Gallagher Receives Administrative Excellence Award

4-3-97

University Park, Pa. -- James D. Gallagher, campus executive officer at Penn State Worthington Scranton Campus, has been named the winner of the award for Administrative Excellence.

The award will be presented to Gallagher at the Faculty/Staff Awards Program at 4 p.m., Sunday, April 6, at the Penn State Scanticon Conference Hotel. The Administrative Excellence Award is given annually to Penn State staff members whose performance methods and achievements exemplify administrative excellence.

Dr. Gallagher joined Penn State as a graduate teaching assistant in 1959 and became a full-time instructor the following year at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. In 1963, he transferred to University Park where he rose to the rank of associate dean in charge of health, physical education and recreation programs at the campuses. Since 1979 he has served as the campus executive officer for Worthington Scranton.

During his tenure, Gallagher has been credited with providing leadership and direction to all spheres of campus operations -- from academic programs, to telecommunications and computing resources, to its physical plant. In excess of $2 million in donations has been raised and the number of scholarships has increased from 30 to more than 100. Campus enrollments also reached an all-time high of 1,425 for the current academic year. A colleague notes, "Under Dr. Gallagher's leadership we have never experienced fiscal difficulties. His prudent management has enabled us to finance considerable expansion within our own budget."

A visionary who embraces change, Gallagher was supportive of the plan for the Commonwealth Colleges. His enthusiasm for developing four-year programs caught on quickly and several are well under way. Nursing, occupational therapy and human development and family studies are three recent additions to the campus curriculum.

Gallagher has been active in a number of community activities. He currently serves on the board of trustees for the community medical center as well as a private industry council for job training partnership.

At all levels of the institution, those that have come in contact with Gallagher admire his knack for team building -- making people feel important and worthy. "He constantly encourages students, staff and faculty to do their best and easily goes the extra mile to make sure that we work in a climate that fosters success. He involves the campus community in all phases of planning and consistently makes judicious decision based on our input. His door is open to all, and he gladly helps with personal and professional issues alike. He is the campus authority figure because of the respect we have for him. And for that reason, we accept his decisions."

Another long-time colleague sums it up this way: "There is a team spirit on campus and they won't let anyone speak unkindly of their leader."

**kiw**

Contact: Karen Wagner (814) 863-4512 (office) kiw1@psu.edu
Christy Rambeau (814) 865-7517 (office) cmr7@psu.edu