in higher education for more than 12 years. She was director of career planning and placement at Pierce College in Philadelphia and Cedar Crest College in Allentown. She also worked in the private sector as a human resources representative and as a consultant providing career management consulting services to dislocated employees in Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T and Bell Atlantic.

Marron received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in counselor education from Penn State. She was granted a doctoral degree in organizational development from the University of Massachusetts and is a certified human resources professional.

Center for Ethics and Religious
Affairs names interim director

Sharon Mortensen, associate director of Unions and Student Activities, has been named interim director of the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs, effective Aug. 1.

She will replace Kenneth I. Clarke, who will become director of Cornell United Religious Work.

Mortensen will oversee the full-time staff at the chapel and work closely with the Campus Ministry and the 38 religious and spiritual student organizations on the University Park campus. She also will continue the work on the design and construction of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

Mortensen, who came to Penn State in 1990 as assistant director of Campus Life, will serve until July 31, 2002, or until a permanent director is named. A search and screen committee will be appointed to review potential candidates to serve as the next permanent director.

Mortensen graduated with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education from Valley City State University, Valley City, N.D., with majors in math, library science and physical education. She received a master of science degree in higher education/student personnel from Colorado State University.

Campus planning director
comes from Boston's HNTB Corp.

Gordon Turow has been named director of campus planning and design for Penn State, according to an announcement from the Office of Physical Plant.

Turow comes to OPP from the Boston office of the HNTB Corp., where he was associate vice president and the director of planning for the Northeast region. His duties included the management of large-scale public infrastructure projects, private sector developments and design/build ventures throughout the Northeast. He has worked on many high-visibility projects with construction values of $20 million to $500 million.

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